Yamaha YCL-650II Bb Clarinet

Yamaha has quite the hold on the student market, and though that's evolving with some of the newer manufacturers in the school band scene, Yamaha still reigns supreme.

So most people who pick up the YCL-650II are coming from a YCL-255 — likely the clarinet they were handed when they first started playing in school.

The YCL-650II is a step-up instrument. Yamaha calls it "professional," but its features, accessories, quality and price all put it in the same category as the Royal Global Classical Limited and Uebel Advantage. That's no knock on it. It's easy to control and it feels good in the hands.

Earspasm sources this instrument directly from an authorized Yamaha distributor outside the United States, so we're able to offer it at a very competitive price, and why it arrives to your door having already gone through our full setup process rather than sitting in a warehouse somewhere.

How it plays

It speaks fast. Fastest of anything I sell in this price range, and it holds up against instruments three and four times the money. If you're coming off a student horn and you've been fighting to get notes to speak, that difference is going to be the first thing you notice, and it's a good reason to buy this one. That and the price.

That said, the speed isn't spread evenly. The throat tones and the altissimo speak quicker than the chalumeau and the clarion do, so a fast-tongued line that crosses registers might initially surprise you. (That'll take a couple weeks of getting used to it, so not a problem.)

Brightness-wise it sits between the Classical Limited (darker) and the Advantage (brighter, though not by a lot). The altissimo is where it gets brightest, one of the brightest top registers I've analyzed, for what that's worth.

The scale runs flat overall, and pretty uniformly so. Take that overall offset out and what's underneath is better than average. This is actually what matters: the instrument is in tune with itself (it just sits low). This clarinet comes with one barrel only, so maybe budget in a shorter barrel, which will fix the problem — grab a 64mm and you're in business.

Resistance: 6/10, Medium

Since this is a step-up horn, it's not surprising that it's a little more resistant. The thinking is that intermediate players are still developing their support and voicing, so a little more resistance holds the pitch better. That said, nothing about it feels stiff. Hear how it responds to volume in the audio player below — Weber first (wide dynamics, wide color), then the Berlioz (wide dynamics, narrow color), then the Gershwin (narrow on both).

If you'd like to loosen up the resistance a little, I'd recommend an aftermarket CARBEC or Backun Fatboy.

Important note about this clarinet's warranty.

These are new clarinets sourced directly from an authorized Yamaha distributor overseas, which is why our price might be different from other US dealers.

Since we're not an authorized Yamaha dealer, we provide our own warranty to you directly, with same two-year term as Yamaha USA offers, covering manufacturing and material defects, and with the same exclusions as the factory warranty. Basically, if you have a covered claim, you contact me instead of Yamaha. Honestly, that's probably faster. Full warranty terms are in the FAQ below!

Before you decide

The Royal Classical Limited is the darker one in this price bracket, and it holds its color more consistently from register to register; though its attacks are slower than this clarinet. The Uebel Advantage is the bright, cheery option with the widest color range of the three...and its tuning is the trade-off you make to get that.

Play or listen to both against this one in the audio player and pull up the dashboards side by side. If you're in New York, come play all three in the shop instead!