Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hello guys and gals, new player on the scene.., new to instruments in general so i don't know much of anything yet.
Right now i own a set of Aulos recorders which i'm enjoying, but i'd like to try playing a wide bore recorder for the stronger low notes.

I've read that the wide bore recorder is weak on the high notes (mainly the Alto i think?) and that's what i came to ask you knowledgeable players about.
What i need to know is this, which is the best all around recorder of this kind? I have been looking at the Susato recorders mainly, are these worth it?

Ah and i'm looking for an alto right now.

Thanks in advance guys.

FWIW, I have limited experience with a wide-bore recorder, but my experience with a plastic descant "Adri's Dream" reflects the review on this page http://www.elidatrading.co.uk/mollenhauer.htm , it's not so much weak above G in the second octave, but needs very critical thumb-placement to hit the high notes reliably. Probably moreso a characteristic of a wide-bore instrument in general rather than a problem with this specific design. A good reason to "try before you buy", if possible, if you really need those higher notes.

Wish i could test before buying.., but no such luck in this area.
Best thing i can do is look for opinions and hope for the best

Appreciate the link pal, and thank you.

Hi Aimless, welcome.

My experience is limited, too. But I did play the Moeck Renaissance instruments in a pro consort, and have both the soprano Dream Flute and a soprano Susato.

You probably know that the original wide bore Renaissance recorder was not meant to play more than a compass of a 13th (octave + 6th) anyway. So if by high notes you mean the upper part of the 2nd octave and beyond, then yes - they're weak or non-existent.

For a wide bore with a 2 octave range, the choice is basically between a late Renaissance Kynseker (e.g. Moeck, Mollenhauer) or a modern hybrid (Dream Flute, Susato).

The Susato alto guarantees only a 13th, so that may not be your best choice unless the low price (~$70) offsets that disadvantage. I'd also say the original Susato tone is a bit breathier and less focused than the others, but I haven't tried the newer Oriole models. A Kynseker or Dream Flute should handle the upper notes fine with (as Kypfer says) careful fingering.

One suggestion might be to first try the plastic soprano Dream Flute to see if it appeals to you. At ~$25 it's really a bargain and a nice instrument to boot. Also note that Bill Lazar ( http://www.lazarsearlymusic.com/ ) does have a "try and return" policy if you're more adventurous.

Good luck with your quest!

AimlessWanderer wrote:Hello guys and gals, new player on the scene.., new to instruments in general so i don't know much of anything yet.
Right now i own a set of Aulos recorders which i'm enjoying, but i'd like to try playing a wide bore recorder for the stronger low notes.

I've read that the wide bore recorder is weak on the high notes (mainly the Alto i think?) and that's what i came to ask you knowledgeable players about.
What i need to know is this, which is the best all around recorder of this kind? I have been looking at the Susato recorders mainly, are these worth it?

Ah and i'm looking for an alto right now.

Thanks in advance guys.

I have a Mollenhauer Modern alto in pearwood, which has both strong low notes as well as strong upper ones and even a 2 1/2 octave range, though the third octave is a bit tricky to play. I still can't decide whether I like the sound of it or not, though. I mean, it sounds great to me when I play it myself, and on its own, but when I record my recorders, I tend to favour the sound of my plastic ones (Yamaha 314) after I got a proper microphone. Not sure what it is about it. Perhaps it's because the Mollenhauer doesn't really sound like a recorder, but rather like what you might get if you crossed a recorder with a flute.

I have yet to find sounds in my arrangements that really go well with it whereas I find arranging for my more baroque-sounding plastic recorders easy.

I have heard good things about the Dream recorders - though people invariably say the plastic ones suffer from intonation problems, so if I ever extend my collection with one of those, I might go for a wooden one.

Artistico wrote:I have heard good things about the Dream recorders - though people invariably say the plastic ones suffer from intonation problems

What people invariably say is not always correct.

Apparently, when Mollenhauer first started making the Adri's Dream, there was an intonation problem with very early production runs. The problem was quickly corrected, and subsequent and current models are spot-on. At least that is my understanding about that "rumor". My plastic Dream soprano has excellent intonation. In any case, the plastic and half-plastic models are soprano only, if you're looking for an alto. But the soprano is very cheap (around $25) if you want to try that first. The tone is very much a recorder, but louder than a baroque and perhaps with a bit less purity.

I own and play a pearwood Dream alto and can safely say that it is both wide bore and has a nice reachable two + octaves. It is very loud throughout it's range as you would imagine. I now longer play any recorder above alto but I did own a plastic Dream soprano and it also played two solid octaves with no discernable tuning issues. They are well made instruments and if you seek a wide bore recorder, it is a very good place to start. You won't find a wide bore soprano under $300 that plays better IMHO.

ecohawk