Carlton C Soprano Recorder - Baroque - 3 Piece Maple

This is a very good recorder and great value. The head joint was very stiff and i had to do a bit of sanding to get it to fit easily. I own wooden soprano, alto and tenor Carlton recorders. They are all good recorders. As another reviewer has mentioned sometimes a little time and effort with sandpaper, or a sharp chisel or sharp knife will help improve the tone.

I bought this recorder and the pearwood two piece soprano recorder five months ago. As with the pearwood one, I sanded some rough spots/unfinished spots in the finger holes and windway. When I say "sanded," I mean I used a very very fine sandpaper of 600 grit and 1200 grit with a very light touch. As with the pearwood recorder, think of this as a "you finish kit." With a little bit of work, this recorder can sound very nice. In my opinion, the pearwood sounds better, as it is sweeter, I think. List of the things I did: 1. Sanded the outside of the block flush with the housing. 2. Removed woodworking splinters from the factory (holes, windway) 3. Sanded the inside of the recorder with 1200 grit. 4. Reoiled with a light amount of mineral oil. 5. Followed recommended break in procedures from Yamaha wood recorders.

Extremely satisfied with my purchase. Has a consistent tone throughout the entire register and can play from low C to third octave D with no problems.