Choosing a wooden recorder: WHICH WOOD?!| Team Recorder

[@navinsawesomeanddivineacco4221]

*Looks at cheap plastic recorder* Don't worry, i still love you.

[@Hiroyuki_T]

I noticed the plastic really sounds plastic-y because maybe of the resonance of plastic. Of course wood is chosen but treated with paraffin

[@uabpsab]

As a builder these are my thoughts: The harder the wood the louder the instrument...up to a point: very hard woods as grenadilla and ebony tend to add ringing resonance (like a bell), not good. A more porous wood like jacaranda is fine but makes the windway harder to make "perfect". A soft(er) wood like pear or maple absorbs more of the vibrations and thus becomes less loud-perfect for a high tessiatura instrument. For an alto nothing beats boxwood IMHO, dense and heavy. Also a dream to work with, its like turning soap! But boxwood will always get expensive because of its tendency to warp. You have to dry it forever and then still some instruments warps.

[@ankavoskuilen1725]

I just bought a boxwood alto recorder in august last year and I totally love the sound. I didn't know it could easily worp so thank you for mentioning this!

[@uabpsab]

@@ankavoskuilen1725 If it hasn't warped yet its almost certainly never going to. Warping typically occurs close after turning.

[@uabpsab]

@1978ajax I have done that a few times, no problem at all except estetics.

[@zarkaylia1735]

My boxwood alto is still strong after 20 years. It's just got a brilliant sound, warm and round where it should be and clear as still water and delicate where it should be. My complaints with it have always ever been due to the current form of either myself or the instrument, nothing permanent ever.

[@KakeiTheWoIf]

Pelle Sabelström, I find your knowledge of this topic quite intriguing, and you have piqued my interest? Do you, by any chance, use Discord or Skype? I would love to discuss the concept of various woods for recorder and see what your insights would entail. Discord is Eon Fox#5887 and Skype is veronicathefox.

[@tasteapiana]

I'm a woodworker and have worked with all of the species you presented in this video. I must say, I couldn't have explained it better, you did a great job here. I've looked through many of the comments posted and they run the field of crazy all the way from end to end lol. The thing I've found with any species is how well they can be smoothed internally and that impacts wind rushing through the internal passages greatly. If there are any edges with torn wood fibers, we will hear that. The ''woody'' or reedy (raspy, even) qualities of a wind instrument are exacerbated by rough internal surfaces, including at the valves/openings. Contours matter. It's easy to work the outside of a wooden instrument but it's a total nightmare to get similar results on the inside. I have my favorite wood species and they align closely to what you stated here but I think, overall, someone unfamiliar with the subject will be well advised by watching this video. I, on the other hand, would probably just confuse most people with rants about wood qualities - which, in the end and on a case by case basis, change according to each slab of wood; one day olive gives you a massive headache, the next it's just lovely and the same can be said of almost all wood types. The perfect instrument doesn't exist but those that come the closest to perfect are all made by craftspeople and luthiers that go the extra mile while making them. Antonio Stradivari's violins are NOT sought after because he used magical wood ;)

[@someshsp]

i heve a rottenburgh olivewood tenor i am now living in thailand i have had it at least 25 years and it is still going strong. i love my instrument and the artist is me, hurrah

[@josequins9099]

I love the olive sound and it's pretty too, with it's contrasting grain markings.

[@saashuseini56]

I prefer Rosewood. Quite warm, sustainable, bold and intense sound it has. 😊 What else? 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@orirune3079]

They all do sound quite similar but to me the rosewood and olivewood were the standouts. The worst in my ears was boxwood, which is interesting because I see a lot of comments saying the boxwood was their favorite!

[@blueashdogs3639]

I am inclined to agree with you! I came across this video because I have a secondhand Moeck Alto which came to me over-oiled and I was trying to find out more about it. I managed to get it back into working order, and it now has a lovely round sound, but it is difficult to play the very high notes (maybe that's just me) and very quiet on the lowest ones. I was thinking of investing in a tenor and was wondering whether to go with the same brand/wood... tripped over this video, and because I need a number of keys because (my hands are quite small) have fallen in love with the Mollenhauer Denner Comfort - however from a NZ supplier it is $2k!!!!! That's a lotta money to spend on something I am not all that good at playing, but enjoy because it is something completely different from the rest of my life which revolves around dogs.

