Crafting Recorders: The von Huene Workshop, Inc.

Videography by Samuel Gossner. Music by Emily O'Brien, Michael O'Brien, and Sarah Cantor.
The von Huene Workshop, Inc. was founded in 1960 by Friedrich von Huene, a pioneer in the reproduction of historical woodwinds for over half a century. Born and raised in Germany, he emigrated to the US in 1948 and served as a flutist in the US Air Force. In 1956, he graduated from Bowdoin College (ME) and began a four year apprenticeship with the legendary flute maker Verne Q. Powell. He began producing his own recorders in 1960 and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1966 for a comparative study of historical woodwinds, becoming one of the first makers to produce copies of original 18th century recorders. Mr. von Huene designed the extraordinarily popular Rottenburgh recorders for Moeck as well as the first high-quality plastic recorders for Zen-On.
After a successful career as a professional chef, Patrick von Huene joined the von Huene Workshop as an apprentice in 1982. For more than a quarter century now, he has overseen production for the workshop and his craftsmanship and expertise are legendary. When not carving recorders, he enjoys exotic automobiles, fine cooking, and jazz.
Today the workshop is renowned for making some of the finest recorders available in the world. We are also the US repair agents for Moeck, Mollenhauer, Küng, Aafab and others. Patrick von Huene and Roy Sansom offer skilled repairs for all makes and models of recorders.
The Early Music Shop of New England was started in 1980 as the retail branch of the workshop. In addition to our own fine, handmade instruments, we stock a variety of recorders by Moeck, Mollenhauer, Küng, Yamaha and others, a wide selection of used instruments on consignment, accessories, and one of the largest stocks of books, facsimiles, and sheet music for recorders, viols, and other 'early' instruments in the US.
Find us online!
Website: www.vonhuene.com/
Facebook: / vonhuene
Instagram: / vonhueneworkshop
Twitter: / vonhuene

[@j.annsingleton6909]

This attention to detail is what makes me trust any of my instruments to their care.

[@albertnemiroff1502]

Thank you very much for the tour of your Workshop. Decades ago I had hoped to visit in person. This was most satisfactory. It ranks with my visit to ateliers of of artist model clarinets and piccolos.

[@danielwaitzman2118]

What a wonderful video! It brings back memories of my younger days-I cherish the recorders and one keyed-flute that Friedrich made for me. I am glad to see his meticulous artistry carried on by Patrick and his colleagues.

[@1DrBar]

This makes me think that we should pay more for fine instruments. Yesterday, before watching this I was thinking "how come these things are so expensive?" Now I'm thinking "Wow, we are lucky to be living in a world of such plenty.

[@vonhueneworkshopinc.2603]

Thanks for your perspective. It's difficult to price instruments, as most customers still wonder, "How come these things are so expensive?" It takes as much time and labor to make a soprano or sopranino recorder as it does an alto, but our instinct is to look at a sopranino and say, "Well it's so much smaller than an alto - why does it cost so much?" We try to juggle the cost of making an instrument against the public perception of value.

[@davidbenefiel9289]

Thank for taking the time to make this lovely video. Seeing the gun drill in action would have been fun. It was great to see the restoration of the contrabass, too. Bravo. Not a computer anywhere to be seen.

[@dilbertobs]

Wonderful! Thank you so much for this look behind the scenes.

[@anepictree]

What a fantastic workshop tour. Thank you for opening the door :-) regards from Peter in Paris France.

[@Michajeru]

This is a wonderful video and so informative for those of us who recorders.

[@anthonyallen2445]

Thank you for a great tour. I miss being able to visit the shop in person! You guys are the best!

[@uabpsab]

As a recorder maker myself I really appreciate how open you are about your practices, kudos! I got some ideas about changes in my own process. Thanks!

[@emmanuelperez9406]

Hi! do you have some soprano recorder plans to share? I made quenas from south america, and i want to make some recorders.

[@mellissadalby1402]

Real, honest to goodness, professionally made wooden Recorders sound SO MUCH better than what I was exposed to in High school music class. That Flamed Maple might be suitable for a violin back plate. Nice Lathe fixturing. I bet you need good lungs to play a contra bass recorder, I bet they require lots of wind, delivered smoothly for the duration of each note. I bet that is hard to do.

[@paulmeland2830]

Great video! Great job to Sam for his videography and narration!

[@alun7006]

Fascinating. Thank you!

[@francoisvillon1300]

Мне нравятся ящики из-под экспортной советской водки. Редкость! :)

[@tonyennis1787]

9:00 that's an old Craftsman (Atlas) lathe, made in the 70s perhaps. Cool that you're getting value from the old thing. The lathe at 11:30 is probably a 608 model.

[@cattaraugustonawanda4426]

As a retired machinist/modelmaker I find this quite interesting. Love the broaching machine ! Have to wonder if you ever considered CNC for some of the operations. Amazed to see this in the USA

[@GregAtlas]

How important is it to have the finger holes be circular? Can oval finger holes in either axis affect intonation? Partially asking because I'll be 3D designing and printing one in the near future and while I can drill/ream holes out to make sure it's the proper circular shape, many printers will sag a little bit if they are printing or bridging over an air gap, causing ovality in what is supposed to be circular holes unless it has a water droplet shape built into the design to help counter the sag.

[@maria.maruseva]

Thank you so much!!!!

[@1001myplaylist]

Absolutely incredible craftsmanship!! I have been searching for a recorder that is in 444hz. My plastic aulos is a 442. I would love a recorder in whole tone- most woodwind instruments in 444 or 432 are tribal flutes. They are beautiful, too, but a recorder in that tone would be a dream!! If you make them please let me know!! Thank you so much🎼🎶💐

[@JK-zq9vw]

I could use those warped pieces. I would love to be able to carve it down and use the warp so it has a different shape, and resembles an actual branch.

[@bashkillszombies]

If I was able to turn that long I'd be making muskets! :D

[@cliffpakiry4413]

Fortunately the East has mades flutes for decades without all this expensive machines and still doing.

[@janithw]

Apples and oranges, especially considering how a conical bore complicates things.

[@rfcrabindrflutecraft7771]

What is the name of tool that drills long hole.

[@jessegreen94]

Very nice

[@tedspens]

Put me in that wood storage with a lathe and I might never leave.

[@elyzsabethahne2116]

Please, I was wondering: are recorders ever made from any of the following types of wood: cherry, mahogany, and/or walnut? Thank you.

[@julialori4591]

I've heard they can be made from cherry!

[@juniorplay8742]

se fose para ter uma flauta de madeira seria quase reais uma nova.

[@fabioribasdeoliveira7221]

Alguém pode me indicar uma flauta sopranino de plástico que seja de boa marca?

[@vonHueneWorkshop]

Aulos or Yamaha - both are good.

[@everettamador9870]

Apple wood....I have heard of wood from Sour apple trees...

[@nickyork8901]

Please, please get that wood properly listed and decide what you are going to use and what could go to a good home. Lots of other people would be able to use what you don't need, and some of this stuff is far too precious to waste.

[@euhdink4501]

Time to free you respiration!

[@clubderunzensiertendichter]

It hurts to see this guy wearing useless spit-protection ...

[@ChickenPermissionOG]

your outside dude take the mask off.