As a result of watching this, I now own a Thomann bass recorder. I love this instrument SO much. I can't afford a Yamaha, and this definitely exceeded all expectations! Thank you so much for the review.
Very interested in a review of the Tenor! And a whole family review would also be sweet. Please mention how the finger stretches are vs. similar instruments. Thanks!
ENORMOUS VALIDATION, MY KEYS CLACK, THE F AND F SHARP ARE SO HARD, MY B IS WAY TOO SHARP TOO, I'M NOT GOING INSANE, THANK YOU SARAH!!! I still love it though. I like that woolly warm sound.
I am on a limited budget. Yes a review of all these instruments would be wonderful. Thank you so much. Enjoyed my Thanksgiving morning with this video so much. Have good days!
I've had mine for just over a year, and I bought a cheap model because I wasn't sure I would get into bass. Now I know I love bass, I'm planning to upgrade! However I've learned loads through using it so it was a good choice for me. Like Sarah I have to use different fingering for B and Bb to get it more in tune, but I haven't found that a huge problem. I've found it a really good value starter instrument.
I have owned a Thomann bass for five years, and remain quite pleased with it. The fingering chart supplied was definitely not tailored for the instrument, and I very soon settled on no right hand finger for Eb (confirmed by a website with charts for specific recorder models, can't remember address, sorry!) and top C# with all 3 LH fingers and the little finger of the RH rather than the forefinger. Keys still work properly, and seem to me less noisy than.some instruments. I tried the sling provided, but didn't take to it, and now play it with a cello-type spike, which works well for me. My hands are small - too small for most tenors - but everything is in easy reach on this instrument. I accept that the sound is on the airy side, but actually rather like it. The only thing that hasn't proved very durable is the zip on the case. Thanks, as ever, for your videos with their frank views, Sarah. Though I don't consider myself in the market for the rest of the Thomann range, I'd certainly be interested to hear your view on any or all of them.
I would add that the Yamaha really lasts for years, it just keeps on sounding good. It’s robust enough to stand the passing of time. My first Yamaha got a key problem after, perhaps, 20 years. I got another one but the father of the student I lent the old one to, actually fixed the old one. Now I have two perfectly fine Yamahas, of which the newer one does sound a bit better but the difference is subtle. I wouldn’t even get rid of the two Yamahas even though I also have the wooden Yamaha bass now. They just always come in handy, even if it’s for students. Probably they can last easily for another 20 years!
Lobke, I was thinking the same exact thing. While the Yamaha is noticeably more expensive an instrument is something that you'll use for years. Another thought is anytime a person tries to sell cheap things they usually take much more of a hit then when they try to sell good things. Last year when I decided to sell my Hasselblad medium format camera I had a buyer in two hours who was happy to pay the price I asked. Often times buying nice things ends up being the less expensive road in the long run. Thanks a million to Sarah for doing these wonderful videos.
I really would also like to see reviews of all Thomann recorders. I have re-started playreallycorder with an alto from Thomann because of it's price. And for that it was not bad. Later I bought a plastik yamaha and a wooden mollenhauer.
🎶A fingering chart!!! 🎶 This review came out between the time I ordered a plastic Yamaha basset and when my Yamaha arrived... it was with great trepidation that I clicked play to find out whether or not my money had been misplaced! I won’t spoil the end of this video for other viewers, though. Thank you, Sarah, for your reviews, and for all the other content you create; you’re my go-to resource when it comes to educating myself and sharing info with others about recorders!
I bought this recorder year before last for my birthday present to me from me and a book to help me learn. I got it as I was unsure how I would take to it. I have small hands, child size even though I am an adult in my 30s. I have baby fingers with bone missing that don't bend. I like the bass but as you said the keys make a load of noise, some muffling. But for me it made a good entry in level affordable bass, especially as at the time I was not working. I am now thank God.
@@emile_fa I would say for 9 plus years of age. But it’s length maybe too long for a child. I am 153cm tall, just over 5foot and when I go to play the lower notes I need to bend my body back a bit.
Yes, please - honest review of the full series! Please go on comparing with plastic Yamaha’s too. They make a good benchmark. Have you done anything about the Tribert series? Some people swear by them!
I bought this bass instrument when I was studying the recorder and couldn't afford a wooden instrument. It was new on the market and I had no comparison to the plastic Yamaha instrument. Now I use it for teaching and I think it's very handy. Since it's not expensive I leave it at the school and students can try it out. I try my best to make the intonation work with fingering and blowing technique. Of course I'd still love to have a wooden bass recorder for obvious reasons but I think it's also very practical for teaching. It's light and it's very easy to take it with me on public transport.
The text on screen "Tenor 29€ !" with an exclamation mark says all. Yes, a review would be very much appreciated! And thanks for this (and all other) videos!