[@LobkeSprenkeling]

Great video! And I absolutely agree with you that in the end the recorder sounds as the player! As for the Moeck alto recorders, with my students in Valencia (very humid) I had to go from boxwood to olive wood, because the boxwood instruments would close up in 25% of the cases. With the olive wood we didn't have any problem anymore, and I liked their sound better. In general I would choose for harder woods or the olive wood in warm, humid climates - imaginably so with a more open wind way because condensation goes really fast. Also in those climates the risk of mould is quite a lot bigger. Still in Valencia, I decided to buy a sopranino recorder of maple wood, and ever since I've just loved its softer rounder sound. The disadvantages were that the thumb hole wore out immediately (I got it a thumb ring very quickly) and it's very vulnerable to temperature changes. In general, I've never been too fond of the really hard woods because I always felt they were just not flexible. But I should give it a go again ;)

[@mariquilla8891]

¡¡Hola!! Yo vivo en Alicante y estoy pensando en comprar mi primera flauta de madera, barroca. ¿Recomiendas peral o arce para esa zona? Mi presupuesto es bajo, máximo 100€, por lo que otros tipos de madera se me van de precio.

[@Michajeru]

I preferred the pear wood over the maple but overall I would probably choose the olive wood.

[@ravinamkaur]

Me too

[@rickmccloy4201]

I have an alto and a soparino in olive, both by Kung, and although it sounds silly, I think that the absolute beauty of the wood has some effect on my playing. It is likely some sort of placebo effect, but I just feel more inspired than when, for example, playing my alto in pear ( also a Kung Superio). So it might be ridiculous from an acoustical P.O.V., but the placebo effect is a well documented phenomenon--perhaps to a degree, it sounds as I expect it to sound. At the very least, olivewood does make for an absolutely gorgeous recorder.

[@eswing2153]

That’s the longest ad on KZbin and I watched the whole thing and enjoyed it. Thanks. It’s great to hear you play!

[@alexalestareon695]

A little tip. The dark palisander is also sometimes called rosewood. And the orange rosewood is also sometimes called tulipwood. Both are rosewoods, one is more expensive. So if you see a rosewood recorder cheaper than another rosewood, the more expensive one is probably tulipwood. (In the same line by the same maker. The model could also play a role in the price.)

[@mlapergola]

Yeps!! There is a bit of confusion as so many woods are called "rosewood". As found on www.vonhuene.com/t-recorderwood.aspx:

[@LobkeSprenkeling]

Interesting! That's good to know!

[@diegoemanuelvillalobo5990]

In Spanish names there are the same confusion with jacaranda and palisandro, and quality are determinated by origin. And is another specie, jacaranda boliviano, that is not a dalbergia

[@elusiveeskimo3013]

I had a German Rosewood recorder that got left on the seat of a car on a hot sunny day. By the time I got to it much wax had sweated from the wood.Thinking the worse I carefully whipped off all the excess wax, then tried playing it. To my surprise and delight I found the recorder's sound was softer and more mellow then before. A very pleasant sound that fit all the styles of music I play. But the most important takeaway from this experience is that hot environments can sweat wax from wooden recorders, changing their sound. May not always be for the best so be careful.

[@edeka3]

That's an amazing story haha! Did you oil it right afterwards?

[@elusiveeskimo3013]

@@edeka3 Not immediately after since it had a fresh layer of oily wax, both inside and out. Do oil all my wooden recorders and native American flutes regularly to keep the woods stable.

[@rebeccacalloway7897]

After watching this, I was convinced I would go for boxwood. I got to try a bunch of models on Saturday and went with soprano in Palisander, alto in Grenadilla, and tenor in cherry. I guess you just never know until you try them out! And yes, I bought 3 recorders in one day, but there is no shop local to me so I was on a recorder buying vacation and saved up to get more than one since I can’t go frequently 😁

[@fcopaja]

I own the grenadilla Rottemburgh, and in love with it. Low G is a key note to look after; overtones just flourish there and is easier to notice differences.

