 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bkmorton
Date: 2005-02-22 03:05
I have been trying the Yamaha YCL-CSGH with the Hamilton Keys and I have to say, it is a very good clarinet.
The craftmanship in the key work is very good.
The intonation is incredible!! It is very almost the same in each octave. I don't have to adjust very much at all.
The response in the high notes is great.
The overall tone is a bit darker than the Buffets that I have tried.
The resistance of the horn is great.
The tone quality is also great through each range.
I am really impressed with the horn overall. I have been a Buffet supporter for 13 years now and it is a very hard choice.
Are there any other aspects that I am missing in my quest for getting a new horn?
Any other comments about the horn? Projection or anything.
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Author: bkmorton
Date: 2005-02-22 22:40
Cons-
The upper joint is slightly longer and is not able to fit in universal cases such as Bam cases.
Thats all I have right now:)
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-23 01:25
hrm...I thought that if the clar was longer it made the pitch go down? (hence As being longer)?
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2005-02-23 02:04
I tried a couple out at the Oklahoma Clarinet symposium last June. They have lengthened the upper joint and shortened the barrel and removed much of the tuning capabilities of the barrel and changed the bore in the upper joint to give more consistent pitch capabilities. The clarinets that I played had a lot of resistance. On a tuner the clarinets brought to this show had excellent intonation. I am not a fan of the bronze tone keywork but this is just personal taste. You have to forget your preconceptions about tone and timbre when trying out a new horn and just let yourself feel if the tone is pleasing without comparing it to your accustomed clarinet species. I found the tone very pleasing. The fit and finish was very good and the keywork felt comfortable. As pointed out, using a different case is a problem.
IMHO - This is a new evolution in the constantly changing Yamaha search for acceptance in the professional clarinet arena. I like some of the previous iterations in the YCL-SEV series and this is yet another choice to ponder. I wish that they would settle on their one, two, or three best professional level horns and strive to improve them over time without constantly bringing out new models. My feeling is that this is like the car maker that brings out a new design change every year to gain new customers which only serves to depreciate the value of cars made earlier. To pay a lot of money for a horn with the suspicion that a new model is coming out in a year or two which will render your investment less in resale value is daunting. Conversely, if you find a horn with a fine playability and tone it can be a long term investment in your own musicianship. The market share of the "big 4" in professional level horns has not changed much in the last decade even with huge expenditures in advertising and endorsements and ever changing new models by the trailing "big 3". Much of the suggestions from teachers for upgrading students is based on their own bias toward one brand or another and this carries forth to the next generation, and so on. Only when the player becomes independently minded to make their own choice does brand bias shrink.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Ed
Date: 2005-02-23 03:57
"I wish that they would settle on their one, two, or three best professional level horns and strive to improve them over time without constantly bringing out new models."
Of course, we could make this argument against any of the clarinet manufacturers. Each has been upgrading and changing their model lines in an effort to improve them and I assume, market share. I can't keep track of what Selmer and Leblanc have been doing lately, but Buffet has the R-13, RC, Festival, Elite, (which may have been recently discontinued) Tosca, Vintage as well as the Prestige series. Over the years they have had other lines including the S-1. It is enough to make your head spin.
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-02-23 06:12
is this a German bore clarinet? ("reform Boehm"), i understand that the longer upper joint/shorter barrel is normal for a German bore clarinet (regardless of the key system)
donald
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2005-02-23 11:27
The new Yamaha is a hybrid and as you say it takes the inspriation of the German bore for the upper joint. As mentioned even Buffet has a myriad of models but other than the RC and new Tosca they are variations and grades of the R-13 (minus the Elite) and have all been around for at least 10 years. Selmer and LeBlanc have been a little more cautious in their new model introductions in their upper level professional horns although they have introduced the Signature and Concerto II in the last 5 years each. For every rule there are exceptions and I am sure that someone will point them out to me.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2005-02-23 14:27
From what I have read, I wager that the new Yammie is seeking a niche occupied by the Selmer Recital or a push towards the Germanic Boehm milieau (sp?) without losing too much of the Buffet population.
