Yamaha YSL-354

[rmb796]

I have heard so many good things about the Yamaha YSL-354 being a great horn for the price. I am thinking of purchasing a used one to use especially on those jobs where you have a crowded stage or a rowdy crowd ...tomatoes and objects flying through the air...
Are they all pretty much the same or are some horns better than others? Is there adequate neck room?
Thanks for any advice.

[Burgerbob]

They're not bad. They do have narrow slides, watch out for that.

Personally, I'd rather have a beater 2B or 3B for those situations.

[DaveAshley]

I like the 354’s that have flared braces (like the Connstellation 48H). Usually in a brown rectangular case.

[PaulT]

The Yamaha 200 is the same horn (branded differently to offer small brick and mortar shops some relief from online competition). Look for 354/200 to cast a wider net.

[FullPedalTrombonist]

I’ve played several of the variations and there is a difference between them. About as much as you’d expect with any horn that goes through iterations. I sort of agree with Burgerbob, but I enjoy my Yamaha in a different way than I do my King. Solid, loud, clear. The King is more colorful and smaller feeling. It’s a smaller horn after all.

When I bring it out the other trombonists think it’s a Xeno. Not very many clean 354/200’s out there I guess.

I have large hands and a medium-wide neck. I wear a 15.5”-16” collar. Ergonomics are fine, but I prefer a standard to narrow width slide anyway.

[rmb796]

Thanks for your input. I want to play the YSL-354 and then decide what to do. I have a nice King 2b and a 3bf,
so I like the idea of getting a cheaper straight King 3b for those "rougher" gigs.
Thanks

[Mikebmiller]

Do you play that bar from the Blues Brothers where they have chicken wire to keep the beer bottles from hitting you?

[Matt K]

If you don't have enough room you can always have a tech adjust the angle of the slide with a little head and some patience on the slide receiver slide. The biggest variance you'll find in the used market is how much abuse it took which is actually pretty easily alleviated with that particular model because of the ubiquity of the available parts.

[jbeatenbough]

I have a YSL-354 bell section, but no slide. Does anyone know what slides will mate with the 354? (since I'm having trouble locating an affordable replacement slide - I'm now wanting to expand the search)... I'm also open to a valve section instead of slide...

Thx!

[Matt K]

Did you get my email? I think it went through, but its been a busy few weeks. I'd split the horn I'm selling up into just the slide. I would expect its probably as cheap as you'll ever find a 354 slide for.

That said, looks like you can order them from a tech or mouthpiece express:
https://mouthpieceexpress.com/catalog/p ... s_id=27202

in new condition. There is, of course, a wait that way. That price seems to be around ~$400.

Other slides that are compatible are the 352 and 200AD as well as possibly the 353. Yamaha aren't as streamlined compatability wise as Bachs are. There is this receiver, then one that I believe most of their models use, which is found on most if not all of the medium bore options. Then they have several for their large bore and bass offerings.

-Matt

[DaveAshley]

I have a YSL-354 bell section, but no slide. Does anyone know what slides will mate with the 354?

I know that a Yamaha 697Z slide would fit with a 354 bell. I had both models at one point, and the slides & bells were interchangeable.

[Matt K]

If that's true then the 691 and 651 as well as the 8xx series small bores should also work.

[jbeatenbough]

Hey Matt, sent you an email about you YSL-354

Thx

[BurckhardtS]

I use one for jazz/commercial playing. I spent $150 on eBay. Before I got bought, I asked the seller how the slide moved. He wrote something to the extent of "I'm not a musician, but when I take the lock off it just drops straight to the floor with no resistance". I bought it immediately, and I haven't looked back since. It is a very consistent horn, top to bottom. Pitch slots where you would expect. It feels like a trombone. You can probably find a couple recordings on YouTube of me playing it.

I have played better small bores, but I've also had many people with "better" small bores try it and say they'd play it in a heartbeat if they needed to, no question.

[harrisonreed]

Do you play that bar from the Blues Brothers where they have chicken wire to keep the beer bottles from hitting you?

Yeah. Da heck kind of gigs you playin', lol?

[Bach42t]

I like to play my Yamaha Black Phoenix at bar gigs and have to dodge unwieldy beer bottles and people bumping over music stands and heavy monitors. Actually, that was just a bad bad nightmare. Right up there with my nightmare about my missing Bach 42T I spend the whole night hour-after-hour searching for it.

[Matt K]

I did Ska gigs back in college... I actually have unironically played behind a chicken wire cage lol

[Doug Elliott]

I actually have unironically played behind a chicken wire cage lol

Idea for a practice room?
Soundproofing is extra.

[Posaunus]

I did Ska gigs back in college... I actually have unironically played behind a chicken wire cage lol

Matt,

We knew you were wild and crazy, but to have to cage you while performing? ...

[Matt K]

The neighbors can pay for the soundproofing!

I did Ska gigs back in college... I actually have unironically played behind a chicken wire cage lol

Matt,

We knew you were wild and crazy, but to have to cage you while performing? ...