[@szaboaz]

Same here. Those lower register especially could speak about love, life, passion, in the hand of a real artist. Which I'm not, but I like the fact that the possibility is there. My teacher always said to use more air on those to bring out the richness. One thing I didn't like is that the recorder holder box it came in, which is otherwise a quality piece and surely keeps the recorder safe, has a velvet like outer finish, which became a sticky black mess over the years. I hope they don't use that material anymore at Moeck.

[@simonlajcman4031]

I own the maple one and its my absolute favourite out of all

[@jerrykitich3318]

They all sound lovely Maybe Maple. Grenadilla is a tough wood to use. From chopping it down, to ageing. Watch a documentary on making clarinets to get the idea.

[@Lucas-pv3ov]

Sarah: A My brain: dont make this stupid joke My mouth: Ok My fingers typing: Is it 440 or 415?

[@Clara-c5q7j]

I chose a pearwood recorder and I'm in love with it. Lovely mix of mellow and sweet tones. Maple recorders sound too bright for me and the exotic woods I'm not keen on at all. I wish more brands would make intermediate instruments in plumwood as it's a lovely wood but difficult to buy. I just tend to enjoy fruitwoods more than the exotics.

[@kurtisburtis]

I thought I’d prefer one of the tropical woods, but ... I’m surprised to find how much I enjoyed the lightness of the maple, followed by olive. 🤔

[@mariusluciannicolae3109]

Please never stop posting, I love your videos

[@westsidebilling]

Sarah - your youtube lessons on the recorder are the best there is! This is very good information for those with excellent hearing, or serious students of the recorder (or both) IMO - for those with some tone deafness or with little time to play, a Yamaha plastic recorder will suffice nicely. My old YRS-24B has been going strong for 15 years, and requires very little maintenance.

[@bruceritchings5336]

To my ears, the softer the wood, the "rounder" the sound, and thus the more pleasing (to my ears). Maple is NOT a soft wood, in the relative range of woods---there are MUCH softer woods, but it seems (to my ears) that maple produces the most pleasing sound---could this be because I'm a Vermonter?.

[@Nanananaheyhey1]

I was so excited for this video. I just bought a tenor recorder in pear wood and I like the tone, however the low register is so quiet :/

[@justincronkright5025]

Out of all of them here & in a few choice other videoes I've found I actually like the Pear-Wood & the Maple. However, at least for Maples, how do they work with so many species around the world... Perhaps with a few choice other maples it could strengthen/diversify the tones. I assume that's unlikely for pear-wood though, but still your recorder sounds like a nice grab.

[@sleekoduck]

The Pear Wood was my favorite as well.

[@JoachimMink]

How loud the lower register of a tenor recorder sounds depends also on it length. Short tenors are not as loud as long tenors in the lower register. For example: The short Moeck Rondo tenor in maple is not as loud as the long Thomann tenor in plastic in the lower register. But it is more handy.

[@watzup62]

I'm no expert but the maple and pear wood recorders seemed a bit somber while the rosewood and grenadilla recorders seemed much more lively and focused. the rest seemed to be a good middle ground for tone with the olive wood recorder sounding a bit more versatile than the rest. The rosewood recorder had a sound quality that none of the others had though and it's hard to put my finger on exactly what that is but I like it. It is very apparent that the mood of a piece of music could really be enhanced by using the right tone wood with these instruments.

[@WolfyGreen]

My preference has moved to woods like Pear after years of restricting myself to Grenadilla. My Waldorf Edition tenor recorder in Pear is a delight to play with the band.

[@shkedov.b]

I own a palisander moeck rottenberg alto and it's aboslutely stellar

[@blauespony1013]

I hated the deeper notes on the flutes with the harder woods, but I liked the higher notes better on those flutes. So that would be my deciding factors. I think I liked the boxwood or palisander best.

