Martin Wenner Recorders

J. M. Anciuti	This alto recorder is dated 1717 and plays at A=440, so we can reconstruct it in boxwood without any changes.	Alto A440	Maracaibo boxwood	$1813
			European boxwood	$2114
Pierre Bressan	Pierre Jaillard Bressan (1663-1731) moved from France to England in 1688 and established himself in London, where he mainly made recorders. His instruments tended to have thick ivory mounts which he fastened onto his recorders after applying the golden ratio to cut them. Preserved original Bressan recorders can be found in many English museums, but also among the collection of Frans Bruggen, Amsterdam, on which our copy is modeled. Bruggen used the original on numerous recordings which are still a delight to hear today. We make these recorders at a pitch of A=415. The pitch of the original is somewhat lower. We recommend woods such as the European boxwood, as well as grenadilla or ebony. The sound of our copy is warm, deep-toned and strong, making this flute outstandingly suited for French Baroque music.	Alto A415	Maracaibo Boxwood	$2521
			Grenadilla or Ebony	$2628
			European boxwood	$2662
J. Chr. Denner	The Denner family was one of Europe's most important and well-known woodwind instrument makers of the 18th century. Originals of their famous recorders are widely copied by many instrument makers. This tenor recorder was made by Johann Christoph Denner at the beginning of the 18th century. Its wide bore produces a warm and broad deep tone, making this a recorder ideal as a voice flute when playing French Baroque music. We make this voice flute in European boxwood as well as in the lighter Maracaibo boxwood, at a pitch of A415.	Voice flute, d A415	Maracaibo boxwood`	$2388
			European boxwood	$2715
Th. Stanesby Jr.	Thomas Stanesby, called 'junior' (1692-1754), worked in London and achieved great fame and standing in his day through the manufacturing of the finest woodwind instrument. Many of his instruments are preserved in museums and private collections all over the world. An excellently preserved and wonderfully playable recorder is privately owned in Switzerland. It was manufactured out of boxwood around the year 1720. We construct these recorders in European boxwood, just like the original, or also in Maracaibo boxwood. Both types combine a free sound and a high blowing resistance. Like the original, the wood is finished with violin varnish. Our copy is deep-toned and has warm, soft and supple high tones. The pitch is A415.	Alto A415	Maracaibo boxwood	$1813
			European boxwood	$2180
			Grenadilla, palisander	$2241
J. Steenbergen	Jan Steenbergen (1676-1752) worked in the first half of the 18th century in Amsterdam as a manufacturer of woodwind instruments, especially oboes and recorders, A very beautifully crafted and well-preserved recorder can be found in the collection of F. Bruggen, who also used it on his recordings. Our handmade reproduction has been constructed at the modern pitch of A442, while preserving many sound and playing characteristics of the original. We build the Steenbergen recorder in Maracaibo or plum wood; we offer these woods as reasonably priced alternatives. In addition, we manufacture instruments in European boxwood as well as in grenadilla with ivory-colored mounts if specially requested.	Alto A442	Plum	$1472
			Maracaibo boxwood	$1472
			European boxwood	$1960
			Grenadilla	$2100
E. Terton	This wonderful decorated soprano recorder is kept in the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. It still plays very nicely and has a rich full sound. Our copy plays at A415. Available in two or three pieces.	Soprano A415	European boxwood	$1813
			Grenadilla	$1887
J. Ziegler	Copy of a csakan from a private collection in Germany. 7 keys, silver rings.	Csakan A440	Boxwood	$4833
Caring for our recorders Playing-in When you play your new instrument, changes may occur in the wood due to the moisture of your breath and frequent changes between damp and dry conditions. The sound and the response of the instrument may also be affected by these changes. Therefore begin caring for your new instrument by playing it in slowly and continuously. For our recorders we recommend a maximum daily playing session as follows: 1st week-10min. 2nd week-15min. 3'd week-20 min. From the fourth week onwards you can play your recorder carefully for longer sessions. Oiling Protect the wood of your recorder from changes caused by humidity by oiling it about every three to four months both inside and out (for varnished instruments, please only oil the bore). Oiling also improves the response of your instrument. Please use our special oil mixture *) or almond oil. Please do not use linseed oil since it hardens and gums up the bore and tone holes. When oiling, use a swab stick with a paper towel (discard it after use). You can use a cotton wool bud or Q-tip for the finger holes and the embouchure hole. Make sure that you use only enough oil to moisten the interior bore and the surface of your instrument. The block of a recorder as well as the key pads should not be moistened with oil. Therefore make sure you protect the key pads from getting oil on them. After an absorption period of approximately 8 hours, you can remove the surplus oil with a dry cloth. Make sure that your recorder is dry before oiling it. Do not play it for at least one day before you oil it. The question, "How often should a recorder be oiled?" cannot be answered generally. This depends on many different factors such as the type of wood, frequency of playing, storage conditions, etc. If all the oil is absorbed by the wood after the 8-hour absorption period, then more frequent oiling is needed. Care & storage You should wipe your instrument dry after each playing session and before storage. After playing and wiping the instrument out, do not put it immediately into an air-tight case but just let it dry in the air first. If you use our supplied cloth bags, this is not necessary. Never store your recorder in a very dry environment (be careful with central heating in the winter!) or let it sit in a hot car in the summer. A draft is likewise poison for your instrument. If the air is too dry, the danger of cracking increases! Threaded joints Our instruments are supplied with thread-covered rather than corked joints. We use thread because the oscillation transmission between the individual parts of the instrument is better with thread than with the strongly damping cork. In addition, threaded joints are easily maintained and adjusted by the player. Since wood changes dimensions under different conditions of temperature and humidity, the joints can become too tight or too loose. In this case you must add or remove thread in order to avoid damage by having a too loose or too tight joint. Please pay particular attention to the uppermost joint (connected to the head piece), since the biggest changes can occur there. This is particularly important with new instruments. Adding thread: First tie a loop of thread around the tenon and then add windings. Then put the end of the wound thread under the loop, with the help of a needle, if needed, to prevent it from unwinding. For thread, we recommend polyester yarn, since it does not unravel like cotton or silk. Service If you have taken care of your recorder and have played it in correctly but it does not play to your liking, we can readjust it. Please do not hesitate to contact us about difficulties with response, intonation or other problems. With proper care of the recorder--oiling inside around four/six times a year and taking care of the tenons (see above care instructions)--the recorder should remain stable and not need to be adjusted. As boxwood is a softwood, especially if it is wet, please don’t put too much thread around the tenons! Tenons that are too tight may crack.

Martin Wenner Recorders: Baroque Recorders