Clarinet
Yamaha YCL-34
Price: 353 EUR – 615 EUR
Price history
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
Availability: 4/10 (Common)
The Yamaha YCL-34 is a grenadilla wood Bb clarinet produced from 1978 to 2001, sharing the YCL-20's basic design but built in wood instead of plastic, widely regarded as an ideal bridge instrument for beginners who want genuine wood tone and an easy path up to the intermediate level.
About the Yamaha YCL-34
Built on the Boehm system with 17 keys and 6 rings, the YCL-34 pairs a grenadilla wood body with nickel silver keys and stainless steel needle springs. Its 14.70mm bore and 66.0mm barrel are tuned to the same basic design as the plastic YCL-20, carried over into wood construction instead. The tone holes are tapered and straight-undercut, a detail specifically chosen to make the instrument easier for younger players to handle, while the bell design is tuned for good intonation and projection, particularly in the lower register, and the barrel is shaped to enhance response, flexibility and tonal focus. Produced between 1978 and 2001, it's since been discontinued, though it remains widely available on the used market.
Where to buy
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Reverb Yamaha YCL-34 Bb Wood Clarinet, Japan, Intermediate-Level 353 EUR Best price View details
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Reverb Yamaha YCL-34 Bb Wood Clarinet, Japan, Intermediate-Level 372 EUR View details
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Reverb Yamaha YCL-34 Bb Wood Clarinet, Japan, Intermediate-Level 372 EUR View details
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Reverb Yamaha YCL-34 Bb Standard Clarinet 373 EUR View details
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Reverb Yamaha YCL-34 Bb Standard Clarinet 2010 615 EUR View details
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Source: https://reverb.com/item/32981486-yamaha-ycl-34-bb-standard-clarinet
Sound character of the Yamaha YCL-34
A beautiful, warm wood tone with good response and intonation, particularly well-projected in the lower register - a clear step up from plastic entry-level clarinets while remaining approachable for less experienced players.
What owners of the Yamaha YCL-34 say
Feedback across dealer listings, used-instrument sites and specialist forums is consistently positive, with beautiful tone and solid response the most frequently cited strengths - one buyer specifically noted the instrument arrived exactly as described with a lovely sound. The one recurring caveat is wood's greater sensitivity to climate compared to plastic, though owners generally treat that as a manageable tradeoff rather than a dealbreaker given the tonal upgrade. Forum discussions about upgrading away from the YCL-34 or assessing its resale value suggest it holds its reputation well even years after a player has moved on from it.
Playability & handling of the Yamaha YCL-34
The YCL-34 is widely considered one of the best instruments to learn clarinet on, a reputation built on Yamaha's consistent, well-engineered build quality across the model's production run. It's officially positioned as a student grenadilla model with straight-undercut tone holes designed for easier playing, though it's also commonly described as an intermediate clarinet suited to players ready to advance beyond entry-level plastic instruments. Owners consistently point to a beautiful, warm wood tone with good response and intonation as the main reason to choose it over a plastic beginner horn, framing it as a long-term investment that pays off in sound quality even if wood construction brings some added climate sensitivity. Specialist forums show active discussion both around upgrading away from the YCL-34 once a player outgrows it and around comparing it directly to the higher YCL-52, suggesting it occupies a well-understood spot in Yamaha's clarinet hierarchy that players actively plan around.
Recommended accessories & strings for the Yamaha YCL-34
As a wooden clarinet, regular oiling and a careful break-in period help guard against cracking, with extra attention warranted in climates with significant humidity or temperature swings. Quality reeds matched to the 14.70mm bore are worth seeking out for the best response.
Technical data for the Yamaha YCL-34
| Key | Bb |
|---|---|
| System | Boehm, 17 keys, 6 rings |
| Body | Grenadilla wood |
| Keys | Nickel silver |
| Springs | Stainless steel needle |
| Bore | 14.70mm |
| Barrel | 66.0mm |
| Tone holes | Tapered, straight-undercut |
| Production years | 1978-2001 |
Price history for the Yamaha YCL-34
Cheapest seen: 353 EUR · Most expensive seen: 615 EUR
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
The history of the Yamaha YCL-34
The YCL-34 served as Yamaha's core intermediate wood clarinet through the 1990s until being succeeded by the YCL-450 in 2001, and continues to circulate as a respected used option.
About Yamaha as a manufacturer
Yamaha entered the wind instrument business in 1966 with the YTR-1 trumpet, adding clarinets to its lineup over the following years, with the Custom-series YCL-81 and YCL-85 launching in 1974 and the professional YCL-62 following later that decade as a serious, more affordable alternative to the Buffet R13. The YCL-34 reflects a different but related strategy: rather than reserving wood construction exclusively for professional models, Yamaha carried the YCL-20's proven plastic design over into grenadilla wood, making genuine wood tone available at the student and intermediate level rather than keeping it as a purely professional-tier feature.
