Customer Reviews

Aulos A309A 3 Piece Alto Recorder

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stretching as hard as I can, my fingers are five inches from index to little finger. I can play the Aulos A309A 3 piece F alto comfortably.

I love this recorder! I had used a friend's Aulos and fell in love with it, so I bought my own. A slightly different model, I think I like this one better. It has a very clear tone and it speaks very well in all registers. The beauty of the lower range is what really makes this instrument sparkle.

The Aulos Alto is a finely crafted instrument for a beginner like me. I am very impressed with the tonality, and the ease with which to reach the key holes. IMHO, I made the right decision to purchase this instrument over the suprano ...If you are just starting out with the recorder, this is a very good instrument to go with.

I've had my Aulos 309 alto since the early 70s. It's modeled after a Coolsma custom instrument, and was the very first high-quality plastic instrument to come on the market. It has a wonderful depth to its tone that is rivaled by only a few other plastic recorders, such as the Yamaha 300 series. It's also very nimble in the upper registers; I have never played another kind of plastic alto, even the wonderful Yamaha 300s, that can hit the third octave F and G as cleanly, clearly, or reliably.

Its response compares very favorably to custom wood recorders, although the warmth and flexibility of its tone don't come close to matching that of the expensive, custom wood ones, like Prescotts or Boudreaus or Sorels or Morgans. This Aulos is far, far better than inexpensive wood recorders like Hohner or Adler, or any of the really crappy East German made ones from the 60s and 70s.

Anyone who buys an Aulos or Yamaha plastic alto is going to get their money's worth. Zenon is another maker of high-quality plastic recorders. I'd say that the Aulos 309 alto and the Yamaha 300 series altos are the best plastic alto recorders on the market. Don't waste any money on cheaper knock-offs like Peripole, Woodnote, Angel, Gill, LMI, or any of the other brands. They don't play well, and as beginning instruments they'll just provide a frustrating experience when it comes to getting a good tone out of them.

I recently heard a performance by a recorder consort which piqued my curiosity. The Aulos is an inexpensive, good looking entry. The tone is quite good, assuming I do my part. That is the area where I cannot evaluate the instrument. I have sometimes have problems getting my fingers in exactly the right position to get a clear sound in the correct register, with the precise breath control to stay on pitch. However, I think this may apply to all recorders and not the Aulos in particular.

This recorder is a great first recorder. It sounds very nice. When I first got it there were no problems, the recorder was flawless. This is my first recorder and I am already playing a few simple songs just 1 week after getting it. Overall I love the Aulos recorder, and I would recommend it highly.