 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: samnlucy
Date: 2008-08-28 04:27
Like several other new posters, I am so glad to have found this site! Y'all are a wealth of information!
Do I understand correctly that the Yamaha (YCL?) 20 is the predecessor of the YCL-250? If this is correct, can anyone give me guidance about purchasing one over the other for a beginning student? Pros and cons? Thanks in advance--I'm planning to go the auction route vs. rent-to-own and want as much knowledge as possible!
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-08-28 05:15
YCL20 is the model from about 20 years ago. The 250 came out only a few years ago and is a better design.
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Author: stebinus
Date: 2008-08-28 14:26
I had and recently sold a 250. It was a really nice horn although the throat Bb was pretty sharp. Not a fatal flaw. A 20 I also had once. It was a good horn too, not quite as good on the intonation but fine for a beginner IMO. Also about half the price of the 250.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2008-08-28 15:51
There are good buys to be had on eBay but (and I've said this before many times but maybe it bears repeating with the impending start of a new school year) a big reason why prices are relatively low on eBay is that purchases there entail risk. If you play the clarinet and can test it out to make sure it doesn't have any problems before you turn it over to your child or if you have a teacher who can test it out or if you are willing to take the instrument to a repair tech to test it out, then you should end up with a playable instrument (but it may end up costing more than you expected). Otherwise, you run the risk of sabotaging your child's efforts before they begin. Many problems a clarinet can develop are not visible to an untrained eye. They may not even be visible to a trained eye. Most children starting out trust their parents to give them a good instrument and will assume any problems they are having are their fault, not the horn's. They may give up before they or you find out otherwise.
With that in mind, recognize that a YCL-20 will likely have been around long enough to have passed through several hands and long enough to have developed problems that will need repair work. A YCL-250, on the other hand, may have only had one owner who used it gently for a year or two and may not need any work. Generally speaking, the newer model will involve less risk. But it still involves risk and could need work.
If your child asked for bread, would you give him/her a stone? If s/he asks for a clarinet, please don't give him/her a CSO (clarinet-shaped object that looks good but doesn't work).
Best regards,
jnk
Post Edited (2008-08-28 15:53)
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Author: Cindyr
Date: 2008-08-28 20:51
Well said, Jack! I just posted my annual reminder about CSO's (and flutes, saxes, etc). on my local town website. If we save even one well meaning parent from a poor purchase decision, it will have been worth it.
I play my YCL-250 in a local ensemble, my church, and outdoors in the concert band I'm in. With an upgraded mouthpiece, it performs beautifully, and it is always in tune with the rest of the instruments. It is my take-everywhere, relatively low maintenance clarinet, and I'm very happy with it.
Another purchase option is the local craigslist, although the same cautionary measures stated above for ebay apply. If you know a bit about instruments, you can make a partially informed decision on the spot. One difference is that some ebay sellers will allow a return, whereas craigslist is usually only cash and carry. I purchased a gently used Yamaha YAS-23 alto sax this week on craigslist. I will be bringing it for several pads and some felts for starters, even though the seller said it played fine. It was a good deal, so I snapped it up anyway, but I knew at purchase that it needed some work. I've got another Yamaha to play, what's not to like?
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Author: cxgreen48
Date: 2008-08-28 22:39
The 20 is an older version of the 250.
The 250 probably has a slightly improved design.
If prices and condition were the same, i'd choose the 250.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2008-08-28 23:11
During August so far Yamaha 20 clarinets have sold for between $85 to $249 while 250s have sold for between $137 and $479. I have no experience with the 250 but have owned 2 model 20s and both were used and very good horns.
There is no way to know which horn would be better for you unless you tried both.
A one owner horn won't necessarily be better than a multiple owner one.
It would be interesting to know why the design of the 250 is better than the 20 in one poster's opinion. I certainly don't.
Bob Draznik
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