YAMAHA YRA-312B Recorder - Alto baroque fingering, simulated rosewood with white trim

I bought this as a back-up to my mollenhauer prima alto recorder (which has a plastic head joint and wooden body although, not as sensitive as a completely wooden recorder it can still be sensitive to heat).Positives- sound: warm and mellow with the Yamaha slightly quieter in comparison on the lowest notes than my other alto but, really hardly noticeable.- nicely in tune- attractive appearance (photographs on the listing are accurate)- comfortable to hold (matt finish means that it doesn't slip out of your hands)- nicely packaged- well made and feels robustNegative- clogs quickly - this was really frustrating to begin with however, I have become much more used to this. Warming the head joint and sucking out the moisture does help. As it no longer bothers me I haven't knocked a star off for this.Overall well worth the price.

The media could not be loaded. I have 5 wooden treble recorders but decided to buy a good plastic treble for everyday use, when the wooden recorders need to dry out, etc. And also because sometimes you just want something that's easy to play, that you can trust to get ALL the top notes effortlessly, that doesn't clog too badly and which requires minimal maintenance. After some research I decided to go for this one, although I'm not keen on the colour!!! However it plays like a dream, with a clean, crisp, bright tone that is quite wonderful. Effortless! It compared really well to my wood recorders - difficult to tell the difference sometimes. (But I do not like the colour.)

Purchased this today and had a good play on it. I can read music but like to play by ear mostly. Flute (recorder) has a nice enough tone and is a full eight hole octave, in the normal British fingering Baroque Style with the handy half holes which is used by schools, music colleges, universities etc. It is of a sturdy, well made construction, rather like the Aulios but unlike other makes, this comes in a nice cheery cream colour, which makes a pleasant change to your usual dark tones.Accessories are a zipper fabric ‘protection case’ along with a fingering chart, tub of joint lube - which is obviously vaseline ! - a plastic cleaning rod, joint protection spacers and a contact list of Yamaha global head offices.Dropped a star cos it clogs quite easily which can affect sound quality, but that’s what you have to expect with plastic and for this price range. More expensive ones are more refined and don’t clog so easily, neither do the wooden ones; but bear in mind wood is harder to clean. If it’s an issue for you and you need to play reliably for longer periods of time, then it’s best to spend double this price at least.I’m happy enough with mine though, as it goes the distance for me before clogging (about half an hour) and serves its purpose. Comfortable for a teenager/adult to hold with an average to small handspan and easy enough to get your fingers around. I originally learned recorder in the typical key of C and this starts in F but it was surprisingly easy to make the adjustment AND I much prefer the Alto to those squeaky school Sopranos!!

I really like this - it has a nice tone. Not being an expert I can't comment further. I like the wood effect.

I decided to try the alto recorder in place of my lovely flute which I have had to stop playing because of pain in my shoulders and hands from holding it up. I wanted the ecodear recorder because of the materials it is made from and I had seen a few videos showing that it makes a lovely sound.I received my recorder yesterday and have been happily learning how to play it since then. Low notes are a little tricky but I expect that is perhaps a recorder foible rather than just this particular instrument. It's easy to pick up and play and I really like the way it sounds. It does seem to collect condensation but no more than my flute did and it's easy to sort so you can keep playing. The recorder is a much overlooked and really versatile instrument and I can't wait to learn more. And you can't fault the eco credentials!

The tone of this recorder is generally good but the sound isn't very loud compared to some other recorders, even on other starter instruments. It's more of an effort to get a louder and clearer sound and tends to stay on the more mellow side. That is fine for the more quiet pieces, but if you want more volume it doesn't quite measure up. Also it sometimes sounds somewhat thin and lacking in fullness.

I got this to start learning an alto. The tone is nice and its relatively easy to make a note from it, but the lower notes do require a lot of precise breath control, and on the low F and G dont bother tonguing at all. I like it cos its easy to clean as well, just run it under a tap with a bit of washing up liquid and leave to dry. Overall I would recommend it.

I thought long and hard about getting a wooden up-market recorder but decided to go for the yamaha alto, I bought the descant as well but haven't played it much as I love the tone of the alto. It is such good value and sounds like a top notch instrument to me, it plays well above my skill level and will suit until I just want a nicer looking instrument, not that there is anything wrong with the wood grain effect plastic, and so easy to maintain.