Plant-based recorders

I received my white resin 442 recorder today. First impression: I absolutely love the unconventional thumb hole placement. I’ve always struggled with altos, but the Bernolin is a dream to hold.

Second and third impressions to follow after more playing time.
 
I received my white resin 442 recorder today. First impression: I absolutely love the unconventional thumb hole placement. I’ve always struggled with altos, but the Bernolin is a dream to hold.

Second and third impressions to follow after more playing time.

Keep us posted, please!
 
Hi folks. I've had my Bernolin white alto resin recorder (442) for 3 months now, and I want to give some additional impressions about it. I haven't changed any of my earlier feelings about it sounding GREAT, and loving the easy hole positions.

But I have encountered one problem with it - it clogs. I was skeptical about reports that it never clogs, and my feeling is that it only seems that way when you first get it because it has been treated with Bernolin anti-condensation fluid. Once it wears off, it starts to clog. I'd say that it clogs worse than any wooden recorder I own, and worse than any Aulos plastic recorder I have (Aulos is good in this respect), and somewhat worse than the Yamaha Ecodear.

I think that this is because the Bernolin does have a narrower windway than most plastic recorders (except the Ecodear), which makes it prone to clogging vs other plastic recorders, and the entire area surrounding the cedar block is plastic, so you aren't getting the absorption that occurs with wooden recorders.

The clogging is especially true with high C# and D, where it was driving me nuts. So I finally splurged and got the LM77 anti-condensation fluid sold by Bernolin:

https://www.bernolin.fr/english/lm77.htm

I can report that it works. It really seems to prevent almost all clogging (assuming you warm the recorder under your arm before playing). This is why it was so surprising to me when it started clogging.

The question is how long the treatment will last. Judging by how long I had it before it started clogging initially, I am hoping the treatment will last at least 3 or 4 weeks. This is much longer than conventional detergent-based fluids, of course, but it really did last several months without clogging when I first got it, so I have high hopes. I probably used less fluid than they do at the shop, so it may not last as long. He has a YouTube video about how to use it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqE93LdqhmI

It is expensive - about $15/bottle after the exchange rate (I got 2), so it is important that it lasts awhile at least. He says that a bottle should last an entire year, so that would be great.

Anyway, I'll let you know how well it seems to work after I have more experience using it.
 
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If I remember, you asked him for a 392 recorder and were turned down. However, maybe you could request a custom-made additional middle section? In other words, buy a 415 plus a custom made 392 middle section. Other makers already sell recorders with 2 middle sections to give 442 and 415, so this is almost certainly doable, I should think. Might be worth asking about it. :)
 
Oh it’s certainly doable. He didn’t turn me down flat, just “you never know”. Custom made would ruin a big part of the appeal - the reasonable price
 
Yeah, I know it would be more money, but I thought just an extra center section would be only say a few hundred dollars extra, which would still make it cheaper than a wooden top-quality recorder. But I guess it would be a lot more, huh...
 
Yeah, I know it would be more money, but I thought just an extra center section would be only say a few hundred dollars extra, which would still make it cheaper than a wooden top-quality recorder. But I guess it would be a lot more, huh...
Ok, ok, you convinced me to ask. :p
 
Isn't a wooden recorder "plant-based" by definition?
 
Isn't a wooden recorder "plant-based" by definition?

Wood kind of is a plant, but what this thread is about: Is about a recorders that are kind of like plastic, but based more on plants than oil.
 
I don’t think I could play a recorder I tried a harmonica and kept having dizzy spells there is a fancy name for it which I have forgotten.
 
Thanks for this thread!

I seem to be returning to the recorder after about a 40 year away. I have not given up my jazz guitar duo or plunking around on a uke, but I have been having great fun with my old (and a couple of new) recorders.

I have a couple of Moeck Rottenburgs from the 1970’s, a Maple alto and a Rosewood and Ivory soprano, that I am slowly bringing back to life. I also have a couple of Yamaha Ecodears, an Aulos Haka and a Zen-on (both altos). If things go well with what I have, I am considering picking up a Bernolin alto in the summer.

The discussion here (yes, on a uke forum) has been the most informative that I have come across yet.

Thanks, you have made my decision much easier.
 
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