[@lemonemmi]

I have a dirt cheap maple soprano, and I love it so much. It's factory made and out of tune, but the tone is amazing! It's my absolute favourite recorder, and it shows, at it's getting worn... I'm very happy I actually prefer the mellowness and meeker quality of the soft wood... As I couldn't justify buying an expensive hard wood instrument just for amateur use...

[@deezynar]

Take it to a person who can fix recorders. It can probably be made right as rain.

[@Clarionetist]

I just bought a Kung Superio in Pearwood from the Early Music Shop. The price is actually cheaper than listed if you are outside the EU since VAT is excluded. So a £300 recorder is actually £250 if you are not in the EU (divide by 1.2), which is about $305 in US dollars.

[@BlameItOnGreg]

I really liked the sound of the pear wood and the palisander.

[@wangzihao.]

When the wood gets darker, the more expensive it gets

[@jooikw]

So ebony is the most expensive one...

[@jitingzhang9623]

I bought the Granadill, absolut my best choice ever.

[@NickiMacB]

I have a mollenhauer pearwood recorder that I have to be honest I have had rather a love hate relationship with. I loved it when I first got it and chose it over instruments which were twice the price. But I have had to get it recorked after just 6 months as the joints became loose and thumb bushed as this wore down. It was regularly oiled but became hoarse and I just couldn’t play it. However I have recently had it recorded and wow what a difference- it is like a new instrument and plays exactly as I want- I just love it!

[@deenahansen5772]

Im curious as to why you oiled your pearwood recorder, I thought she said in the video that the maple and pearwoods did not need to be as they were coated with wax/paraffin.

[@jjf6257]

Thank you! This was informative, as your videos often are. But I still would like to try them all personally and feel the instrument, not just hear it. I think that's a common problem when choosing a new instrument and buying it online. This was a good start, anyway. You can hear the differences between the woods, and every instrument has different sound. Like a friend of mine says: anything made of wood is a unique product and you can see the soul of the artefact by using it.

[@Team_Recorder]

Exactly - two 'identical' recorders from the same wood can still be very different. I had this when trying out my tenor.. well if you're in the UK you can try their approval service! If not, you can give them an email and see if something can be sorted out!

[@mauriciolacruz]

I generally prefer denser things in life, they give me the sensation I'm holding more robust and better quality things in my hands. Hence, my vote (apart from its gorgeous sound) goes to grenadille.

[@zacharyprezotti6565]

I love your videos! You actually inspired me to take up the recorder! I always wanted to learn to play an instrument, and the recorder seems to suit me well. I got myself a plastic Yamaha soprano and actually got my husband an alto "flauta doce" as he calls it, and am trying to convince him to learn so we can play together! Haha Even though I am a very beginner, I enjoy watching all of your videos to see how I might sound if I keep with the recorder! Thank you! ❤️

[@Tvianne]

My absolute favourite is pearwood, and a distant second is olive wood. No third!

[@edwincancelii2917]

If you’re interested in a regular standard concert C flute, please buy the one with the low C foot joint.

[@bashisobsolete.pythonismyn6321]

In Oxford, the Ashmolean museum has some old flutes lined up. A couple of those are Brazilian and the types of wood are in the descriptions. This might be useful to woodwind musicians in humid climates.

[@AnnFBug]

I was holding my breath you would talk about the woods most of my recorders are made from. The boxwood came up (very interesting - where does Zapatero boxwood fit in with this?); grenadilla was there (it had to be the last one, didn’t it? But the one I was hoping might be plumwood turned out to be palisander, something I mistakenly thought was the same as rosewood. Ah well, I learned something new, even if the wood of my favourite recorders was missing. Any comments on plumwood?

