Elastic properties in structural ceramics are widely studied with different experimental techniques in order to obtain engineering and diagnostic data about the processed materials. A new set-up for measuring flexural resonance is presented. The apparatus is based on electrostatic excitation where sample vibrations are detected by a laser modulation technique. Due to the high sensitivity and accuracy of this experimental set-up, it was possible to measure Young's modulus of samples with relatively high thickness/length ratios, thus allowing elastic properties determination directly on bending-strength test bars. The measurements were performed according to ASTM procedure. The high frequency resolution allowed the evaluation of internal friction variation due to processing, by nonlinear least square analysis of resonance curves. 10 refs.