Yamaha YRS-402B Soprano Recorder, Ecodear plastic, Key of C

I give it five stars because amazon asked if it was easy to learn, for beginners, and had the value for the money. I think all of those are five stars. This is definitely something a beginner could pick up and trust that they're not learning bad habits because of a poorly manufactured instrument, and the sound is nice enough to want to play it. But that's not to say I think it's the best soprano recorder. It's in tune and it plays nicely, but it still leaves something to be desired in the sound. I'm not quite sure what it is. Maybe a nasaly sound, or slightly shrill. Some sort of pressurized sound, I guess. Yamaha tends this way I've noticed in their higher registers. I much prefer the aulos robin for this reason, but this recorder is good for what it is. I purchased it for my 9 year old son who said he wanted to learn, and as we home school and it was for third grade, it seemed appropriate. It easily sounds ten times better than those recorders the kids often get in public school, or what we had as kids in school. For the price, and depending on the purpose, I definitely recommend this recorder. If you are more professional and play the recorder passionately, I think you can find something with a little sweeter of a tone elsewhere. Depends on what you need.

Excellent recorder! As you can see by the images, it's a more refined recorder than the basic student recorder. Slightly more slender. Slightly shorter by 1/4". Arched windway. Eco friendly Ecodear plastic with more density that projects a more wood-like and mellow tone. The 3 lowest holes are spaced slightly closer for better playability. Overall, it has a more refined and elegant look to it. The colors are a nice change from the typical seggshell white or dark brown. One thing I would like to see is a short pouch and dust caps like the alto version comes with. As is, The pouch is full length for a fully assembled recorder. I would have preferred a takedown pocket sized case. I also purchased the alto 402B. Love it, and highly recommend it! These Ecodear recorders are a definite buy! I would REALLY love to see a sopranino and Garklein version! Are you listening Yamaha?

I just received my Yamaha YRS-402B today . Wow , it's really nice . This recorder sounds better than my other Yamaha plastic recorders . The material is denser , giving it a fuller and smoother sound . Compared to my Mollenhauer Dream all plastic soprano ( a bit more expensive ) , I can't decide which one I like better . They both have advantages over each other . This Yamaha is a great musical instrument . It is very rugged , looks great , and performs better than most plastic sopranos . The goldenrod color of the 400 series eco dear plastic makes them a bit unusual . I like that . It's not the typical run-of-the-mill look or sound . I highly recommend this quality instrument to beginners or pros . It's a Yamaha !

Comparison reviews for baroque soprano recorders: Yamaha YRS-402B, 3 pieces (Ecodear PLA) [shown on left/top in pictures] Curved windway, integrated block, reliable quality control This is a good plastic recorder which is noticeably less shrill than the cheaper models. All accidentals are in tune and second octave is easy to produce although it can get some shrill overtones if you over blow. Yamahas are tuned to reference pitch A=444Hz so it will sound very sharp compared to some instruments. If you're trying to match A=440Hz you'll find you need to keep your breath pressure very low or pull out the head joint. Pros: low maintenance, easy to clean, durable, less sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Cons: still sounds more “plastic-y” than real wood, windway gets clogged with condensation much more quickly than wooden windway. Eastar ERS-31BM, 3 pieces (Maple) [shown in middle in pictures] Straight windway, removable block, quality control issues For its price, this wood recorder is decent with some caveats. Soft woods like maple are usually impregnated with paraffin and I believe that's true with this instrument. There's lots of waxy substance in crevices you can scrape away with your fingernail. Very tight joints. The finish is thick and uneven in spots; pale patches also appeared on the mouthpiece as I played it in. The “playing in” process is very important; tuning on accidentals was definitely better after 3 weeks. The block appeared slightly crooked when it first arrived but, again, has improved with playing. I can’t find any documentation about the reference pitch but it’s lower than my other recorders. Requires a lot of air to be in tune at A=440Hz, especially if you’re used to plastic recorders. Be prepared to take some fine/extra fine sandpaper to it to give it the finishing work that should have been done in the factory (I sanded the bore of the body and foot, the finger holes, and the ends of both joints.) Pros: nice “woody” sound, affordable. Cons: quality control issues with finishing and tuning, more fragile than plastic, must be “played in” to prevent cracking and to improve tuning, sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, requires more maintenance than plastic. Hohner B9560, 2 pieces (Pear) [shown on right/bottom in pictures] Straight windway, removable block, good quality In this price range ($20-40 US), this is a fabulous recorder. The natural finish on the wood is satiny and smooth. Tuning on accidentals is quite good even before being “played in.” Manual says it’s tuned to reference pitch A=442Hz. Easy to get the second octave to sing. Mouthpiece is thinner than I’m used to, and I have to make adjustments so that my bottom lip doesn’t block the windway. Relatively loose joint. Pinky finger not adjustable because it’s only 2 pieces. My only complaint is that Hohner doesn’t list the model numbers on their website, and they seem to have changed numbers or have multiple numbers for the same model. I got the pear with natural finish, but they also have pear with dark finish or maple with natural finish. Pros: nice “woody” sound, good tuning, good quality control, affordable. Cons: more fragile than plastic (the mouth edge of the block looks like it would be very easy to damage), must be “played in” to prevent cracking, sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, requires more maintenance than plastic.