I was looking at that bass recorder for a while, wondering if it'd be worth it, so thank you so much for this video! I kinda like the wooliness of the sound :) A video on the tenor recorder would be really welcome!
I own the Thoman bass recorder and play it in a professional rock band. Although the mechanics really are quite loud, our mixer doesn't complain about it and we don't have any issues with the tuning, either (and yes, our mixer has high standards!!). I can't judge if it would be different in an orchestra, but for what I do, it's definitely a nice instrument.
Thank you for this helpful review. I actually bought this bass recorder from Thomann some weeks ago. I agree with what you say about it. Mine fits together very tightly, so I only learned from your video that the head comes apart. Recorder is not my main instrument. I already owned a plastic alto, soprano and sopranino from Aulos. I hadn't played them in years and was motivated to start again after buying a transverse flute and a couple of bamboo flutes. I am now gradually switching over to wooden recorders. However, it's nice to have plastic ones for the convenience. I think the keys on the bass will eventually wear out or break and for frequent use, it would probably be better to invest in a better quality instrument, if possible. However, for occasional use or trying out the bass recorder to see if one likes it, the price makes it a good deal. Thomann is also very cooperative about returns, in case one really doesn't like it after having bought it. As of today (Dec. 10, 2022), it costs 119 €.
Hello Sarah, thank you for this review. A 99 Euro basset is bound to create expectations and it's quite useful to have your professional opinion on it. I don't know if it is me, but in the video the Thomann sounded a bit like your wooden basset - the latter has a much more attractive sound, though. The Yamaha is definitely better than the Thomann and apparently more phonogenic (is that even a word?) as it sounded more loud in my headphones than the other two. P.S. of course we need a review of the others, pretty please???
I'd absolutely love a bass recorder. I'm learning on a tenor (yamaha), but I feel the bass would not upset my neighbours as much. Knowing your opinion helps me to feel I may actually be able to afford it one day. Keep up the good work Sarah, we all love you! Yes - please review the others as well.
Ya know, for someone like myself who plays sax, clarinet and flute but occasionally likes to throw a recorder in, this would be perfect. I do completely hear what you’re saying about the woolly tone, but if it’s in a mix or used as a background instrument it probably wouldn’t matter much. As a solo instrument it definitely lacks in clarity, but for myself this might be the perfect option. Thanks for the honest review, and I would DEFINITELY like to see the others in this line.
I noticed the different fingering for the B flat on my Thomann the minute I first tried it (one finger less) and the tuning sounds perfect that way. I played my teacher's plastic Yamaha and did find the sound clearer, but not unlike an unsound clarinet. So on the whole I enjoy the Thomann, while being aware that naturally a good wooden bass sounds better!
We recently bought the Aulos A533B, mostly for the family to play around with, but also so I can get the practice, even though I don't generally have a problem just picking up a bass recorder and playing stuff on it. It's on the high end of the plastic recorders, but we wanted one that played with the blowing pipe, rather than a bend-neck one, because it's more comfortable for me (short person, small hands) and I can hold the bass at an angle to my body so that my right hand doesn't have to stretch as far. I have a bent-neck tenor, which is fine because of the smaller size, but I don't think I could handle the bent-neck bass. The Aulos sounds quite good. I've tested out wooden ones, trying to find one for myself, but I wasn't comfortable enough to plunk down that kind of money on something that if I wasn't 100% certain about it. I had tested a Moeck Flauto Rondo and Rottenburgh. I had also wanted to try the Denner, but the recorder place didn't have one available, and now that place is no longer local because the business got sold and moved to a different state. Those finger adjustments on the Thomann could be a huge issue for beginners, I think. I've tried to show people the alternate fingerings that make playing fast runs easier, and it's often hard for them to make the change, and also then go back to the regular fingering when that is more appropriate. The noise of the keys...that would really, really bother me. I'm kind of torn. The price point makes it so much more accessible for people, but the flaws could act as a deterrent to some.
I have had the Thomann bass for a couple of years, and Sarah's review reflects exactly my experiences. The Bb and Eb need slight sharpening, the B needs slight flattening, and yes indeed, it's breathy. It's also tricky getting the upper octave D to sound cleanly with the right combination of breath pressure and pinching, so for some pieces it's not my first choice. I noticed that in looks, it appears to be a near perfect clone of the Yamaha that a fellow player uses. It made me wonder if they come from the same production facility. In fact, when one of the keys on my Thomann failed, I had it repaired in London and it was a Yamaha key that was used to replace it. You can't tell by looking which key has been replaced! I found the head joint had a tendency to lock solid, and sometimes it was near impossible to disassemble it. Eventually I solved this by using a medium grade sandpaper on the joint, followed by a finer stage then an application of electronics-grade silicon grease, and it's been fine ever since. It's value for money, but the caveats are worth noting.
