 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Echronome
Date: 2014-01-29 11:22
I don't know too much about Yamaha. I just wanna know how it compares to other brands like Buffet or Selmer. I'm asking this because i might purchase a Yamaha clarinet. What is your guys take on this?
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-01-29 11:59
Their student-level horns (YCL250, C100 and most of the earlier models) are very good student horns, getting better as they become more modern. Their intermediate level horns (YCL450, 550, 650) are very good intermediate horns and are better than some pro models. Their top end pro models are very good indeed and represent very good value for money. Compared with Buffet and Selmer I personally prefer the Yamahas, their standard of build is very good and very consistent. This is just my opinion, you will find other people who hold the opposite to be true.
Tony F.
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Author: snilsson
Date: 2014-01-29 14:28
I very much agree with Tony.
Yamaha manufactures highly consistent clarinets. The clarinets from Buffet are more of a hit-and-miss affair. Most players seem to agree that you need to carefully test a large number of Buffets to find a good one (and you probably will also need the help of a good technician to fix remaining problems in the clarinet of your choice).
I've played the YCL 650 and the CSG (both A and Bb) and have written a little bit about those in the following two threads:
http://test.woodwind.org/oboe/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=386966&t=386966
http://test.woodwind.org/oboe/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=392486&t=392486
This link gives you everything on this board about Yahama clarinets:
https://www.google.se/search?q=yamaha+clarinet+site:test.woodwind.org
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-29 16:52
The CSG, CSGII and CSGIII get a lot of praise, so try them out.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-01-29 12:05
Just to add to that which I already agree, the SEV seems to be an easier transition for players coming from Selmer and Buffet. But the CSG is amazing if you are open minded and open eared!!
................Paul Aviles
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Author: AAAClarinet
Date: 2014-01-29 17:58
I have read what the web has to say about the differences between the SEV and CSG. what is the difference when playing. is it a matter of tuning, resistance or both. is one brighter that the other, or more powerful. Thanks.
AAAClarinet
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-01-29 18:33
Certainly from my perspective the SEV is a bit brighter and a tad easier blowing. But a good friend of mine plays a set of SEVs and he has the richest sound you can imagine. We blend just fine SEV against CSG.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-01-30 01:54
Good horns. Very comparable. My personal observations from the few that I've tried....they tune extremely well, but are a little limited in different colors or tones you can use (fwiw, I have not tried those CSVs, only yamaha 650s and a few student level clarinets, but I've tried about ten 650s)
US Army Japan Band
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2014-01-30 02:15
sfalexi wrote:
> Good horns. Very comparable. My personal observations from
> the few that I've tried....they tune extremely well, but are a
> little limited in different colors or tones you can use (fwiw,
> I have not tried those CSVs, only yamaha 650s and a few student
> level clarinets, but I've tried about ten 650s)
>
You hit the thumb mech when needed. It depends on where the pitch placement and dynamic is in any given cord. I'd definitely use it in the Brahms Clarinet Quintet, Low F in the Mozart Concerto, low F in shepherd on the rock and others were the F needs to be louder and on the higher side of the pitch. I certainly don't need to use all the time.
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-01-30 02:17
The Yamaha CSV is a very clean sounding instrument with excellent mechanicals, good looks and the best intonation. I have yet to find the perfect mouthpiece which will let it sound as warm and round as a good R13. It is brighter, tighter and in some ways, easier to play. In short, it is a very fine instrument and it is easy to see how some people could prefer it to just about any other horn.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Ralph
Date: 2014-01-29 23:40
I remember reading that Henri Selmer claims that the Privilege does not need a low F correction mechanism, that their bore design corrects for this common deficiency. I've only played one Privilege and it did seem to have good intonation. I was not as impressed with the results of the Tosca's low F correction mechanism
Ralph
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-01-30 05:03
We need to keep in mind that Boehm in his infinite wisdom was just trying to make things easier (and less mechanical) when he openly compromised between the slightly lower chalumeau "E" and the slightly higher clarion "B." Selmer is just living the dream by staying out of the business of defeating the Boehm ideal. From what I have experienced on the Privilege, they are doing a wonderful job!
That said, after having experienced the Oehler system Wurlitzers, I find the thumb key remarkably easy to use and only makes a potentially bad situation almost perfect (the German approach to pitch is to leave the 12ths there pretty much natural for a more even scale, and just correct the flat low "E" and "F" on the top line horns with the thumb trigger). So yes, I personally am in favor of Boehm clarinets using this approach for tuning but rather than leave the clarion "B" slightly high they should design the bores more like the Germans.......which is the point on the Yamaha CSGs.
The thumb trigger basically sits just under the tip of your thumb so you only bend at the "knuckle" to engage (pretty much analogous to our friend the octave key).
