Plant-based recorders

1. It's rather similar to other specialty instruments (like the ukulele). Simply lend an attentive ear to accomplished instrumentalists, listen to your own playing, evaluate the differences, and you'll develop a good sense of what you want over time. In the meantime, just keep playing and focusing on your musicianship.

2. You'll notice the differences; they are not insignificant. Even before you play the Bernolin, the finer craftmanship on display will be readily apparent.

3. That depends on too many factors--from practice habits and listening skills to to musical aptitude and focus--to answer definitively. You will probably need to work a fair bit on breath support and tongue control (think long tones and articulation exercises), but there's nothing wrong with that. You'll be doing it for as long as you play the recorder anyways.

4. I'll let Jim's answer stand on this matter. A440 is more versatile; A415 is necessary to play baroque music with other period performers. FWIW, I'd go A415 on the Bernolin and hang on to the ecodear for A440 stuff, but I say that as a soloist and chamber/consort player.
 
FWIW, I'd go A415 on the Bernolin and hang on to the ecodear for A440 stuff, but I say that as a soloist and chamber/consort player.
I'd say that too just because it's a lot easier to find an A440 stateside in that price range or less. BTW, this thread made me think about A392 again, and I sent an email asking if there were any plans. He said there aren't any immediate plans but didn't completely rule it out.
 
Thank you so much, David and Jim! I have no one near to discuss this with.

You make a good point on ordering the Bernolin at A415 since I have the ecodear in A440 and, as Jim said, A440 is easier to find.

I have heard a lot of good things about the Zen-on Bressan and have ordered the new G-1A from ebay for $54. I am looking forward to trying it.

Now to save up for the Bernolin!

Do we have a recorder group here on UU?:cool:
 
Hi folks. I am new to this forum, and I feel kind of odd about joining a ukelele forum, considering that I do not even own one (I just learned how to spell it!). But I found this interesting thread via a Google search and wanted to get some more info about the Bernolin resin alto.

My main questions concern the maintainability of the Bernolin, as far as voicing and also thumbhole wear. Considering that the Bernolin has a wooden block, wouldn't it need periodic revoicing, just like any regular wooden recorder, and unlike a plastic one like the ecodear? If so, can a regular instrument repair person (say at Von Huene Workshop) do the adjustment? I have never paid to have a wooden recorder revoiced, but I have several of them that REALLY need it. I am kind of hoping that the answer is that the Bernolin doesn't rquire it very much because half of the windway is plastic, but I would like to see what people think.

I kind of wonder why Bernolin didn't make the resin recorder with a resin block (or at least offer it as an option). Perhaps because of the additional clogging that would almost certainly happen, but hey, I can live with it with my regular plastic recorders, and if the goal is to have a superior (i.e. not made from injection molding) low-maintenance recorder, why not use a resin block?

Essentially the same question applies to the thumbhole. I am pretty gentle on thumbholes, but eventually it starts to get grooves in it and I know with a wooden instrument you can get it "re-bushed" by being drilled out and having a new bushing made from artificial ivory (plastic, I guess!) inserted. But again, since this is a funky-material recorder, could this be done by a regular workshop, do you think? With regular plastic recorders, I usually just buy a new one when necessary (say every 5 years or so).

Any info would be very helpful. I am almost ready to buy the Bernolin, but not quite... :)
 
Hmm, why don't you send an email to him and ask? I found him to be very responsive and personable - even though he isn't interested in making my A392 instruments. :p
 
I did ask about whether you had to break in the recorder since it has a wooden block. This is his answer:
The block is made of treated cedar and is more resistant to water than a standard one. There is no need to break in . But there is a possibility that you would have to send the recorder back to me someday. I evaluate that approx 10% of the recorders I sell come back someday for a service. It is not much, and of course far less than wooden recorders would ask for.
 
Thanks for your suggestions and info, Jim and Jan. It's interesting what he had to say about the wooden block. I guess I'm being overly cautious, but $500 does that to me! ;-)

Perhaps I'll write to him, although I guess his answer about it being unnessesary to break in the block answers my question about revoicing. Maybe he can give me an idea about the hardness of the thumbhole (vs standard plastic). I have been thinking of getting the white one, but from what I read on the website, the black is somewhat harder (it says "stiffer"). Somehow I think it wouldn't matter much.

While I'm at it, I can ask him to consider making a voice-flute - alto in D - version of the resin recorder. That would be a no-brainer!

I'll report back if I get an answer. Thanks again, folks!

Rich
 
Took me about a week to get an answer.

