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Re: Buffet and LeBlanc Barrels on a Yamaha CS

Author: D Dow
Date: 2007-07-26 16:41

Excellent postings here...the Yamaha line has indeed evolved a great deal with superb results in their current line up of instruments. For what it's worth I think the Yamaha 650 is one of the most underrated instruments on the market today..my students sound fantastic on them and the tuning and responsiveness is a great imporovement over the older R13 copies by Yamaha..I also love the low register on the 650 so I can honestly say for it's price it is quite a steal ...mechanically the feel is very neat and clean.

I played a set of 82 clarinets a long while back..(late 80s) and can honestly say I was left unimpressed by the projection and tuning of these instruments. However, I also feel the set I had was not that great...it seems other players have had more success with them than I ever did! Tone was very nice and even but without alot of guts...currently the newer Yamaha instruments really play alot better with a larger sound and excellent core in the timbre...there is also better keywork which also makes them extremely good..in fact the key design alone makes Yamaha very competitive...ergonomic to a great degree!!! Yamaha have really improved a great amount in a short time...

Getting back to the 650 I will also add that it really is quite nice..so nice I would love to have one. Very flexible and blends nicely with everything around it...so there you go...

As to the never SEV model I was quite taken back by the sheer depth of the sound and the lively response of the ones I have tried. Tuning is quite good...the A SEV is particularly nice with excellent response and none of the stuffiness whatsoever...

I am using the YSG clarinets and really feel they are super..very chameleon like in terms of tonal colours...at one moment I can play very soft and the next blast out a wall and still not have to force for the sound...I will also add that the YSG is not an R13 at all...it plays quite differently so for some this prove a very big stumbling block. That being said though I find the YSG really has a good combination of overtones that allow both soloist style playing and also blending with sections...

The student model Yamaha plastic clarinet is the 250 and it too has a nice sound...one of my students has it with Valentino pads and it sound and plays very well...much better than the current Selmer student model clarinets...which are not that great.

David Dow

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