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2014-01-30 15:17
The CSG is acclaimed to be a very good instrument.
I tried it but for me the sound is too covered and the resistance too high.
I prefer the more open and richer sounding SEV.
Not played the CSV though.
The quality of wood is superb, IMO far better than Buffet and Selmer.
Mechanics are also very good.
Furthermore: Quality to price ratio is very, very good!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-12 04:00
Just watching the Cleveland Orchestra playing Brahms 1st at the BBC Proms and the 2nd player in this has a CSGIII with the low E/F correction key.
So it's not all Buffet, Buffet, Buffet with American players.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-12 13:41
Yes Chris, it has not just been the internet geeks here that are looking into different horns. I've noticed this distinct trend over the last ten years in particular. You have soloists like David Shifrin playing CSGs, Charles Neidich playing Schwenk and Seggelke; educator Howard Klug (and many of his students) playing Rossis; and some young upcoming hotshots playing on Chadash clarinets.
It's great to see some variety taking hold around the country.
Of course, Buffet is still top dog.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2014-09-12 18:05
I own Yamaha SE-V Bb & A clarinets and have had them for 12-13 years or so. Lovely clarinets IMO. I chose the SE-Vs instead of the CS-V after having tested both. There is a difference in tone between the two and I just preferred the SE-V.
A little (non?) documented difference between the two is that the CS-V has slightly smaller tone holes in the lower joint. If you have smaller fingers the CS-V is easier to play for that reason.
The silver plating on my instruments is still as good as the day I purchased them. I've never had any issues with the instruments. I had them rebuilt once since I purchased them. They do get played a lot but I'm not a pro.
You can't go wrong in my opinion.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2014-09-14 13:58
Paul Aviles wrote:
> We need to keep in mind that Boehm in his infinite wisdom was
> just trying to make things easier...
It wasn't Boehm.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-14 17:18
... it was the work of Klose and Buffet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2014-09-14 18:33
Ditto on the positive comments on the Yamaha clarinets ... I played some older ones many years ago in an orchestra (YCL65 and 62), and while free blowing, had very good tuning and a big, centered sound. From time to time, I try out a model 450 or 650 in the local music store and find those instruments excellent.
I owned a model YCL200 (??) for a while, and it played sharp, especially outdoors on a warm day, much more so than my R13. I finally sold it because it was my outdoor band concert clarinet, but just too high in pitch. This instrument was of Indonesian manufacture and was made for the rental market, but similar to the model 250. It had a good sound and basically in tune with itself.
BTW, the low F intonation problem has also been corrected on the Ridenour Lyrique instruments without the extra vent. Both my Speranza and Libertas have a low F and E that is right on pitch. No flatness. Selmer apparently has the know how as well ...
Tom
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-14 19:32
Thank you "Dibbs" and Chris for the correction on who actually simplified the clarinet mechanism. Funny thing about that. I was researching some old posts and ran into that very bit of information written by Greg Smith. The "Boehm thing" is just one of those tidbits that was thrown at me in high school and unfortunately got turned into gospel over the years.
And now that I have experienced for myself just how much the tuning of clarinets is a series of pretty major compromises (having now played all the clarion notes with, and without the register key) I am much more in the "Klose/Buffet" camp on this than the German System with the correction key. If you think about it, the low "E/F" correction key is merely adding the out-of-tune sharpness to the bottom of the chalumeau.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2014-09-17 05:15
The Csg clarinet is maybe not for all...I love the steadiness in the tone but for Buffet r13 players this may be unbearable after awhile. However, the tuning is not perfect on any clarinet so I will say take time to look at what type of timbre and flexibility you want.
I really like the dark overtones of the CSG models..I use m13 lyre mouthpieces with a 3.5 Vandoren V12 reed with not a moment of trouble. one thing it is really more an issue of how some players are shaped..but Yamaha makes excellent clarinets and the SV and SEV are very nice. I played on the SV for many years and really liked them...for me the CSG is a really warm sound..but not for all! The CSG has a patina of overtones I think are pleasing...make sure you find the right set up..your current mouthpieces maynot work well for you on it!
David Dow
Post Edited (2014-09-17 05:21)
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Author: gwie
Date: 2014-09-18 20:06
I switched to the CSG from R-13's seven years ago and haven't looked back since.
The major advantage for me was the weight of the A clarinet. The CSG weighed noticeably less than my R-13, and I had a lot less arm fatigue in long rehearsals. More recently, I had L&P overhaul both my CSG's with their Studio setup which really shored up the response and tuning. I only play chamber music (with strings) these days, and it's a delight to not struggle with intonation challenges with the quartet, even without all the extra keys on the second generation CSG models.
Post Edited (2014-09-18 20:09)
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The Clarinet Pages
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