Having played clarinet in high school and then some sax many years ago and then losing my embouchure from lack of practice, I've been trying to get back into my plastic Yamaha bass recorder which I purchased about 20 years ago but basically kept on the shelf. One does need to focus and I am a guitar player but I also love the expression from wind instruments. I've been using a MIDI wind controller to supplement recording for years. What's my point? I just want to let people know that you can appreciate and enjoy the pros like Sarah and you can also dabble and do what you can and it's a beautiful thing, just making soft tones and doing what you can with it. I find the bass recorder has a very peaceful tone and forces me to concentrate on relaxed but controlled breathing which is very meditative - and I can make interesting sounds that I can sample and use in recording experiments. A bass recorder in an echoey stairwell is a beautiful thing. And then there are affect pedles! :) Cheers.
I bought a used Thomann Bass recorder for 60 € a while ago, I just wanted to try what it is like to play a bass recorder and I have lots of fun playing it on my own, so for that purpose I am really happy with it.
Thanks Sarah - I`ve just ordered my Thomann hearing the sound you got from it! I love the breathy mellow tone - It sounds closer to your professional wooden Yamaha than your plastic Yamaha - the tuning issues are about finding those alternatives - I found having a Kung Subbass and Kunath/Paetzold Sub contrabass that changinig certain fingerings to impove the tuning are all part of the excitement of discovering your instrument.
Hi Sarah, I bought one! Thanks for the review that encouraged me to jump. For me, your truthful review made me interested, and the 100 price-point made it doable. I am pleased with the sound, and it plays easily. Lowest notes are not finicky (like they are on my wooden tenor). Yes the keys clacked, but I added very small bits of felt and double-sided tape between the two bits of the keys, and the problem was solved! Now it plays without any clacking, and the slight change in height of the open position was not enough to alter the tuning. It is fun and truly worth 100. As to tuning, I've not noticed the issues you found, but then your ear is professional, and mine is anything but. Is it possible the tuning of low notes is a bit squishier (less noticeable) than high notes? Again, thanks Sarah, for a wonderful RU-vid site, and I wish you all the best this new year.
I just bought one, despite and thanks to your review here, Sarah. My main issue is not so much the sound of the lids, but the trouble I have to invest to blow the low C by pressing the side lids really hard. This will take practice on the one hand, but on the other hand, it should not be that kind of trouble when you are a semi-beginner like me. I stress semi-: I have had soprano lessons in my youth and this comes in quite handy to find the notes on the instrument on ear, again like you said when the fingering chart does not correspond completely with this particular instrument. Again, this should not be an issue after so many years that Thomann produced this instrument, when many reviews again and again complain about the same thing. THOMANN, please DO something about it by now. On the other hand: I am definitely positive on the notes that I CAN grasp and blow, the instrument has a beautiful full tone, especially when considering it is made from plastic. And for me it is a very useful addition to my recorder family and instruments in general with which I want to get my pupils their first introduction with playing music yourself. I already had very nice reactions from my pupils on my sopranino, soprano and alto, and with the tenor and now the garklein and this bass, I can present a fuller picture.
Thanks for this review of the Thomann bass recorder. I'm sure people will buy this just to check out whether the bass is for them. Another note--there isn't much music available for solo bass recorder. This is one reason I haven't played mine very much. Today's mail brought me 2 new publications for bass recorder by Aldo Bova from Lulu Press. The first: 32 Pieces for Bass Recorder--all composed by Aldo Bova. The second book is An Anthology of Music for Bass Recorder--pieces collected and arranged by Aldo Bova. It includes music by Gabrielli, Degli Antonii, Purcell, Rameau, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Mozart and others. Now I've got a good reason to get my bass out and play it.
I have a Thomann bass recorder and it has worked well for me. A professional player told me I was lucky because you need luck to get a good one. Sometimes they are not in tune or something and you have to send the instrument back to get a good one. But yes, with a bit of luck you can get a decent instrument with 99 euros.
Thank you for this review. Would you mind doing a video that compares the Yamaha 300 series plastic bass with the Aulos symphony series crook 533 and knick 521 bass? Besides the Thomman I believe these are the three starter/relatively inexpensive bass recorders in plastic/resin and it would be quite helpful.
Of course I would love an honest review on the whole series from Thomann! ^^ I agree with what you say. A better fingering chart would be soo helpfull for beginners. Better quality keys... but it will add to the price.
I briefly had the Thomann model, but ended up sending it back and getting a Yamaha instead. For me the sound was just way too airy, especially once I got into the high octave. I constantly felt like I was wasting air when playing on it in a way that a bass recorder shouldn't feel like. It's possible that I got a flawed specimen, though, because I've heard other players who didn't seem to have the same problem, yourself included. Thanks for a good video!
