NON-Yamaha cheap soprano baroque recorders

[bloke]

If you have taught elementary music and/or are a cheap recorder aficionado…

Specifically and only from these NOT-Yamaha brands of cheap plastic recorders, which one have you used that you liked OK?

Telleno

Lauren

Angel

Tudor

Cambridge

[iiipopes]

I know songflute is not on your list, but because of its ubiquity, I offer these comments.

Because of the split-fingered "f" note on a recorder, other relatively complex fingerings, and other reasons, including the fact that when I started band in the early 70's plastic recorders really were not available, and "real" recorders were so expensive, my band director started pre-band students on the old plastic Conn Songflutes, which are still being made. Conventional diatonic range: middle c to 4th line d with added f sharp and b flat.
Pros: easy to get a sound and learn the fingerings, cheap to purchase, don't have to tune a mouthpiece joint.
Cons: not fully chromatic, no upper octave as with a recorder, have to relearn fingerings when transitioning to conventional woodwinds, for example, the 3rd line b halfstep up to c: open a finger on a songflute; switch fingers or use the 2nd right hand side key on a saxophone; easy to overblow - but so is a recorder in the lower range without a good embouchure and measured breath support; no mouthpiece joint to tune to others.

All that said, I kept my songflute and taught myself how to force some of the other chromatic notes; but due to the physical characteristics, no way to get a next octave or otherwise expand the range.

[bloke]

I completely expected non-useful information right off the bat...

...including things such as "which types of bike tires are best for all-terrain riding", etc.

[DonO.]

Laurens are awful. Angels are pretty good. And I know you didn’t ask, but Aulos blows everyone else out of the water. Twice the price though.

[bloke]

yep...

I'm shopping for a gob of recorders (for a friend) ONLY in the "ketchup-priced" range...and out of one particular jobber's catalog.

Aulos is in there, but (as you already know) is Heinz-priced.

[MShores]

From that list, I have purchased Angel recorders for my students. They sounded fine but the clear plastic cases they came with ripped and fell apart almost instantly. I now use Harmony recorders because they come with a canvas drawstring bag. Playing characteristics were essentially the same. In tune enough for regular classroom instruction. And I’m a former middle school and high school band director that still teaches proper playing techniques so I pay attention to intonation.

Not sure if that helps.

[acemorgan]

I completely expected non-useful information right off the bat...

...including things such as "which types of bike tires are best for all-terrain riding", etc.

To properly address this, the real question is, "Does your peloton include a bass trombonist?" Otherwise, you're just guessing.

[Mary Ann]

Well, actually I prefer street tires on my bikes because I don't go off road with them.

[jtm]

I looked up some Aulos recorders, since I don't want a tenor recorder enough to buy a good wood one, and was intrigued to see that they also sell clip-on thumb rests. That must make it much easier to play when biking off road.

[sdloveless]

I completely expected non-useful information right off the bat...

...including things such as "which types of bike tires are best for all-terrain riding", etc.

The most useful non-useful information I can offer is: don't buy knobby tires. Just ride whatever bike you have with whatever tires are on it, even off road. Besides, the knobbies create a "hum" on pavement, which might not be in tune with your recorder.

[bloke]

I looked up some Aulos recorders, since I don't want a tenor recorder enough to buy a good wood one, and was intrigued to see that they also sell clip-on thumb rests. That must make it much easier to play when biking off road.

If that included a handlebar mount, it could double as an alarm-whistle...Just tilt fipple into the wind, whenever an urgent situation rears its head.