[@Team_Recorder]

I think the Zapatero will be very similar to the Castello - both South American boxwood-like types if I'm not mistaken. Plumwood is a fruit wood rather than a tropical hardwood (like palisander), so I think it will be between the pear wood and palisander in terms of... everything :)

[@sarahhavillamelooliveira5825]

I loved rosewood and the second one

[@marie_171]

Thanks for the demonstration on the various wood for recorders. I have a maple basic recorder. The sound is so much better than the previous plastic recorder I owned. I just wish I had an F/F# key on my alto to reach the low note. I used to play oboe in the past and my oboe was grenadilla like most oboes. But I had the chance to try someone’s rosewood oboe and I just loved the sound. I agree that wood does make a different, especially when we’re the one playing the instrument.

[@Cadwaladr]

I think I liked the boxwood the best. It sounded good, but also I just like boxwood in general, my favourite set of chisels have boxwood handles.

[@leunghoiyeeflora]

Thank you, Sarah, for the video and all the advices!

[@14isaque08]

For me, the maple and pearwood recorders are a deal. The mapel sound more larger than higer and the Pearwood more soft and higer than maple. In the future, I will get the soprano recorder made in pearwood. Thank you Sarah, I'm brazilian and I love you!

[@drahomirmrva3855]

I liked the Pearwood and Olivewood the best.

[@grytshrt]

Hi Sarah! Love your videos. Thanks for this video, it was perfect! I was wondering if you could discuss or maybe demonstrate what is meant by the different qualities of timbre: bright, dark, warm, crisp, covered, reedy, clear, sweet, etc.? I have an idea, but would love to hear your thoughts on it, as so many woods or models are described in those terms? Thanks!

[@deezynar]

Boxwood is higher up the Janka Hardness scale than any of the others, except possibly the rosewood. And the uncertainty on that is because there are several varieties of rosewoods, each having slightly different characteristics. The palisander, and grenadilla, are both from the dalbergia family, meaning they are also rosewoods. Boxwood has a beautiful buttery look to it, and the grain is extremely tight, which means it turns very easily and smoothly. Its downside is the trees are relatively small, so it's like trying to get wood out of sticks. It is unpredictable, a high percentage of the cut wood warps, twists, and/or splits. Because of that, it's expensive. But the rosewoods are costly too.

[@jcortese3300]

Don't play recorder, but grenadilla is certainly a preferred wood for old-style flutes. I adore it -- the only thing better is Delrin, and that's just because it's so much easier to look after. I LOVE me a good Delrin flute.

[@pigeon4422]

I really like the pearl wood :)

[@theangelchannelofficial1734]

I like pearwood and palisander and grenadilla!

[@gblan]

I have a Stoecker made of rose wood from the East Indies, love it.

[@edwincancelii2917]

I’d pick the maple wood & the pearwood myself, even in the bigger & deeper recorders, because they’re both cheap. My favorite deeper recorders are: F alto, C tenor, F basset, C great bass & F contrabass. Those are my favorite deeper recorders.

[@shkedovb]

I own a palisander alto moeck rotenburg, it's fantastic!

[@BevMattocks]

Interesting. I have Mollenhauer pearwood (my 'work horse' dependable model) + Moeck Olive wood (Ok but really difficult to break in & not great on the top F & G but beautiful looking), palisander (warm & mellow, possibly my favourite) & grenadilla (confident & carrying - a true solo instrument).

[@mauriciolacruz]

*Soprano recorders in grenadilla wood:* I know of these soprano recorders made in grenadilla wood: - Moeck 4207 - Mollenhauer 5124 Any other maker / model out there being worth of consideration? Are there any cheaper ones that still maintain good quality (always in grenadilla)? Thank you! 😊👍🏻

[@edeka3]

Yamaha should have one I think

[@mauriciolacruz]

@@edeka3 Ohhh... I'll give a look! Thank you! 👍🏻

[@joelford94]

Oh man, I've never had an allergic reaction to a recorder, but I have to my students' playing.

[@phredqwatson]

Re allergies. A friend is allergic to the cedar used for the bloc in his rosewood Moeck. He put clear nail polish on it and has never had a problem since

[@LobkeSprenkeling]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@lovingalaska6088]

Nail polish is super toxic. They sell food grade lacquers, which is much better for something you are going to be putting into your mouth. :)

[@Ced77000]

I own 2 moeck grenadilla recorders, a soprano and a tenor. The soprano is very easy to play compared to the other soprano I have which is a Moeck boxwood. The tenor is very colorful and warm, although a bit heavy but it's worth it.

