Interest in playing Baroque music at pitches that more nearly approximate those used in the early 18th century has led to a demand for woodwinds tuned to play at "low pitch," where A is 415 Hz instead of the modern standard of A=440.  In the case of alto recorders, a quick perusal of such instruments on the internet reveals that the least expensive starts at around $800, and the price spirals sharply up from there.  For many who want to join low pitch ensembles this expense is frequently prohibitive.  No manufacturer of molded plastic recorders produces an alto designed for A=415 Hz.

Robert's solution to the problem is to create a HYBRID recorder incorporating parts from the excellent Yamaha YRA-312B.  He chose this instrument because of its fine, high-resistance voicing, and because of its low susceptibility to blocking from moisture in the windway.  An incidental advantage is that it is available colored and textured to imitate "rosewood."  The most difficult and time-consuming work in making a recorder, the carving of the windway and edge, the fitting of the block, the voicing, and the decorative turnery, are thereby eliminated.  He bores out the plastic head joint and enlarges its socket.  He fills the holes in the foot joint, adds others in a different place, and reams the bore to a new profile.  He discards the center section and makes a new one of rosewood, then tunes it by enlarging and undercutting the tone holes.  The new bore of this recorder is that of the very successful Bressan alto copy I made in the late 1970's, slightly modified to bring the pitch up from A=405 to 415 Hz.  The fingering system is English (modern Baroque), with double holes provided for f# and g#.  The result is a recorder with a beautiful tone, fully responsive over its entire range, and exhibiting very good intonation.

The compromises involved in producing such an inexpensive instrument are almost entirely cosmetic.  The filled holes in the foot joint are obvious, but in use they are turned toward the performer and are not visible when playing.  Also invisible in use, a portion of the lower tenon is slightly cut away to allow the new holes in the foot joint to enter the bore at the correct location.  The center section is a bit too long to perfectly balance the visual proportions of the rest of the instrument.  The most obvious problem has been a color mismatch between wood and plastic.  His first instruments were made of Honduran Rosewood which is usually a brown that does not harmonize well with the "rosewood" finish of the plastic head and foot joints.  He now offers a center section made from reddish-brown Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa).  A freshly cut surface of Cocobolo darkens rapidly, and the result is a near perfect match to the "rosewood" recorder parts, as shown by the lower instrument in the illustration.  It must be noted that of all the true rosewoods, Cocobolo is the most allergenic, but contact dermatitis from simply handling it is quite rare.  Allergic reactions more usually result from breathing the dust while working the wood.  To further reduce the possibility of irritation, he finishes the wood with Carnauba wax, which prevents direct contact and is easily renewable should it wear off.  For those who are nonetheless wary of Cocobolo, he also offers Cochen Rosewood (Dalbergia cochinchinensis, common name "Flamewood"), a reasonable visual alternative as illustrated by the upper instrument.  Flamewood is sometimes quite dark, but more typical is the piece shown here, which has as much of an orange cast and is as light as any he has seen.  For anyone who purchases a Cocobolo instrument and then during the first year of possession experiences an allergic reaction to it, he will replace the center section with one of Cochen Rosewood free of charge.  He has not been able to discern a consistant difference in tonal quality or moisture resistance between the two woods--they are both excellent.

A distinct advantage of this instrument's design is that it may be played upon indefinitely without danger of waterlogging the block and windway, or of cracking the headjoint.  Thus, while it is an excellent recorder in its own right, it may also serve as a practice instrument for those who already own a fine low pitch recorder they wish to preserve as much as is possible.  At the end of a series of rehearsals or of an intensive workshop it is all too common to find one's instrument so wet and the voicing so changed that it is unplayable in the final performance.  The hybrid low-pitch alto offered here makes it possible to overcome such difficulties with a relatively modest outlay.