The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Franklin Liao
Date: 2010-06-19 16:03
I must add that there is no shortage on the topic of CSG on Bboard, with Paul Aviles and David Niethhamer stating that the Hamilton plating variation of CSG is more preferable to the silver plated offering, however there is no clearly attributed cause for this difference.
I seem to recall Claribass and David Spiegelthal made mockery over the advertisement by Yamaha, with the first asking of a hypothetical Hamilton plated dog and the other handing a limerick about flair versus skills.
I have tried the CSG and the SEV yesterday. Unfortunately, I did not get to try the Hamilton plating variation of the CSG. Based on about 2 hours of messing around, I found myself much admiring the CSG.
Please keep in mind that the impressions below are taken from a total amateur (me) that opted for the Leblanc Bliss instead of the YCL-450 about a year ago.
The best way for me to describe the tonal characteristics of the CSG would be to compare it with a German clarinet, while the SEV felt like a well oiled but typical work of Yamaha. The sound on the CSG is to me, darker, and I personally found it more articulate than the SEV.
Out of these two, SEV will feel more like a Buffet Prestige... the sound is focused and warm, but that did not make a strong impression upon me... it's really just that of personal preference on that one. I actually found the workmanship SEV and the CSG to be better than a R-13, so I can only judge based on what my amateurish ears, fingers and lips like more (and totally giving up on the modern R-13s altogether)
I feel that if you are very used to the characteristics of YCL-450, getting yourself the SEV might be a better choice. I personally found CSG to be atypical of the Yamaha, while the SEV felt like a logical product from the manufacturer.
In conclusion, I think that Yamaha did put out 2 clarinets at the same level to each other, leaving it up to the user to decide on the matter of which to go for.
edit: Like you, I am weighing my options on what I should opt for instrument wise, with you being infinitely more justified than I to do just that. Dr. Sherman Friedland's advice on test drive a horn for a month in the field I think is quite sound, as well as the reflection on that the decision is highly personal ultimately.
A guideline that I should reiterate would be to see what the Clarinet section that you perform with employ in equipment, and try to match their profile. I have noticed this being a criteria for the professionals here. Such observation has also been backed by Stephen Fox, citing a lack of will to adventure beyond the major brands in instrument usage pattern amongst professionals in Canada.
Gene Ramsbottom of UBC had relayed to me that we see players emulating what the local metropolitan philharmonics or orchestra employ gear wise, which obviously would lead do a proliferation of certain model from a particular maker within the area in which you play in. You should indeed put this into perspective in your purchasing decision.
Post Edited (2010-06-19 21:02)
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blh654 |
2010-06-19 14:17 |
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Re: YCL-SEV vs YCL-CSG new |
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Franklin Liao |
2010-06-19 16:03 |
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Paul Aviles |
2010-06-20 17:57 |
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Franklin Liao |
2010-06-25 19:15 |
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