[@vivianleenet]

I think I have a new recorder crush. brb going to go buy a grenadilla recorder.

[@christophertsiliacos8958]

👏 Hi Sarah - I’m not in the woods by a long shot. 😲 All my recorders are exotic imports from the orient (made in Japan). But if I ever decide to go wood, I plan to purchase the Bentley and the Rolls Royce of all wooden recorders. You might have guessed. Drum roll please: the Mollenhuer DE-1101 soprano recorder by Jacob Denner. It’s the one that’s handcrafted from the finest wood indigenous to India and Sri Lanka - the one and only satinwood. As if you didn’t know. 😉 🎶

[@densjukeguden7358]

As a non recorder player, I'd say that Do and Re sound very gritty no matter the wood,while Mi sounds clean...?

[@TheNighthorn]

Sarah tried to push the sound to the limit. She wanted to know how loud the sound before gets cracking, especially the Do and Re because the lowest notes tend to be the softest and unstable.

[@Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan]

[analytics] Early Music Shop London. Very real thanks from a very real person from Michigan, USA.

[@RPSchonherr]

All the harder woods had a dissonant vibration at the low end of the scale. I went back and relistened to the maple and it was hardly noticeable.

[@silkenatterer4769]

As always Daphne and Bach for trying out recorders, love it :) Also a question: Does anyone have experience with recording recorders? It always sounds horrible on my phone (no surprise there) and I was thinking of buying a rather cheap microphone, but don't know which would be best for recorders. Does Sarah's video about microphones also apply if I don't want to amplify my sound, but to record it?

[@Team_Recorder]

Haha yes, always Daphne and Bach ;) Good point - my video on microphones was specifically for performance - recording is a whole different kettle of fish. I'll do a video on that at some point, when I can safely go to a studio and collaborate with an expert!

[@silkenatterer4769]

@@Team_Recorder Thanks a lot, I am definitely looking forward to it!

[@dangitdoodles]

As a saxophonist, I am absolutely curious as to how one does vibrato on a recorder! Is it the same as saxophone? Or is it don’t some completely different way? I completely love watching people who play different instruments to me!

[@isaiahbaggett5014]

Such a treat for composers. Thanks for great information!!!!

[@drgonzo305]

I don't know much about woodwind instruments but I build guitars and a good rule of thumb is the more dense the wood, the brighter the tone is going to be. Also there are a lot of different types of maple wood, regular maple, rock maple, sugar maple. The maple from the east coast of america is a pretty soft hard wood where the maple from the west coast is a really hard hardwood. Rosewoods are another group where there is alot of difference between them and some things that are called rosewood aren't actually rosewoods. Real brazilian rosewood will be extremely expensive since the cites accord banned the cultivation and export since it's been longer almost to extinction. That recorder doesn't look like real rosewood(maybe its sapwood) but it's far to light colored. It should be a dark rich red color. Mahogany is another wood were most of what your really getting is either sapele or african mahogany or okame. All african hardwoods that look like mahogany but real mahogany is from south america and has tight restrictions on what can be logged. I can't imagine the wood being as thick as it is would change the tone drastically since the sound isn't coming from the vibration of the wood but the airflow against it. I imagine the difference in tone will most come from the precision of manufacturing above all else, microns matter in this type of instrument. I wouldn't get too hung up on wood besides for looks. Try calling the wood and if you can hear a difference then maybe I'm wrong but if not I'd go for build quality of raw material

[@thomaschamberlin2485]

I wondered why you don't see cocobolo used for recorders. It is beautiful wood and is used for guitars and ukuleles as a tone wood. It turns out the earliest European recorders didn't use much tropical hardwood, mostly ebony. Then cocobolo was used and worked very well sonically, but was more highly allergenic than the other woods. Erik the Flutemaker makes a tin whistle from cocobolo, but uses a plastic mouthpiece. Even cocobolo knife handles have caused dermatitis so even fingering sound holes may be slightly risky for those prone to allergic reactions.

