ERS-31BM

Most of us learn to play recorder on inexpensive plastic instruments. There is nothing wrong with that. Frankly some them (such as Eastar's own) sound and play amazingly well. -Far better than the plastic instruments of not too many years ago. But that said, there is nothing like the sound and feel of a well crafted wooden recorder. -Especially when playing the lower notes which can come almost alive with a sonorous bottom and sweet overtones. The hold back for many players -- the thing that has kept them using plastic instruments -- frankly has been the cost. But to my (and I expect many player's) amazement, even that is changing. This Eastar is made from solid maple. You see it and feel it even before you hear it. And it is thing of beauty. And yet the cost is very reasonable. The Eastar ERS-31M comes in a nicely fitted case. A case that also holds a cleaning rod (provided) with a soft head and a small container of sealing and protecting lubricant for the cork used where the three parts of the recorder attach to one-another. Oh, and that brings to mind another nice feature of the Eastar... It is a three piece unit -- and its lower bout rotates allowing for custom placement of the lowest hole allowing for correct placement for those with shorter or longer little fingers. (Once set, however, the two lower parts can remain as one even when the recorder is taken apart for storage.) Tuning and pitch on my example seemed pretty close to "right on." Although that depends in part on the player's technique. And those used to plastic instruments may have to get the feel for this (and other) wooden ones to assure clear notes free of 'lisps' when playing down low. Eventually every serious player starts to feel ready to upgrade to a wooden instrument. Now with the Eastar ERS-31M cost need not be so much a factor. Highly recommended.

I own a half dozen recorders. This is the one to get if you're getting a cheap recorder. It's much sweeter sounding than the "good" plastics such as the yamaha ecodear, the zen-on stansby jr, or the aulos haka. The only way you're going to get better sound is to go to a hybrid such as mollenhauer prima or dream recorder with plastic mouth piece and wood body. I can easily play low C up to high "E", which is 2 notes above the standard written range. I can play high C sharp without closing the bell and it's pretty close to being in tune. with fngering: X CXC CCCC where X is 80% covered tone hole leaving a crack and C is completely closed. I can do this because the tone holes on this recorder are spaced out more like a professional recorder, rather than being closer together like on most plastic recorders. Honestly, skip the plastic recorder unless you're getting a basic straight windway yamaha for a 5-7 year old or your child is playing in a school group and they all need the same basic yamaha or aulos. If your kid is 8 or up, get them this. If you are looking for a first recorder on a budget, get this. The Mollenhauers mentioned above (and some competitors by Moeck) basically cost the same or less than the top plastic already mentioned. In addition, for not much more than top plastic, you can get an all-wood recorder in maple or pear from Kung, Mollenhauer, Moeck, or a few other manufacturers. Visit antique sound woodshop or thomman usa Here is what to get at various price points: 5-7 year old child: Basic cheap Yamaha with straight windway, don't waste your money on anything nicer. Let them pick their color. $20 or less: Get this. If you wear it out, get another one. If you get a bad one, and you know it, send it back for an exchange. $40 or less: Mollenhauer Prima or Dream $100 or less: Entry level all wood from Kung, Mollenhauer, or Moeck.

I had a cheapo school issued recorder back when i was still in school, it was the beginning of my enjoyment of woodwinds. However that was many years ago, and i never bothered to get another recorder since, but since then i have started playing with other types of woodwinds, and instruments. I purchased this piece as a nostalgia piece and wasn't, expecting too much from such a low price instrument. Well i have been thoroughly surprised and pleased with the performance of this piece. The packaging was nice, the carry case is nice, not the best, but still very practical. Now for the instrument, well I actually haven't been able to put it down, the sound is much better than what I remember from the high shrill of my childhood school recorder. I have been enjoying the versatility and ease of play from the instrument. The fact that the recorder can be taken down to 3 pieces for cleaning is nice as well. The wood used seems to to stabilized, giving it a plastic like feel, but the look of the natural grain and the heft of the wood, make for a better play experience than the old plastic thing I used back in the day. I would recommend this to any beginner or dabbler.

I know when you buy these cheap Chinese instruments you're taking a gamble, and for most people I would recommend a similarly priced Yahama or Aulos plastic recorder to get started on. I had recently purchased a pocket trumpet from Eastar to toy with, not expecting anything out of it, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it played, so I thought I'd take a shot with this recorder as I already have and am planning to learn on a Yamaha alto model. Surprisingly the recorder I received is well tuned. The wood feels fine and the woodworking itself is mostly quality. The inside of the recorder was a little rough with some loose woodchips that were easily brushed out but this implies there isn't a ton of quality control going on as you'd expect, so if you do decide to buy one keep in mind you might have to make a return if you get one from a bad batch. I however have been pleasantly surprised with Eastar both times I've purchased instruments for them. I only bought them for fun and while they of course would not hold up against serious instruments in a performance setting they're good enough for practice and I wouldn't be ashamed to play them casually for other people. All in all it's a very attractive wooden recorder with a nice case that plays very easily and sounds at least as good as plastic recorders in the same price range. Definitely worth the price tag which is virtually nothing for a wooden recorder. Although it has some kind of varnish on it I think it will improve with oiling.

I am satisfied with my gift

UPDATE: Plays in tune and the hiss, that was once heard in the second octive is gone. I do not know how. Perhaps the wood just needed time, but this plays better than when I first bought it. I hadn't picked it up in a while and decided to give it another test run. It doesn't play sharp. All the notes are in tune. It sounds beautiful. It's not refined, but it's clean, clear, in tune, and a pleasure to play. It has good volume. I need to break it in slowly- but WOW! I enjoy playing this instrument again. Happy I kept it safe in its original protective case. 😃 ❤️ 🎶 ORIGINAL REVIEW: Now I can only give 3 stars because there is a hissing sound (like gas leaking) in the second octive, and it is a semitone sharp. You will have to adjust with softer air, (but the recorder is in tune with itself). The sound improves with regular care and oiling twice a year, depending on how often you practice. I thought this was good for me because I was not sure I was ready for the responsibility of a wooden recorder. If I messed this one up, it would not be the end of the world, and it's still in very good condition.Also it has been 3 years; perhaps there's been improvements to the instrument since my purchase. This recorder was the first instrument I have bought from the Eastar company. I have purchased 3 other instruments from Eastar since. All and all, I don't regret my purchase. It would be nice if Eastar made an alto recorder too.

Nice finish and price on this maple soprano. In tune. No cork grease included. I will be oiling 2x's a year.

Comparison reviews of 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.