 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: YCL-450
Date: 2006-04-04 20:05
So what do you guys think about a Yamaha YLC-450? I have never played the clarinet before but I have this model coming to me this thursday. I hope it's a good choice.
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2006-04-04 20:19
I get confused at my age....is this the allegro? If so...I tried several and found them to be really good.
JG
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-04 22:51
It's a student model wooden bodied clarinet (between the plastic-bodied YCL-250 and intermediate wooden-bodied YCL-650) - in the same league as a Buffet E11.
I tried one when testing mouthpieces and it played very well, though as it's a student model it doesn't have the same fullness of tone as a pro wooden clarinet has (but that's not going to cause any problems if you're a beginner), and the tuning is solid so you shouldn't have any problems.
But it's a good clarinet to begin playing on - you're better off learning on a YCL-450 than a cheapo JinYin or similar, just be sure you maintain it well.
As it's wooden I wouldn't recommend playing for more than 30 minutes at a time for the first few weeks (and gradually increasing playing sessions by 5 mins each week over about 4-6 months), and drying it out with the pullthrough between playing as well (and drying out the sockes with a seperate piece of kitchen towel, not the pullthrough as this will get greasy and leave a layer of grease in the bore and toneholes) as putting it back in it's case each time you're not using it. And try to keep it in a stable environment as far as temperature and humidity go - don't play it when it's cold, let it warm up to room temperature before playing if it's cold.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2006-04-04 22:53)
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Author: YCL-450
Date: 2006-04-04 22:59
Chris P wrote:
> It's a student model wooden bodied clarinet (between the
> plastic-bodied YCL-250 and intermediate wooden-bodied YCL-650)
> - in the same league as a Buffet E11.
>
> I tried one when testing mouthpieces and it played very well,
> though as it's a student model it doesn't have the same
> fullness of tone as a pro wooden clarinet has (but that's not
> going to cause any problems if you're a beginner), and the
> tuning is solid so you shouldn't have any problems.
>
> But it's a good clarinet to begin playing on - you're better
> off learning on a YCL-450 than a cheapo JinYin or similar, just
> be sure you maintain it well.
>
> As it's wooden I wouldn't recommend playing for more than 30
> minutes at a time for the first few weeks (and gradually
> increasing playing sessions by 5 mins each week over about 4-6
> months), and drying it out with the pullthrough between playing
> as well (and drying out the sockes with a seperate piece of
> kitchen towel, not the pullthrough as this will get greasy and
> leave a layer of grease in the bore and toneholes) as putting
> it back in it's case each time you're not using it. And try to
> keep it in a stable environment as far as temperature and
> humidity go - don't play it when it's cold, let it warm up to
> room temperature before playing if it's cold.
>
>
> Post Edited (2006-04-04 22:53)
Sounds like good advice, thanks. But just one question. What is the difference between the 450 and a pro horn?
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2006-04-05 02:19
The 450 and the Allegro are pretty much the same thing, but the Allegro has some gold posts and stuff. I was sent an Allegro to replace my Yamaha 52, which cracked 6 times. It's a decent intermediate horn that should suit you well, especially if you are a beginner. I've now moved up to the Buffet R13. I must say though, that I like Yamaha's keyword a little bit more than Buffet's. It just feels slightly better in my hands.
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Author: ned
Date: 2006-04-05 05:47
I think you should be careful with the word ''opinions'' on this BB as Tony Pay takes exception to it.
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Author: HautboisJJ
Date: 2006-04-05 06:19
6 TIMES?
.....My high school band owns 2 of these YCL-450s and in the Malaysian climate which is hot and humid most of the time they seem to work very well (we play in an air conditioned room), but the complimentary 4C mouthpiece works well only with stronger reeds, which i suppose is because of the opening?
Howard
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-04-05 10:44
In my opiinion, Tony is a great clarinetist, but that's just my two cents worth.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2006-04-05 20:51
Yeah, the Yamaha 52 cracked 6 times. Not the Allegro. It cracked, let me think:
All the way down the barrel
Through the register key
Through the A key that went through the logo!
A crack through a side trill key
A crack in the bottom joint near the top ring
The bell cracked at the very bottom
At least Yamaha replaced it for free for me, eventhough I was out of warrenty by about a year. It was sweet. The Allegro showed up on my door step a few days later, ready to be played!
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2006-04-05 22:50
Yamaha classifies the 650 as a professional model. It occupies the same place in their product line as the R13 occupies in Buffet's.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Kchui999
Date: 2006-04-06 02:55
Ive played the 450 from 6th grade all the way up to my sophmore year in high school. Went to California All State on it twice. Great horn with a nice sound. Playing a Buffet Vintage now, but my 450 is a solid backup.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-06 11:18
I think the 650 has been downgraded recently (as has their 62 series saxes) as the keywork is the same as the student Yamahas, so they're in a similar category to the Buffet C12 - which is a strange area in the market as it's in between the higher student/intermediate models and the entry level pro models (as in YCL-CX and R13) - and most people would probably go for these.
Are the 450 and 650 made in Indonesia as well?
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Author: Danny Boy
Date: 2006-04-06 11:33
Ned said...
I think you should be careful with the word ''opinions'' on this BB as Tony Pay takes exception to it.
Actually lessons and classes with Tony tend to promote giving opinions and discussions extremely freely. If you have back up for your opinion and a reason for doing something or thinking a certain way...he'll only enourage.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-06 12:57
How much does he charge?
Better still - Tony, how much do you charge?
I don't know of any clarinet teachers in my area that can cut it, I'd rather get slated or praised by someone that knows exactly what they're doing as they've done the lot and learn from their expertise, rather than someone that hasn't got a clue - and let's face it, most clarinet teachers I know of haven't got a clue and let the mistakes go unnoticed.
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Author: clarinets1
Date: 2006-04-06 19:15
ah, memories. That model clarinet got me into honor bands in high school and get me through my first year in college. then i outgrew it and needed a professional clarinet. mine was a good sounding, well-built little beast.
just my proverbial two-cents,
Jk
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