MotoMagic

What is the best recorder for the price?

The recorder instrument goes way back in history. Yamaha, Suzuki, Aulos, among other manufacturers make plastic and wooden recorders..

Depends whether you mean a school model, a student model, or a professional model.

For a school model, for price, quality, consistency and availability you just can’t beat Yamaha. The newer models are clear coloured plastic, and even though they look like toys they are actually better than the older ivory-coloured models. I don’t know that they would be my first choice for a class of young children, because they are quite assertive and loud.

If you want to upgrade, the pricier plastic models by Yamaha (YR 300 series), Aulos (500 or 700 series) and Zen-On (Stanesby) are reproductions of 18th-century recorders and are probably the best quality/price ratio you can find. They are definitely much better than inexpensive wooden recorders, and cost a fraction of the price of more expensive wooden ones.

Beyond this you are getting into wooden instruments, which cost a lot more money, and you have to be careful when choosing them because the quality can vary even among the same model of the same brand.

For entry-level instruments, both Mollenhauer and Moeck have better student models available in both plastic and wood. You can start with an instrument that has a plastic head and a wooden body, which has a better tone than all plastic but is better for young children because you can easily wash the head, and it won’t be sensitive to changes in moisture or temperature.

Mollenhauer’s bit hit in recent years has been its “Dream” series of recorders, also available in either plastic or wood. The wooden ones are moderately priced, very good for serious students, and highly versatile.

Beyond that you will be getting into the more expensive wooden instruments, at which point you will probably do more research than just ask Yahoo.

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