 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jthole
Date: 2016-02-23 21:00
For outdoors playing, and travel, I have a Yamaha YCL-250 clarinet. Overall it is in great condition, with an easy response, but it is unfortunately very sharp. When I tune to A=442, I have to pull out both the barrel and the middle joint about a millimetre. I use the standard 65mm barrel.
When I use my 1972's Buffet barrel on the Yamaha, there is a noticable improvement in the tone is. But the intonation suffers with that combination. Anyway; two questions. Is the sharpness a trait of the Yamaha, being targeted at young students? Or should I have the setup (standard pads, no leaks) checked and adjusted?
Another question; since my Buffet barrel sounds better than the stock Yamaha barrel; what are good recommendations to get a fuller and darker sound on the YCL-250, without causing intonation issues?
Thanks!
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2016-02-23 21:30
Yamaha's composite-bodied instruments are tuned a bit sharp. Pulling out a millimeter at the barrel and centre tenon is not cause for concern. You could try using tuning rings at these locations to see if the tuning, response, and timbre of the instrument improve.
A mismatched barrel can wreak havoc with the intonation of any clarinet. In my collection of aftermarket barrels I have a Ridenour Ivorolon, Backun Traditional, Backun MoBa, and a Doctors Products Power Barrel. I also use a rotation of 10 clarinets, and there's no rhyme or reason as to which barrels works with what instrument. You're going to have to trial some barrels on your YCL-250 to find your answer.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2016-02-24 09:43
1mm is not a lot at all. Most players occasionally have to pull significantly more than that (or use a longer barrel) when playing in many different weather conditions, etc.
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Author: jthole
Date: 2016-02-24 15:58
clarnibass wrote:
> 1mm is not a lot at all. Most players occasionally have to pull
> significantly more than that (or use a longer barrel) when
> playing in many different weather conditions, etc.
It may be more than 1mm, in fact (I don't have the clarinet here to try now). My concern was that there is a slight wobble between upper and lower joint when it's pulled out sufficiently.
I'll try the tuning rings, though that won't help with the wobble probably. A longer barrel might (I can try a 66mm barrel to start with).
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Author: jthole
Date: 2016-03-06 23:25
Well, I've measured ... for A=442, I have to pull out about 1mm in the middle, and about the same at the barrel. If I would have to tune at 440, I would need to pull out a bit more than that, of course.
Since my only previous experience with plastic clarinets was an old (and probably ill adjusted) Vito, I find it amazing how well the Yamaha plays. In fact, it should be illegal for plastic clarinets to be that good ;-)
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Author: fernie51296
Date: 2016-03-07 05:13
I'm currently using a YCL-250 as my Bb since my clarinet cracked. Currently waiting on a Ridenour clarinet to arrive.
Honestly, in many ways the Yamaha plays better than the R13 I was using. Yes, it plays sharp, but at least the tuning is more consistent. Hopefully the hard rubber clarinet works out well and I'll probably replace my wooden A clarinet too.
Fernando
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2016-03-07 18:16
Aren't all clarinets designed to be played with the barrel pulled out a bit (~1mm)?
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The older I get, the better I was
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-03-07 19:22
Most clarinets are designed to play on the slightly sharper side as it's much easier to flatten most notes than trying to sharpen them.
Even with 67mm barrels I have to pull out by 1-2mm to bring the pitch of my playing (on older Selmers) down to 440Hz if that's the tuning we have to adhere to if tuned percussion and keyboards (and string players) are involved.
It's not always easy to tune down to 440Hz when it's hot or even tune up to it when cold and clarinets suffer with being flat when cold more than most other instruments. So makers often make an allowance by having them built to whatever set pitch they use (could be 440Hz, 442Hz or 444Hz depending on your locale) with the barrel pulled out by around 1mm at a temperature of around 19-20°C.
Not clarinets, but you will normally see brass players' instruments with their tuning slides pulled out relative to their length and rarely ever all the way in. They can tune their instruments more evenly than us woodwind players, but it's pretty much on the same basis that their instruments are much easier to flatten by pulling the slides out than to try and sharpen them if they had been built with nowhere to go except by cutting sections off the tuning slides to bring them up to pitch.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2016-03-07 19:29
Remember - they are made for beginners.
Young kids need them to play that way. I was speaking with Nicholas Cox about that (fmr Principal Royal Liverpool/Manchester Royal Conservatory Dean) and he is one of Yamaha's very top designers.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: TomS
Date: 2016-03-07 22:57
Mine played well and had a great sound ... but was unusable, especially outdoors in warm weather, because it was hopelessly sharp.
A low pitch MP, such as the 13 series VD might help ... a little.
I am still a big Yamaha fan.
Tom
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2022-10-06 02:07
its also a well known issue with the yamaha student bass clarinets also
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2022-10-06 04:46
My e11 Bb is sharp with the stock barrel too. I bought a 66 mm R13 Bb barrel that works great with it and it plays very well in tune now. I have gotten in trouble though since my Bb now starts out pretty much perfect A440 when its cold and barrel pushed all the way in. If our band starts to drift sharp through the rehearsal, I can't push in anymore so I end up flat relative to the band. I have sometimes considered bringing along the stock shorter barrel for these circumstances but there is no room in my case for it.
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Author: WoodsyBloom
Date: 2022-10-09 02:59
The tuning is everywhere on the basses. Most of it is a bit sharp but the thumb F is wildly flat.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2022-10-13 02:55
a new bass clarinet player showed up to community band with a yamaha student model and i noticed she had to pull way out at the neck to be at a440
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