Just a perception based on no actual playing of the Custom series.
Ever go skiing?? At the bottom of the slope, Atomic, K2, etc pull up with a fancy van full of demo skis...free trials....Now wouldnt that be great for Yamaha and all the others to do with their instruments in front of your local dealer and not just at big conventions.
Dream.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-23 14:45
Quote:
hrm...I thought that if the clar was longer it made the pitch go down? (hence As being longer)? Sure. But this can be counteracted with bore size, tonehole size, or maybe this clarinet even accomodates a smaller barrel. So in this case, not necessarily!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-02-23 15:25
I agree with Doc. I wish all the makers would settle on their best instrument in each category (student, intermediate and professional) and spend their money in making the best ones they can make and giving the best possible "packages" to the customer. The Doc has a good idea with his Forte--give the customer a good instrument, good tuning barrel and good mouthpiece (one designed for the instrument) combined with a great case and you'll go far once the public gets the word.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2005-02-23 17:04
"I wish all the makers would settle on their best instrument in each category..."
It reminds me of some of the mouthpiece manufacturers who have countless styles and types of clarinet mouthpieces. I think they realize that there are many different tastes and they are hoping to somehow have something for everyone.
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Author: jez
Date: 2005-02-24 09:59
The CS G is designed with a longer top joint and a shorter barrel to facilitate the use of a German style mouthpiece as well as the usual French type. A different size tenon is needed for the German mp. and barrels are available to accommodate this.
I believe the bore is the usual polycylindrical French design in the upper joint, but more similar to the Oehler in the lower, with less flare than normal.
I find this clarinet a joy to play, with a nice clear dark sound throughout.
The designers claim that the 'Hamilton' plating (it's not quite like gold plating) makes a difference to the sound, but I find this hard to believe. It is also available in a regular silver-plated version.
Well worth a try.
jez
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-02-24 10:39
The Eaton clarinet is designed like that for years, a longer upper joint and a shorter barrel. It comes with 2 barrels, one 64mm and one 63mm. Maybe Yamaha took some things from the Eaton?
Brenda, imho that wouldn't make much sense. For example one of my former teachers preferred the RC model the best, while I liked the R13 much better. Stop making one of them will leave one of us unhappy. You might say focusing on one pro model will create a clarinet that both of us will like better, but I doubt that. I think the current situation is the best possible for almost all people.
Post Edited (2005-02-24 12:02)
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Author: jez
Date: 2005-02-24 10:57
clarnibass,
We're talking much more difference than that. The 'long' barrel for the CSG is about 56mm, a whole centimetre shorter than the standard Buffet.
jez
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Author: kennychw
Date: 2005-02-25 13:11
Hi all
I have been wanting to try out a Reform Boehm clarinet for quite some time, perhaps even getting one, but they are too expensive. I belive the CSG is the closest I can get to getting a Reform Boehm clarinet without burning a hole in my pocket.
I will be travelling to New York in a few months time. Are there any stores that stock this instrument?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-02-25 15:28
jez it was just a guess, there is a good chance I was wrong. Sounds like a good clarinet, maybe I'll try it if I find it in my country.
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2005-02-25 15:53
Just finished spending a pleasant hour with Brian (bkmorton) and his new Yamaha. My humble opinion is that it is a wonderful clarinet: very even response, excellent intonation, impeccable keywork, beautiful wood. Downside is that it doesn't have the depth and beauty of sound of his Buffet Festival! Granted that it is brand new--not broken in yet; perhaps the sound quality will blossom with age--worked for me!
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Author: bkmorton
Date: 2005-02-26 23:02
kennychw wrote:
"I will be travelling to New York in a few months time. Are there any stores that stock this instrument?"
I ordered mine from weiner music but I know that there is a yamaha artist center in Manhatten. You can call yamaha and find out.
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