Jens Christian Claussen (claussen@theo-physik.uni-kiel.de)

Recorders...

Makers of Greatbass (and Subbass and other) recorders (please mail to me more suggestions)

Koblicek (Christoph Hammann): Renaissance Greatbasses and Subbasses, in maple, bubinga The tenor, bass, and Greatbass instruments in maple I have checked were very fine.
Knick-Greatbass (semi-baroque): Great instrument, made of Haldu wood and therefore seems to be as light as a knickbass, easy to play. Fingering is more similar to german fingering than baroque fingering; ask the maker for a fingering chart before ordering. Strong but soft tone.
- This is the only knick-greatbass I ever heard of. -
Kung (bubinga and palisander): Greatbass and Subbass (Subbass with g/gis, but without fis) modern/baroque (Classics series)
new designed: Excellent Knick Greatbass (extends the Superio series)
Paetzold, Germany (square plywood construction, even sub-subbass in C and sub³bass in FF) Paetzold (Page of Bill Lazar)
Ulf Roessler (former Heinz Roessler), Postfach 1648, D-25746 Heide, Germany, +49-481-5360 (in bubinga and palisander) (also subbass in bubinga) (no low fis on the subbass)
(Unfortunately this workshop is closed now. A lot of used instruments are around. For service, you may contact Mollenhauer, as they have a collection of remaining original parts).
Ture Bergstrøm, Præstø, Denmark (renaissance recorders): Greatbass in C and B, Subbass in F (even as one-part instruments)
(Unfortunately no production at the moment - few used recorders to be found).
Mollenhauer Kynseker Quartbass (Greatbass in C): This is the largest instrument of the fine Kynseker series. Bass and Greatbass in maple, Garklein to tenor in maple and plumwood.
Dolmetsch
Dolmetsch: Their baroque Stanesby series has a greatbass, but no subbass. They now have started a Millenium series, which are square basses like those from Paetzold, but are announced to be high-end instruments. The Greatbass and Subbass (F) are now available; sub-subbass (C) and sub-sub-subbass (in F again) are planned, look at the Dolmetsch page for further news, as the series is in progress.
A. Breukink: sub-subbass (in "B flat"?!?) length 3.5-4m, renaissance. Unique instrument, largest recorder ever made.

Recorder sizes
Garklein c''' (piccolo recorder)	Smallest recorder size; one octave above soprano. No double holes. Garklein (german: very tiny) recorders have been built in renaissance; and again today to extend the consort range above sopranino. In this size recorder playing becomes a bit difficult.
Sopranino f'' (or g'')	This is the size that is commonly used for the famous Brandenburg Concerto of J.S. Bach (although it is not clear what instrument was used at Bachs time!)
Sopran c''	This is what you surely know from school! The soprano recorder has a frequency range that may be rather painful to the human ear... There are also soprano recorders in b^b and d, but these are really special. The soprano in b^b is made to play together with or instead of a clarinet, e.g. in folk music.
Alto f' Alto g''	The alto recorder is the standard size of solo recorder of baroque music: One or two alto recorders with or without basso continuo.
Tenor c' Voice flute d'	This is the real beginner instrument for grown-ups if you can afford it. And if your fingers are long enough! If not, there are keyed instruments and knick tenors.
Bass f Bass g	Length 90cm. Usually direct-blown, but also bocal-blown and knick-bass constructions are available. A bass recorder needs already more air than the smaller instruments. Also you have to learn both bass clef and transposition to F...
Greatbass c (or B^b)	Usually bocal-blown, sometimes direct-blown possible; one knick-greatbass constuction (Kobliczek)
Subbass F	Usually the lowest instrument in renaissance consort. Length is approx. 1.8m and the instrument is always bocal-blown.
Sub-Subbass C (or BB^b)	Renaissance-style (3m length) and modern square-bass
Sub-Sub-Subbass FF (or EE^b)	Renaissance-style (3.8 ? m length) There is one unique instrument made by Adriana Breukink Paetzold now also offers a square bass at that size.

Further links to recorder and Early Music Information

The Recorder Home Page of Nicholas S. Lander with a list of Makers of recorders
Used recorders: Mollenhauer, EMS (UK), Hobglobin (UK) Schäfer (D)
We play recorders by Mollenhauer (Kynseker), R"ossler, Kung, Zen-On (bass 5500B cherry), and Fehr.
Fingering the recorder: Look at Landers or Dolmetsch
Early Music FAQ
Antique Sound Workshop, Ltd. 70 Lakewood Drive, Plymouth, MA 02360, U. S. A. (aswltd@capecod.net)
Dolmetsch
MusicTex

Some interesting new instrument developments:

bell recorder/ Trichterflöte:
-needs JavaScript enabled- Adler-Heinrich Blockflötenbau GmbH, Postfach 10142, Pestalozzistraße 25, 08258 Markneukirchen, Germany, (037422) 2070
The harmonic tenor recorder
Paetzold square bass recorder: a family of bass (F), greatbass (C), subbass (F) and sub-subbass (C) recorders: plywood (Sperrholz) made like organ pipes. Completely new instruments, but maybe an alternative instrument where renaissance and baroque instruments came to limitations.