Thanks for this review. I bought one just over a year ago as I wanted bass recorder for a carol arrangement last Christmas. I was very impressed ... but to date, due to Covid ... I've only actually played eight notes on it in public. But I definitely like it and look forward to using it more in the future.
This recorder is $99 in the US. The Frederick basset is $106. The Woodnote basset used to be down at these prices but is now up to $170 - about the price of a clean used YRB-302B (when you can find one).
I got one and was really disappointed, mainly because some notes no matter the alternate fingerings I could use would never be in tune. The B/Bb was the issue for me too and I thought it was maybe just a bad recorder I got but seeing the same issue on yours I guess it is inherently an issue. The low B was impossible to tune for the reason you stated and also as you said I got this to play in a group (well, all me playing multitrack recording but still a group) so it was essentially unusable. I ordered a Yamaha because another store had it slightly less than normal price and the difference was notable. It’s very odd because when comparing the two it looks like they were made from the same molds in a factory down to the injection/mold holes so I don’t understand why the timing issues are there. The sound of the Yamaha is better too, but if they just fixed the tuning it wouldn’t be nearly as much of a disappointment. It’s like the Yamaha has some of the same issues to a much lesser extent, all able to be dealt with, and they are all magnified on the Thomann. I’m glad you made the video, though I wish I had seen it before I got mine, so that others can have a good expectation of what they are getting from the Thomann.
I have a wooden bass that I got quite cheaply (it was used and needed pad replacement) and I love the sound, but it is German fingering and it drives me batty for that reason. I then bought a Thomann bass and am utterly pleased with it.
A tipp regarding the es: I have a bass from Thomann too, but the one of YAMAHA (looks the same but is more expensive). They recommend to use 0 1 2 3 and 5 (instead of 0 1 2 3 4 (6) if that´s what you are used too like me )
Yes, please, review the entire range! I find the Yamaha plastic bassett to be worthy the extra money, the sound is much fuller and the Thomann is in my opinion too "airy" and unfocused in that regard. But I personally don't like "bent neck" instruments, so I've gone for hitting the piggy-bank and going for the Aulos Symphony "crook" model - But that's almost $ 500 and I even don't have that much time to dedicate to it, so I wouldn't always recommend the purchase.
My first guitar was one of the cheaper models (not the ultimately cheapest, but not expensive) at thomann (Living in their region, I actually went there). It was pretty good, actually. But there is a huge size difference between their guitar section and their other sections, so they probably also don't have that many recorder experts.
I recently bought the Thomann garklein and I was really surprised by it. Sounds nice and the tuning is allright. But I had to look up a fingeringchart from the internet because they included a standard ST-SnA chart...
Thanks for the very entertaining review! The only problem I see with your reviews is that you are such a good player you would make a PVC pipe with holes sound good! (actually, there may be an idea for a future video there, now that I think of it.)
Speaking of PVC pipes, Sarah has a video about how to make a recorder from a CARROT! Duet at 10:00. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-un5PoTBA9QA.html
I‘m so happy for you Wind players that you can get nice instruments for cheap 💕 I’m a string player and there is nothing like that, most likely because there is still a lot of elitism in this area :(
I don't know what you're talking about, tons of budget Chinese instruments have been flooding the market for two decades. You can get a violin for under $100 these days.
This was a great and constructive review. I'd love to see a review of their Sopranino. I picked up the small black Yahama one and I don't know if I'm just having issues with how much I should be blowing into it, but it has a kind of airy / raspy sound - especially in the first octave. It's probably more to do with what I am doing thought ha ha. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nice video Sarah :-) And next... Something about Thomann - Tenor? ;-) I have got Thomann TRT 31B and Aulos 211A tenors... and it's very different sound colour and physics.
@@maurmi I think, the Aulos 211. Thomann tenor has got louder low register, but some tones is sometimes out of tune with ,,classic" fingering. :-\ This tenor is good for playing some folk or medieval pieces, but for renaissance and baroque recorder repertoire i preffer the Aulos. :-)
Thanks so much for the review! I’ve been thinking of getting this instrument. I’ve had multiple hand injuries over the years and have limited stretch in my right hand. I don’t want to buy an expensive instrument and then not be able to play it. No one in my area sells anything other than soprano. I may give it a go!
I bought the Thomann bass and tenor recorders some years ago. I sent them straight back. Poor tuning, poor construction (cheap keys, sharp plastic moulding seams and burred screw heads) and a case for the bass with a broken zip. I then bit the bullet and bought the Yamaha bass and tenor instead. Hugely better and well worth the extra money.
