I hope it is the right place to ask this. I am considering getting a wooden tenor recorder, and trying to decide between Mollenhauer and Johannes Adler. Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Is Adler (the old E. German firm) still in business? Mollenhauer is top drawer.
MTGuru is correct that Adler no longer makes or sells instruments.
Additionally, these instruments are at opposite ends of the quality spectrum. The Adler instrument will be entry level at best - notoriously unstable at the bell note and intonation problems with the high notes. The least expensive Mollenhauer will give you many years of enjoyment.
good luck,
ecohawk
Mollenhauer are good, also take a look on Moeck, another very good brand for recorders.
Woodbrass.com has some really good prices, but I don’t know if buying from USA is convenient:
http://www.woodbrass.com/en/wind+instruments/recorders/tenor+recorders?page=1&sort=4a
Mollenhauer make instruments at many different quality and price points. Their cheapest descant, the “Swing”, is nearly as bad as anything Adler made. I’ve never tried one of their tenors but I don’t believe the brand name alone would tell you enough about what you were getting.
Moeck stuff tends to be “get what you pay for” - they’re the most mechanized, automated and quality-controlled operation in the wooden recorder business. I find their instruments tend to be a bit characterless.
I have three wooden tenors - a 25-year-old Kung in palisander (like their “Classica” now, I think), a Zen-On in sycamore, and a Hopf/Kobliczek renaissance in maple with fontanelle. I use the Zen-On the most, mainly because it’s the lightest. The Kung has the sound I like most and is the most responsive.
Look at the Saunders Recorders site for some useful comparative reviews and sound samples.
Thank you all! I will do some “homework” now, reading and comparing.