Clarinet
Yamaha YCL-62
Price: 912 EUR – 1.024 EUR
Price history
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
Availability: 2/10 (Very rare)
The Yamaha YCL-62 is a discontinued (1979-1984) professional-grade wooden Bb clarinet closely modeled on the Buffet R13, prized for its dark, even tone and finer keywork and plating quality at a more accessible price than its famous French counterpart.
About the Yamaha YCL-62
Built from grenadilla wood in black finish and manufactured in Japan, the YCL-62 pairs a 66mm barrel with a 14.55mm bore - narrower than the Buffet standard - tuned for excellent overall intonation at A=440Hz. It was hand crafted and hand finished, with tapered tone holes that were hand undercut, following the Buffet R13 closely enough to be considered a direct alternative to it. The wood itself was computer-controlled and kiln-dried specifically to guard against cracking, while the silver plating and keywork were built to a standard reviewers describe as noticeably better than Buffet's at the time. Produced only between 1979 and 1984 as Yamaha's top clarinet offering of that era, it weighs around 3.2kg and now turns up infrequently on the used market, a direct result of its combination of high build quality and limited production numbers.
Where to buy
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Reverb Yamaha Yamaha YCL-62 Professional Wood Bb Clarinet, Excellent Cond, Overhauled+New Pads 912 EUR Best price View details
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Reverb Yamaha Yamaha YCL-62 Professional Wood Bb Clarinet, Excellent Cond, Overhauled+New Pads 1.024 EUR View details
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Sound character of the Yamaha YCL-62
A dark, full tone with even intonation across the registers and a notably easy response, built to compete directly with the Buffet R13's reputation for serious classical and orchestral clarinet playing.
What owners of the Yamaha YCL-62 say
Dealer and used-instrument listings are consistently positive, with praise centering on the dark tone, even intonation and the keywork/plating quality that reviewers rate above Buffet's offerings from the same era. Specialist clarinet forums show an active community discussing its pitch quirks and place in Yamaha's model history in detail, though the fuller back-and-forth on those threads wasn't directly accessible. No consistent complaints turned up in the sources reviewed - most of the conversation is practical guidance for buyers evaluating a used example.
Playability & handling of the Yamaha YCL-62
At the time of its release, model numbers in the 60s, 70s and 80s marked Yamaha's professional tier, and the YCL-62 sat at the top of that range. Players and dealers consistently describe a dark, full tone combined with even intonation across the registers and a notably easy, pleasant response. Its market position was built specifically around offering professional-quality construction and sound on par with Buffet's pro-line instruments, but at a friendlier price point than the far more common R13 - a value proposition that still shapes how it's talked about on the used market today. Specialist clarinet forums show active, detail-focused discussion around its specific pitch characteristics and its place in Yamaha's model history, though much of that detailed back-and-forth sits behind sources not directly accessible here.
Recommended accessories & strings for the Yamaha YCL-62
As a wooden clarinet, regular bore oiling and careful break-in are the main upkeep concerns, especially important on an older or used example like this discontinued model. Quality reeds matched to the relatively narrow 14.55mm bore are worth seeking out, since that bore responds somewhat differently than standard-bore clarinets.
Technical data for the Yamaha YCL-62
| Key | Bb |
|---|---|
| Body | Grenadilla wood, black finish |
| Barrel | 66mm |
| Bore | 14.55mm (narrower than Buffet standard) |
| Tuning | A=440Hz |
| Weight | Approx. 3.2 kg (7 lbs) |
| Production years | 1979-1984 |
| Country of manufacture | Japan |
Price history for the Yamaha YCL-62
Cheapest seen: 912 EUR · Most expensive seen: 1.024 EUR
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
The history of the Yamaha YCL-62
Made for a brief window in the mid-1980s, the YCL-62 earned a reputation as a genuine professional-tier alternative to the Buffet R13 before Yamaha moved on to its later Custom-series clarinets.
About Yamaha as a manufacturer
Yamaha entered the wind instrument business in 1966 with the YTR-1 trumpet, followed in 1967 by a recorder and the YAS-1 alto saxophone, with clarinets and other orchestral instruments joining the lineup over the following three to four years. The Custom-series YCL-81 and YCL-85 launched in 1974, and the YCL-62 followed later that decade as a further professional model, deliberately built in close reference to the Buffet R13 - one of the most widely played professional clarinets in the world - while distinguishing itself through finer keywork and plating quality and a more accessible price.
