Tag: Yamaha

Yamaha’s Pricing…..WTF?

March 20, 2011March 20, 2011 ericdano No Comments

So, the other day I got the latest woodwind and brasswind catalogue the other day. Other than the prices on everything going through the roof, Yamaha seems to have some strange pricing happening. A YAS-475 (intermediate alto) and a YAS-23 (student alto) are separated by about $110. The same holds true for the YTS-23 (student tenor) and a YTS-475 (intermediate tenor).

The question is why? What is the point in having them so close in price? I’ve played on these instruments too, and they both play the same……and it’s not anything to write home about.

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Tour Of The C.G. Conn Factory circa 1911

November 27, 2010 ericdano No Comments

Found this link to a picture tour of the C.G. Conn factory from about 1911. Probably not much has changed. There are actually some iTunes Podcasts from Yamaha that show how they make instruments. Very high tech.

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EWI Wars Over?

January 18, 2009 ericdano No Comments

One good way of judging how good or bad something is doing is by looking at the press it is receiving. For example, the Microsoft Zune. When it was launched, it garnered a lot of press. Office Depot even had it in their weekly ads and even had in store displays. Now……..nope. Their weekly ad has a SansDisk Fuze player, and iPod accessories.

This week, I received a catalog from American Musical Supply. It usually, towards the back with the keyboards, has the Akai EWI 4000s and the Yamaha WX5 on a page. This issue…..the WX5 wasn’t listed. *Gasp*

Could this be a sign that the EWI wars are over? That Yamaha might can the WX line? I’m not too sure, but when sellers are not advertising it, but rather a competing product……one might get a little worried. Though I think we will see Microsoft kill the Zune line well before Yamaha kills the WX.

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Music Education Alliance

January 19, 2008January 20, 2008 ericdano No Comments

This was announced today:

Leaders in their respective fields, Garritan, MakeMusic, Steinberg and Yamaha have formed a partnership that will provide integrated solutions to the music education market in the United States.

Announced at Winter NAMM 2008, the Music Education Software and Hardware (MESH) initiative brings together hardware, software, sound content and curriculum to provide compelling and complete turn-key solutions for today’s music educators, who are often faced with an array of products that can be difficult to navigate and integrate. In addition to aggregating four major components of music education technology into a seamless bundle, the alliance will also provide training to teachers based in the U. S., enabling them to fully utilize the power of computer music technology solutions.

Honestly, why? It sounds to me like a way for school teachers to waste money. Again. Spending thousands of dollars or more on some “solution” to make kids learn better. Money like that could be spent on lowering the student/teacher ratio. Very strange bedfellows as well. Leaders in their fields? Marketing speak at it’s finest!

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Saxophone Necks?

July 31, 2007September 30, 2007 ericdano 8 Comments

hammertime829 writes “I was wondering if anybody could tell me if getting a new neck for a saxophone makes a big difference in the sound or intonation?”

Great question. Anybody? I know a guy who plays a Selmer Mark VI with a Yamaha neck………works for him, so he says.

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EWI Buying Advice

August 2, 2005August 19, 2007 ericdano No Comments

Professor writes “Advice needed: I am an alto player who would like to buy a MIDI wind controller. I read Scott Wilkinson’s May 2001 Electronic Musician piece, which was helpful but provides no buying advice for the uninitiated (and is out of date). Does anyone know where I can try out and/or buy these various controllers (EWI, WX5 or Softwind Synthophone– or the new EWI Brecker was playing recently). Any advice on which one to buy, where to try it, and where to buy it would be greatly appreciated. (I’m on the East Coast). Thanks.”

From what I can tell, the one Michael Brecker has been playing is current is a prototype from Niles Steiner. The Akai 3020s are being produced, but are still hard to find. And it’s really it’s own instrument, as it requires some practice to get used to and sound good on. The best solution right now seems to be the Yamaha WX5 coupled with the Yamaha VL70m. Some sites to check out are:

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