 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-08-24 01:27
After a straight week strictly playing the R-13 and being convinced that despite its deficits, it presents the best compromise of what is possible in a clarinet, I switched back to my Yamaha CSV for this week. I haven't played the Yamaha for a week because the Buffet just came back from the shop and the Yamaha had a wiggly thumb rest. Today I fixed the thumb rest using a suggestion coming from this board. I partially filled the hole with a few drops of crazy glue, let it dry and then the screws seemed to hook up nicely.
When I played the Yamaha with a B46 mpc the tested scale was awfully sharp except for the lowest E which was flat (strange, on the Buffet the low F is the flat one and the E is on the money). I put a Yamaha 4CM mpc on and the entire chromatic became dead on except for the low E again. (Can a mouthpiece alter the entire scale 5 to 7 cents? -wow).
Now for the tone and response. Well, after a week of only playing the Buffet, suddenly I noticed a powerful beaming tubular wood sound with little tendency for the tone to fluctuate pitch. Suddenly the added resistance of the Yamaha didn't seem to bother me. The throat A bears a striking tonal resemblance to the clarion B above it. The altissimo C and D were not abrasive or piercing and the overall feeling was round with a touch of brilliance. My ears have been tested by an audiologist who said that for a man of almost 60 I show almost no signs of diminished sensitivity so I'm not attracted to the Yamaha for it's pronounced extra treble qualities.
I originally told my wife that I bought two professional instruments only to compare each and decide which one to sell. (Either one could easily be sold for what I paid). Now I convinced I'll have to sell something else or work a little overtime. I love them both. (Buffet - Warm and rich and hard to control. Yamaha -beaming and tubular and entirely reliable).
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: LJBraaten
Date: 2012-08-24 14:34
Then you'd have three clarinets you couldn't part with! ;^)
Laurie
Laurie (he/him)
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Author: CarlT
Date: 2012-08-24 20:25
<<Suddenly the added resistance of the Yamaha didn't seem to bother me. >>
While trying to decide which clarinet to buy, I tried (among several others) a Yamaha CSG as I'd heard much good about it from this board.
That was 2 years ago, and I'd only been playing 2 years at the time. I was very surprised at the Yamaha's resistance compared to the R13 that I ended up purchasing. I could hardly play a note it seemed on the CSG.
I thought at the time that it probably was just me or the combination of my mouthpiece (M13L then) and the CSG.
Do you find your CSV to be "that" much more resistant than your R13? Just curious. And for those of you in-the-know about CSGs, why are the Yammies more resistant if that's the case?
CarlT
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Author: pplateau
Date: 2012-08-24 23:43
Certainly didn't find my CSG more resistant; perhaps it's your MP/Reed?
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-08-25 01:06
The Yamaha is marginally more resistant than the R-13. I'd say it's no more than 20% more resistant. That additional resistance buys you a lot of extra control, centeredness, and roundness. The Buffet is wider and expansive. The Yamaha is tighter and more beaming. You can actually use a reed that's a little stiff and get more free blowing-ness. But I wouldn't do it because the extra resistance is not so overwhelming.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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