If you play the chimes or saxophone, you will have an improved experience with Yamaha’s revamped products.
Yamaha has redesigned its 6000 and 7000 series of chimes. The YCH-6018 Intermediate Chimes have 1.25-inch diameter tubes while the YCH-7018 Professional Chimes have 1.5-inch diameter tubes. The chimes have a redesigned chime tube hanging system and new silver head cap design for richer tones, enhanced volume, improved pitch, and easier playability during fast passages, according to the product press release.
“The aesthetic of the instrument itself is designed after a grand piano,” says Troy Wollwage, Yamaha Corporation of America’s marketing manager for educational percussion.
The 6000 Series is slightly shorter compared to the height-adjustable 7000 model, making it useful for players at the school band level.
Of particular interest for marching musicians, Yamaha will debut Tough-Terrain Frames (TTF) for the new versions of the chimes later in the year. The TTF is designed for use on the field.
Yamaha’s intermediate baritone saxophone is also getting an update. Put simply, “it’s lighter!” says Jon Goldman, product manager for Yamaha’s wind instruments.
The lighter weight of the intermediate bari sax makes it easier for school-aged and marching musicians, Goldman says. More specifically, the bell has been shortened and widened and the bore inside the neck of the instrument has been adjusted to have the same taper as Yamaha’s professional baritone saxophones.
After being unchanged for 35 years, the new model “improved, overall, the balance of the intonation of the instrument,” allowing younger students to play without sacrificing the professional quality, Goldman says.
