I have a Yamaha YPC-81 piccolo. i haven't had it long...only a year and a few months. My ears are rather sensitive. I always knew my picc wasn't the easiest to tune. Not to the point that it is unbearable or anything. I play in tune now, but i have to work EXTREMELY hard. I love my piccolo, but i feel it is time to get something more professional, and more relaxed/easier to play in tune. I have come to this realization because i am currently barrowing a Haynes because my Yamaha is getting adjusted. Although the Haynes DEFINATELY is not the piccolo for me, i have come to the realization that Yamaha isn't either. My only problem with the Haynes is the Tonehole is HUGE and my lips are realllly small so it makes somethings difficult. The pitch is way better though and it is not nearly as shrill or bright sounding.So my questions are: what brands would you reccomend for someone with rather small lips? what piccolo is the easiest/ most in tune? what brand of piccolo do you feel is easiest to make dark sounding? i dont really have a price range....this is a very long term purchase i just want to keep my options open and very broad.
PS i know i have argued that Yamaha piccolos do not have a jacked up scale....etc. i have come to the realization they do and am very sorry to have had such a closed mind on the topic. i would like to say though that it is definately possible to play a yamaha in tune, but i have realized it is EXTREMELY difficult. thanks.
Re: I officially need a new piccolo. 22:42 on Monday, April 20, 2009
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Well, you know that I for one am going to agree that Yamaha has a crazy scale on their piccs. Yuck! That is why I got rid of mine (all too happily) years ago. People can argue until they are blue in the face about it saying that they can play a Yamaha piccolo in tune. Sure, you can play one in tune but it takes a heck of a lot more work. I say that if someone says they have no problems with the pitch on them then either they are tone deaf or not sensitive enough to hear when pitches are off. I may get bashed for my <say it how it is> opinion, but oh well. That is me
Now, for the best scale on a piccolo, I would say Burkart, Haynes, Powell or Keefe. Keefe has a long waiting list though and are VERY expensive! I love the scale on my Burkart. I just loaned it to a friend who is trying out for a military band and she is thrilled with it. I hope I get it back. lol!
I would say that the darkest playing piccolo would be a Haynes. They seem harder to play for me though as they have quite an amount of resistance in the upper register.
Hope that helps. I went on a piccolo shopping extravaganza last year and tried everything I could get my hands on. Good luck!
Zentner, Hammig and McKenna are some of the wooden ones that I've acctually tried playing and just loved. See, I don't usually play piccolos but they are comfortable, easy to dominate and showed no problem intonating with other instruments.
My complaint with the Yamaha 61 is that it is just thinner, not as much depth to the tone as the 'fancier' wood piccs. It's a pretty nice instrument, though, for the $1000 range. The Yam 81 would be different only because it usually comes with an additional silver HJ, and its keywork is solid silver instead of plated.
I went from a Yam 62 to a Zentner. It also has some minor scale issues, but I can deal with them- more easily than the Yam. Its tone is marvellous, especially in the low range of the instrument. High notes are difficult on my Zentner as is- but I put a Burkart HJ on it and that makes the high notes easier. The low end isn't as rich as the Zentner HJ, but it's a lot better than the Yam was, pretty darn nice.
Our Symphony picc principal has a handmade Burkart. It has the same (in theory) HJ as I bought for my Zentner. Hers is an amazing instrument, it speaks so easily up high, and still has a lovely sound down low (the Zentner still beats it, IMHO, down low, though). Scale is just fine.
Yuo can't always change HJs, though the Burkart and Zentner are swap-able with a simple cork thickness change.
The Zentner is the same as a pre-Gemeinhardt Roy Seaman piccolo. (Some of the older Zentners had plated keywork, the Seamans were all silver keywork, but the rest of the design is the same, same factory, etc.) They go for $1500 to $1850 or so- always used, they're not in production anymore.
I'd play anything you can get your hands on. I've even liked an older Gemeinhardt 4W quite well- better by a long way than the Gemeinhardt Seaman picc I tried.
My lips are fairly average, I'd say.
Have you tried a Haynes silver picc? I've heard some that had a lovely rich sound.
thanks for the help. i defff want a wood picc. i love the haynes i am barrowing although like you said kara the upper register is super resistant. i have to push my air super hard all the time. i have talked to my teacher because it is actually his piccolo, and he says once you get used to it playing softer is easier. he sounds SO good on it. do they still make them? i know his is slightly older...like maybe 10-15 years max? i really like the haynes but need to try the burkhart and powell. keefe is wayyy to far out of my price range right now.
also how much would a YPC 81 with all cork pads and just readjusted go for?
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i just need to know the price thing so i know how much to list it for and how much money to save when looking into something else. also where would you sell it?
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