If you get one, let us know!
 
While I'm at it, I can ask him to consider making a voice-flute - alto in D - version of the resin recorder. That would be a no-brainer!
Voice flute is more of a tenor in D but only half step down from alto in Eb that I asked about (I.e. A392) - no plans for that one either. I can understand it though as the market for either is very small.
 
Hi folks. I sent an email to Mr. Bernolin asking about the need for revoicing and also wear on the thumbhole, and whether repairs could be made by a regular instrument repair shop (seeing as how it is not a standard wooden recorder). I also asked about the possibility of a voice flute.

He sent me this reply:

------------

"Hello Richard

The recorder may need a revoicing during its life, but nothing close to a wooden one. There are quite a lot of recorders
I don't hear about . Yes you could bring it to an experienced local recorder maker. It is made just like a noce professional intrument.

Yes, the thumb hole can be rebushed as for a wooden recorder. I never had to do this.

I don't schedule a Voice Flute actually, but it is exact it is an interesting project as some other people asked me for"

--------------

So, that does answer my concerns a lot. It sounds like it will last a long time without needing any repair (he's never even had to rebush a thumbhole).

And check it out - he practically said yes about the voice flute! (well, not really - I read a lot between the lines). ;-)

All kidding aside, I think he would essentially have the market all to himself for a relatively inexpensive voice flute. The only other game in town is to spend thousands, as far as I can see. Such an over-sized alto (under-sized tenor) would probably cost about say $600-650. Sign me up! Not much demand, but I'll bet a lot of recorder amateurs / enthusiasts would buy one, and you know Yamaha or Aulos won't be making one. The big attraction of a voice flute is that you can play flute music as is, without transposing. I'm not sure my hands are large enough, but I'd get one if he made one...

Anyway, I ordered the resin alto in white (442Hz version), which came to $496 including shipping, after Paypal and exchange rate conversion. Can't wait to get it!! Now I suppose I'll have to buy a ukulele... ;-)
 
Anyway, I ordered the resin alto in white (442Hz version), which came to $496 including shipping, after Paypal and exchange rate conversion.
That's not bad! Definitely report back when you get it. I'd love a sound sample if you are able - I've never heard one "in the wild".
 
Hi folks. I sent an email to Mr. Bernolin asking about the need for revoicing and also wear on the thumbhole, and whether repairs could be made by a regular instrument repair shop (seeing as how it is not a standard wooden recorder). I also asked about the possibility of a voice flute.

He sent me this reply:

------------

"Hello Richard

The recorder may need a revoicing during its life, but nothing close to a wooden one. There are quite a lot of recorders
I don't hear about . Yes you could bring it to an experienced local recorder maker. It is made just like a noce professional intrument.

Yes, the thumb hole can be rebushed as for a wooden recorder. I never had to do this.

I don't schedule a Voice Flute actually, but it is exact it is an interesting project as some other people asked me for"

--------------

So, that does answer my concerns a lot. It sounds like it will last a long time without needing any repair (he's never even had to rebush a thumbhole).

And check it out - he practically said yes about the voice flute! (well, not really - I read a lot between the lines). ;-)

All kidding aside, I think he would essentially have the market all to himself for a relatively inexpensive voice flute. The only other game in town is to spend thousands, as far as I can see. Such an over-sized alto (under-sized tenor) would probably cost about say $600-650. Sign me up! Not much demand, but I'll bet a lot of recorder amateurs / enthusiasts would buy one, and you know Yamaha or Aulos won't be making one. The big attraction of a voice flute is that you can play flute music as is, without transposing. I'm not sure my hands are large enough, but I'd get one if he made one...

Anyway, I ordered the resin alto in white (442Hz version), which came to $496 including shipping, after Paypal and exchange rate conversion. Can't wait to get it!! Now I suppose I'll have to buy a ukulele... ;-)

Ooo! Let us know what you think of it!
 
Hey folks, I received my Bernolin resin alto recorder (white, 440). It took exactly 2 weeks from when I ordered it to when I received it (via USPS). I'm pleasantly surprised with how fast I got it.

I have only played it very briefly, so I don't want to comment too much on how it sounds or plays. But I will say that it seems noticeably LOUDER than any other recorder I have, and it does sound better (but that's a pretty hard thing to define).

As far as playability, my initial impression is that the lowest notes are loud and speak VERY easily. The high notes also speak easily and clearly, probably more easily than with the Ecodear, and definitely more easily than with the Zen-on G-1A (unless you just blew the clogging out with an industrial strength blower). But I have to say, the Bernolin high notes do not speak as easily as on my old Aulos 509 (no longer made - replaced by the 509B, also very good). But the Bernolin does sound better and louder.