[@ariskazis4663]

Grenadila - Olive wood on top, easy! Next comes Rosewood.

[@MisterDavidBell]

I like Olivewood the most, it has such an appealing sound. Grenadilla is a close second. Rosewood and Palisander were on par followed by Pear wood then Maple. Don't know why, but I'm not particularly fond of the boxwoods lower register, so I'd probably avoid that wood if I ever invest in a wooden recorder.

[@urchincreature]

Having extreme and very mixed feelings about the use of rare woods; guess it's just the cultivated woods for me. Can customers make enquiries about wood harvesting? Particularly I prefer prunus woods, as this is what seems to have been used for making medieval recorders.

[@idraote]

Hello Sarah, this was another nice video. I have understood that I am one for the harder woods. Let's say from palisander up. This time, though, I didn't like grenadilla best. Olivewood and rosewood were those I liked most. My only qualm about rosewood is that it is an umbrella definition for several different types of trees coming from different parts of the world. And the one I get could sound different from the one I've heard. Were I to choose today, I'd go for the olivewood. It had a surprisingly fine sound to my ears.

[@jbloveday9538]

idraote Also, Rosewood is over-exploited and endangered and protected worldwide,so perhaps not a good choice from an environmental aspect. My husband has a Dolmetsch rosewood treble which we bought in 1987 from the Hazlemere workshop. It was adapted with a special key to fit his left hand which has half of his index finger missing from a childhood accident. We met Doctor Brian Blood when we bought it. It’s a lovely instrument. Sadly he also had a reaction to the wood of the block and as we had returned to NZ by the time he realised we could not go back to the workshop so after much thought and some trepidation he also varnished it with clear nail varnish and had no trouble after that.

[@Raxx777]

Interesting comparison- love this vid

[@gatozarin]

I loved the Rosewood and Boxwood recorders!!! "the *burning* questions" at the end 😂😂 btw your outfit is so good!

[@Hiroyuki_T]

Boxwood needed more attention tho because it warps. Other instruments still warps even it's aged longer than others

[@dg92900]

Thanks for all your hard work making great and informative videos. Funny too, often. You say here that a higher grade recorder in a cheaper wood is probably better than a lower grade model in a more expensive wood. In the "which wood recorder" video at the Aafab showroom you say the Aura student model could be good and the most expensive wood in that model is only 300 euros. Per your advice here shouldn't one choose the Aura Conservatorium in maple or pearwood over the student model in the tropical hardwood then? Thanks

[@jannbecker3399]

I play a palisander Rottenburgh alto myself. My impression is that there is more variation in timbre between open and forked fingered notes as you go up the "food chain." That fits well with unequal temperaments in which the keys with more accidentals have weirder triads (to use the technical expression.) If you aren't playing the c minor Telemann Fantasia you may not even like this.

[@jfthesixth8420]

Nice flute thanks for recording

[@shannon8220]

I’m looking at two different alto recorders for an intermediate for my husband. I have no knowledge about what’s best. Between a Aura BA alto and a vintage tenor moeck (don’t know anything else) which would you choose???

[@omnidragon713]

Rosewood or Olivewood was my favorite

[@davidbenefiel9289]

I bought a used Kung C-bass, and after knocking the block out, I found some the the roof of the windway was eaten away by mold or some other black infection. These instruments are made from a soft, light hardwood. Yikes. I assume the previous player put it away wet and/or lived in an unheated dwelling. Surprisingly, the sound is not much differrent from the other Kung C basses I play next near. Whew. A cautionary tale!! Let your instruments dry out after playing. Leave the case open to the air. Keep your instruments in a conditioned space. Keep your instruments clean and oiled!!

