Customer Reviews

Yamaha 20-Series 3-Piece F-Alto Recorder (Ivory)

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I own a 20-series Yamaha alto and want to upgrade to a 302 or 304. It's a few extra dollars but the sound quality is supposed to be much better.

The 20 alto is fine for an advanced beginner who wants to move beyond soprano recorder, but be warned that the upper notes are not the strongest or sweetest sounding.

The 302 Yamahas also seem to have fewer problems with moisture that clogs the windway and ruins the tone quality.

I ordered this recorder based on several recommendations and while I intend to use it to learn to play, I would be very happy to have a better recorder some day. There is something about resin in the hand that just doesn't feel right; wood has a vibrancy that I think resin lacks. The tone seems to wobble and waver in an erratic manner that I think is more related to moisture buildup than my lack of finesse; however, the lower notes are pleasant. The higher notes have a child's toy whistle quality I find unpleasant. Mine came in a light blue canvas bag, unlike what the product description said. Small children might find it difficult to reach the holes as they seem to be spaced apart for an adult hand.

I am a real recorder player. A soprano recorder is a simple instrument that can only hit the easy notes, but the alto is useful for some of the lower songs. I advise you to buy the soprano recorder first, then after years of practice on the soprano recorder you might be ready to try out the big one (alto recorder). This one is made out of ivory and has really good fingering plus extra holes for low notes. If your a recorder player and you have no alto. Buy this one.