The Bernolin does not have that reedy sound that the Ecodear (and the Zen-on somewhat) has. It sounds much brighter and clearer (and louder, as I have said). I like the sound of te Ecodear, but I do think it is pretty unique (but, of course, perhaps some wooden recorders sound like it).

My teacher for 10 years in NYC, Ken Wollitz (who literally wrote the book on recorder - look it up!), used to tell me that the mass-produced mid-priced wooden recorders were not any better than the plastic ones (after I had bought several Moeck Rottenburgs, one Dolmetsch, etc long before I took lessons). So while I took lessons from him, we used plastic (Aulos and Yamaha). I wanted to get the Bernolin to see what a higher-level recorder is like. I think it does serve this purpose, despite being made from plastic - oops! resin! So I'm very pleased. :)

IMG_1984_fromrt_cp1_fx1_sm.jpg
 
Thanks for the update. I'd love to hear a playing comparison of the Ecodear and Bernolin if you are able to do that.

It's been years since I've recorded anything, Jim, so I'm not sure if my equipment is up to the task, but I will look into it (I really will - it might be fun). In the meantime, you could watch this YouTube video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a8VVZLj6cU&t

where he compares it vs a wooden recorder.

Actually, I'm not sure how useful listening to recorder playback on the internet really is. I mean, to me they all sound very much the same, unless there is something obviously amiss like poor intonation (as Sarah Jeffery mentions in some of her comparison YouTube videos).

Anyway, if I'm able to record something, I will report back...
 
Having used the Bernolin resin alto (white, 440), for more than a week now, I thought I would let people know my thinking about it after some usage.

Initially I was having some trouble getting some of high notes to speak correctly every time (mostly just high C# and high G), but I think that this is because the position of the thumbhole is slightly different from other recorders I have. It is almost directly below the first hole. It is slightly back towards the head joint, but not nearly as much as on others I have (e.g. on the Zen-on G-1A, you cannot even see the first hole when you look thru the thumbhole). I am finding that as I play it, the high notes are just getting better on their own, no doubt because I am subtly adjusting my positioning without much thought (the way I do most things!). So that problem has mostly gone away, with very nice high notes.

One thing I want to correct about what I said earlier - it isn't any louder than most plastic recorders. I tested the Bernolin vs the G-1A by using 2 tools - the tuning meter on my Korg tuner/metronome, and Audacity PC software. Holding both instruments (one at a time, natch) in front of the mike at the same distance, and blowing an accurate middle C - I tried other notes as well - (using the tuning meter to get it perfect), then seeing what the input volume meter in Audacity was registering, I found:

the G-1A is somewhat LOUDER (about 3DB, I guess) than the Bernolin

Judging just listening with my ears, they sound similar, loudness-wise. The Bernolin just sounds rounder and fuller.

Bottom line - the Bernolin sounds GREAT! Much better than I expected. I figured it would sound just slightly better than my plastic recorders, and even just slightly better than my Dolmetsch rosewood. But it is a whole other thing, IMHO. It is sooo much richer and fuller sounding!

This may be something that others might not like - I mean, it has none of the edginess that the G-1A has, and it's not reedy at all like the Ecodear. It just sounds very pure, clean, rich, and full, throughout its range, with the low notes especially full. I'm really glad I got it. It kind of surprises me every time I play it - it's like "WOW!, I should have gotten one of these years ago!" For an intermediate player like myself, it seems like a no-brainer, IMHO.
 
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Jim, I have decided that there really is no point in me making sound samples, since there are a bunch of them on the Bernolin website. You can even compare the white recorder vs the black one (although I think it is pretty hard to determine anything from such sound samples). Anyway, I couldn't do any better than those. There are some sample playing videos on YouTube too, which you can find with a search.

Let's just say that I really like everything about the Bernolin. It sounds noticably better than any recorder I have ever owned (including Moeck palisander and maple Rottenburgs, a Dolmetsch rosewood, and a Roessler ebony). Plus, it fits my smallish hands perfectly, as I mentioned earlier. I have gotten used to playing the high notes on it, and play them just as easily as on recorders I was more familiar with earlier. And the low notes are really spectacular (mid-range notes are excellent too, of course).

So I actually regret not buying one earlier (although I was away from the recorder for about 8 years, so I wouldn't have known about it then anyway). So I encourage anyone who is on the fence about it - get it! Yes!! :)
 
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