I am an elementary teacher who has never learned to play the recorder. I decided last year, I would like to begin teaching it to my 4th graders, and so, it was time for me to learn. I knew I wanted a plastic recorder because it will be used at school and needs to be fairly indestructible, and I didn't want to spend a fortune. This model piqued my interest because of the eco-friendiness of the materials and production. Also, Yamaha is a trusted name in school instruments, this would not be simply a toy. I knew I wanted to teach Baroque fingering, and I knew I wanted a curved windway for better intonation. So, after watching a few online reviews that agreed this would be a great model for an adult beginner, I bought it. I have been pleasantly surprised by it's quality! It is easier to play pleasing tones in tune on this than on another cheap "toy" style recorder that had been left behind in my classroom by a previous teacher. With this and my online music ed curriculum that I'll be using with my students, my playing has progressed nicely over the summer break and I'm feeling comfortable, confident, and excited as we approach the school year

The Yamaha recorders made out of premium, plant-based plastic work a little better. The plastic is a little more dense. I don't know if that is really the specific reason why they work better, but they do. The same recorder mold in standard plastic is much less playable. Maybe the tooling is in better condition for the premium plastic assembly line because less of them are made. Under careful scrutiny, the YRS-402B is much easier to play in tune and not overblow the lowest notes than the YRS-302BIII. The YRS-302BIII is the standard plastic version. I wish the YRS-402B wasn't yellow, though.

Comes with recorder cream, case, fingering chart, optional thumb rest, stick for cleaning and feels good in the hand. Case is nice quality even if it is a bright green…maybe that helps in finding it when it’s misplaced… Been playing it for 4-5 days and I find the sound quality good. The quality makes it easier to play than a ~super~ cheap recorder we had lying around. I’m a adult beginner with 12 years previous musical training, though a complete beginner could enjoy this too, but I’d recommend method books (I got Suzuki here on Amazon and am happy with them). I’m really pleased with the quality. The plant-based plastic is pretty neat too. Oh because I don’t read Japanese, I did have to use google lens to figure out what the insert was saying…which is also why I think I put the thumb rest on upside down (pic - that’s my work, it doesn’t come like that!). Works great anyway. I do wish there were a nice wood-look one or even just black. The current plastic feels very nice to the touch though — very smooth and shiny. Highly recommend for serious musical study or for just trying it out at any age.

I ordered this recorder and the YRS-314B in Ebony finish. This one is squeaky to my ears. The ecodear is supposedly warmer sounding but I did not find that to be true. The YRS-314B however, sounds pure and clean. I am returning the ecodear and keeping the 314B.

El mejor modelo en cuanto a relación calidad/precio. Viene con su estuche de tela, limpiado y crema para la unión de las piezas.

I love the product.... much better than my old recorder ... both the upper and lower registers sound good.....

Flauta muito bem construída tem um som bem mais doce e afinado que as flautas de resina normal sem dúvida é a melhor flauta de resina que toquei

Wonderful soprano recorder. The high notes are clear and easy to hit. I've several wooden recorders and this is not behind them in quality sound. I heard good reviews of the ecodear line, and they're correct. Good quality for a amazing price. After it arrived I played Morrison jig and was super pleasant the sound even without warming the instrument.

El sonido producido por esta flauta es un poco mejor a las flautas estándar de Yamaha, pero no alcanza la calidad de sonido de las flautas dulce de madera. Lo anterior, lo considero normal. Esta flauta es un buen producto.