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Yamaha Neo Cornet for brass band?



 
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Rickrobr63
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:14 am    Post subject: Yamaha Neo Cornet for brass band? Reply with quote

anybody with review/input on the Yamaha Neo Cornet?
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TKSop
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very good cornets, personally find them just a bit soulless but they do the job superbly (and if anyone tells you they're too bright, just listen to Kirsty Abbots on one).

There's plenty of great brass band cornets out there to choose between if you're able/willing to seek them out to try... But if the neo suits you, you won't go far wrong with it
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zaferis
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah.. I'll have to agree with TKSop… I like his take "soulless" - play well but missing something.

I'd suggest looking at a Getzen Eterna - you won't go wrong there. Smokin' valves and a beautifully warm tone.

I love my Bach, but I've had it "worked" on and it's not a favorite with many.
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Rapier232
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 10:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

They are very nice instruments. Better than the Besson Sovereign but my favourite is the Smith-Watkins K2. I hear the Eclipse is a bit special but I’ve never played one.
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p76
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, so many Neos here in Oz through all the Brass Bands. Having backed-to-backed them with the Besson Sovereign, I'd say that the Sovereign has slightly more richness to the sound, but the Neo was considerably easier to play.

Here in Oz, the Neo is also much cheaper. We bought 2 for the price of one Besson....

It's a fine cornet.

Cheers,
Roger
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TKSop
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rapier232 wrote:
They are very nice instruments. Better than the Besson Sovereign but my favourite is the Smith-Watkins K2. I hear the Eclipse is a bit special but I’ve never played one.


Depends on the sovereign - early 928's are miles better than the current ones.

I like the K2, it's brighter but plays great.

And yes, the Eclipse is very special indeed (in my biased opinion)
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:44 am    Post subject: Re: Yamaha Neo Cornet for brass band? Reply with quote

Rickrobr63 wrote:
anybody with review/input on the Yamaha Neo Cornet?


Hi Rick

Sorry, I'm a bit late joining this thread. I saw it a few days ago, and have only just gotten round to responding.

If you don't mind me digressing a little first, I feel that the Yamaha Maestro/Xeno and Neo differ from the Sovereign/Prestige, in mouthpiece compatibility

I've found that the Sovereign/Prestige respond better with a more open mouthpiece, such as one with a larger throat and backbore. I find that if I play a Sovereign/Prestige with a mouthpiece with a too small throat or too tight backbore, that I get an unusual blow and response. It doesn't feel tight in terms of back pressure or blow resistance, rather it seems dead and unresponsive, almost as if you simply can't get enough air through to make the cornet respond. Maybe this is literally the case. All I know is that in my experience, opening the throat and backbore makes the cornet come alive and become much more responsive.

Going back to the Maestro/Xeno/Neo, I find that these respond well with a wider range of mouthpieces, and continue to respond well with a smaller throat and tighter backbore, up to a limit. What I mean by this, is that my Bach 184ML will play well with a standard Bach 3C cornet mouthpiece, which a player is unlikely to choose for brass band playing anyhow, but that a standard 3C is too tight on the Maestro/Xeno/Neo.

Therefore if a player is not looking to change mouthpiece, whether they prefer the Sovereign/Prestige or Maestro/Xeno/Neo, depends to a reasonable extent in myopinion, on what mouthpiece they are already playing. Of course, these are not the only cornet models, I'm just comparing the common choices.

Getting on to the Neo in particular, I have only played the Xeno and Maestro, but hopefully my experience with the Xeno will be useful.

I sold my Maestro because I felt that there was something lacking in the sound compared to the Sovereign. I can't really put my finger on it, maybe it is something to do with colour. I however quickly regretted my decision to trade it in for a Sovereign, and after buying and selling a couple more Sovereigns, returning to my Bach 184ML in between, I finally went for a used Xeno getting on for four years ago.

I really liked the playability of the Xeno when I play tested cornets before I bought the last of my three Sovereigns, but I just felt that the Sovereign had the better sound.

After finally deciding that the Sovereign is just not for me, I don't like the way it blows and find it too slotty for my taste, I went for my Xeno.

To me the Xeno is more free blowing (I prefer the resistance more in the mouthpiece and am one of those players who prefer a smaller throat and tighter backbore than on a Denis Wick cornet mouthpiece (I think that the Denis Wick mouthpieces really match the Sovereign/Prestige well), and looser slotting. Also, and this may be a little controversial, I think that it is more flexible, and I'll probably get lynched for this, more responsive. I love the way that the Yamaha Maestro/Xeno play, and although I haven't played the Neo, presume that it will play very much on the same lines.

Regarding the sound, although I was initially slightly uninspired by the sound, it has either grown on me, or more likely, since this is the only cornet I have played for almost four years, I've learned how to get the best out of it. Now if I do say so myself, and believe me I have many technical limitations as a player, I feel that it does sound rather nice in my hands. Whereas my previous complaint with Yamaha trumpets prior to the Xeno II, is that they seem to want to sound how they want, whatever you do, and that although not less responsive in terms of playability, they seem less responsive in terms of colouring the sound, I feel that this is not the case at least with my Xeno cornet (I have the yellow brass bell model in lacquer). Whatever expression I put in seems to come out in my sound, which I like as a Principal cornet. I don't want to play an expressive solo only for my expression not to come through.

When it comes down to it, I really think that it is the devil you know, and more important than choosing any one make/model of cornet, is to pick one, stick with it, and really learn how to get the best out of it. I really think that when you really know the Xeno, it is a very responsive flexible brass band cornet more than able to to convey the expression of the player.

I really hope my (sorry, I'm in wordy mode this morning) input will be useful.

All the best

Lou
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Yamaha Neo + Xeno
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B&H Imperial
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