[@ronbutler6502]

Sarah I have a NOS Hohher The box does not tell the type of wood and I dont know what it is How do I tell what wood it is mode of...BTW I am 72 years old and enjoy playing and enjoy your instruction Tks

[@sincerelysandi]

I am interested In learning. Where is your necklace from? So gorgeous❤️

[@Team_Recorder]

Oh thanks! I have one of those really annoying answers that won’t help you… it was a gift from my ex girlfriend in like 2007, made by a local artist in Birmingham in the UK. Aside from that I don’t know!

[@argonwheatbelly637]

I like the Maple. It's bright. I like the Boxwood. It's warm and versatile. I like the Rosewood. It's extremely sensuous. I like them all, but those are the three I love.

[@marcelolopes3077]

Também quero ter uma coleção de flauta doce

[@ugrasdurmus8704]

thanks a lot for this great comparison video....

[@Katrca55]

Zapatero and Castello doesn't become boxwood even if continuously called boxwood. I will never understand why Moeck is mocking their customers by false names. European boxwood indeed is expensive, but very much used in recorders - not only was it historically used a lot, recorder maker today are making beautiful instruments of it; Ehlert, Li Virghi, Von Huene, Meyer... They all use it.

[@barthvapour]

I am going to be honest here... Despite listening with good headphones, I could hear almost no difference between them in the video except the grenadilla sounding slightly "brighter" and the boxwood sounding sort of "phlegmy" with more rough air noise and hiss, but only the second time it was played. I think the differences must be more obvious when heard in person.

[@Team_Recorder]

Yes that's true - and a huge difference is how to feel to play!

[@classicalmusiclover7903]

@@Team_Recorder Maybe you could re-record this with your new super-duper microphone

[@darrenate83]

been wondering their sound difference for a long time

[@krzysztofbednarek9485]

Super , I like it , Thank You .

[@Elkwoman46]

Greetings to you. Thank you so much for your videos...I am learning a lot. Thanks so much. I acquired a vintage wood tenor recorder, and watching this and another video you made, I can see or guess that mine has a lot of paraffin wax on it, especially around the mouthpiece and around the wood area that circles the block. I did not take the block out yet...but I am wondering...how should I clean this one, ---with this paraffin wax? Per your cleaning video, it is okay to use isopropyl alcohol on it? Or perhaps better to use hydrogen peroxide? I do not want to hurt anything, but I would like it to be hygienically clean enough to be comfortable to play it. Thank you so very much for your time. God bless you!

[@alexg.5850]

Talking about tropical hardwoods, is Teak used for any kind of woodwind instrument?

[@elinschulz9654]

Hi... i like the music you played wirh all of the instruments. It Sounds very good. I want to try to play it too. Whats the name of the piece of music you played?

[@Landy82c]

Play a happy or peaceful / motivation musical …. See which one is good

[@ОлегБобров-в7ъ]

Great video!

[@karenholzhauer-petterson1587]

Ok, you've just made my choice even more difficult! I was delighted when I saw this video, because I have narrowed down my search to a moeck rottenburgh, but I was still debating whether I should get the palissander or olivewood (or maybe even the rosewood). I want a warm and clean sound. I tried them both and couldn't choose yet. Now I am hearing the differences again and I think I have narrowed down the problem: they're both beautifully warm and clean, but the palissander tends more towards the warm side and the olive more towards the clean side. And I just can't decide which I like better. Any tips?

[@nonman3634]

@Karen Holzhauer-Petterson Listen to your heart.

[@ariskazis4663]

Olivewood called my heart for sure :)

[@SpillerWilliams]

When your head aches, which flute will comfort you the most? Get that one first. A recorder player is a multi-instrumentalist. Why not collect them both? Cheers!

[@stokiepeas]

I'm very interested in how the playing style or type of music can wear the instrument out faster? What was it about modern contemporary music that killed 3 recorded?

[@ArbitraryMind]

As far as woods are concerned, girth is important too.

[@edeka3]

Correct 😂

[@anthonymccarthy4164]

I remember with enormous affection a plum recorder I had, though it didn't last. Geesh, have the price of those Moeck recorders gone up. Yikes.

[@aetheralmeowstic2392]

The grenadilla one looks like a tiny clarinet.

[@ulysg]

Into the woods lala lala lala