As they move into high school, the clarinetist may be finding they’re getting more serious about their playing. It responds more easily, is lighter, and can stand up to the treatment a middle schooler might give it. Typically, a beginning clarinet student starts out with a standard plastic instrument. With details that many of the higher-priced professional clarinets feature, the relatively lower price is a real advantage. It’s a good choice when transitioning from a plastic to a wooden clarinet. The YCL-650 Bb clarinet is an ideal instrument for intermediate to advanced players who are ready for an entry-level professional clarinet. Yamaha provides a limited 5-year warranty. It comes with a case cover to protect from bad weather. The pochette, wooden case is Yamaha’s CLC-30 case. The Lucien deluxe double skin pads on the YCL-650 Bb clarinet are a step up from the standard pads often used on beginner and intermediate clarinets. It needs to seal the hole completely without adding noise when closed. The type of pad used to cover the holes of the clarinet is important. Nickel plating is not as high quality, and won’t last as long as silver plating.ĭuring regular maintenance check-ups, the silver-plated keys will need to be polished by a musical instrument repair shop. Most lower-priced professional clarinets are nickel-plated. One reed is supplied, but more reeds will need to be purchased separately. It’s hand-crafted in the final production to ensure a high quality. While most lower-level mouthpieces are plastic, this mouthpiece is made from ebonite, which is a hard rubber that produces a better tone. The Y4CM mouthpiece is part of Yamaha’s Custom line which is developed for professional clarinetists. However, there are available clarinet neck straps that come with a leather strip which fits around the thumb rest to attach the neck strap. Given the wide variety of hand sizes, this allows the clarinetist to custom fit the instrument for added comfort.Īs an increasing number of clarinet players use a neck strap, it’s unfortunate that the thumb rest doesn’t include a strap ring. The adjustable thumb rest is a useful detail that Yamaha has included. This gives it an easier and fuller response from low to high, and also improves the intonation of the low notes. The YCL-650 Bb has a unique bell design that features what’s called a resonance chamber.

Traditionally, wooden clarinets are stained black, but this instrument displays the beautiful and unique quality of the natural wood, which can be brown with some red streaks running through it.

BodyĪ special feature of the Yamaha YCL-650 clarinet is its unstained Grenadilla wood. It’s currently selling on many websites for $1,979.99 with a $100 rebate. The Yamaha YCL-650 is made in Japan and has a generous amount of handcrafting and hand finishing.

How does the YCL-650 compare to a Buffet Crampon (in a similar price range)?.

Yamaha wood clarinet