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topics on this page :: stanesby, bressan & millennium models :: other models :: repairs & servicing :: prices :: dating recorders


Stanesby Model Recorders

Stanesby rosewood descant/soprano recorder

Thomas Stanesby snr. (1668-1734), was born in Moorly Lyme, Derbyshire. Although little is known about him, 20 of his instruments have survived, all made to a high standard. Eleven of them are recorders. His son, Thomas Stanesby jnr. (1692-1754) was also a fine wind instrument maker. A trade card of Stanesby jnr. dated 1728 reads

“Stanesby Jun. In the Temple Exchange Fleet Street, London Makes to the greatest Perfection, all sorts of musical instruments. In Ivory or fine wood; Plain after a very neat Manner or curiously Adorn’d with Gold, Silver, Ivory, etc. Necessary to preserve them; Approv’d and recommended by the best masters in Europe. Sold as above and no where else."

Stanesby jnr. continued his father's business and, as well as making recorders, he made bassoons for Handel. Stanesby recorders have a full, open sound and are free from the condensation problems associated with many continental instruments of the same period which tended to be much more tightly voiced. Over-tight voicing causes significant condensation problems particularly when playing in cold, damp surroundings or for extended periods.

At modern pitch the instruments have a full warm tone - the harder woods imparting a more reedy tone, while the softer woods contributing to a fuller flute-like timbre. We recommend the hardest wood, grenadilla, for solo work while the softer woods like pear and maple are really best reserved for ensemble work. Rosewood, satinwood and European boxwood are perfect combination woods, equally good for solo and ensemble work. At low pitch all models have a darker more mysterious tone colour, perfect for use with other low pitch instruments. The harder woods give greater projection while the softer woods engender a much warmer darker tone.

Stanesby Models (a=440 or 415 Hz)

sopranino in F - octave flute
descant in D - sixth flute
descant in C - fifth flute
descant in B flat - fourth flute
treble in G - fiauti d'echo

treble in F
treble in E flat
tenor in D - voice flute
tenor in C
bass in F - four keys

Following the successful launch of the Millennium Great Bass, the Stanesby Great Bass recorder has been discontinued.


Bressan Model Recorders

Bressan satinwood treble/alto

Peter Bressan was born Pierre Jaillard (1685-1731) in Bourg en Bresse in France, but he worked mainly in London, where he made some of the most prized late 17th and early 18th century recorders and is regared by many as being the 'father' of English recorder making, a school that later included Stanesby father and son, Bradbury and Schuchart. Many of Bressan's recorders survived. Most of them are ornamented with ivory mounts. We retain the arched windways, the undercut tone holes and, if requested, the waxed thread lapping of the originals.

At modern pitch the instruments have a reedier tone than the Stanesby models - the harder woods imparting a more reedy tone, while the softer woods contribute to a fuller more flute-like timbre. We recommend the harder woods, grenadilla, coralwood, kingwood and tulipwood for solo work while the softer woods like pear and maple are really best reserved for ensemble work. Rosewood, satinwood and European boxwood are perfect combination woods, equally good for solo and ensemble work. At low pitch all models have a darker more mysterious tone colour, perfect for use with other low pitch instruments. Here the harder woods have a more projecting tone, the softer woods a much warmer darker tone.

Bressan Models (a=440 or 415 Hz)

descant in C
treble in F


Millennium Large Bass Recorders


Arnold Dolmetsch, Carl Dolmetsch and other Handmade Recorder Models

For One Handed Players - The Gold key system can be fitted to descant or treble recorders at either modern or low pitch.

 
Older Dolmetsch Models - We can supply replacement sections for all current and older Dolmetsch recorders, whether made by Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd. under the direction of Dr. Carl Dolmetsch or made in the period 1978-1981 when the Dolmetsch family members had established a rival firm, J. & M Dolmetsch, or made by J & M Dolmetsch or Dolmetsch Musical Instruments, whatever the pattern originally used. Instruments that have become 'worn out' through decades of use can be 'revived' with the replacement of only the head section. Middle and bell sections can need replacement when there has been severe cracking, broken tenons or the unthinking attention of the family pet.

As a guide, section prices of instruments from our current production are approximately as follows:

head section : 50% of the price of a new instrument of equivalent type
middle section : 30% of the price of a new instrument of equivalent type
bell or foot section : 20% of the price of a new instrument of equivalent type

In the case of older models the cost is higher and where we cannot match the original wood we can offer replacement instruments of equivalent quality at a significant discount. Please contact us for details of this scheme. See our Recorder Servicing Page for more information.

Dating Your Recorder - To find when an Arnold Dolmetsch recorder was made go to the bottom of this page.


Repairing and Servicing Handmade Recorders

Can You Fix The Problem Yourself?

We have prepared a monograph on the symptoms that suggest that your recorder may need professional servicing. It is contained within our complete recorder care guide

There are certain repairs that are always best left to the maker - revoicing and tuning, in particular, are not areas into which you go unless you have been trained in instrument making or repair. The maker has tooling that will make the task much easier for him or her than for you. In addition, recorder makers know what not to do; he, or she, will avoid strategies that lead irreversibly to damaging the instrument. This is why any serious musical instrument repairer reserves the right not to work on an instrument - in our case, we will return such an instrument to you at our expense or offer you a generous part exchange deal on a new replacement instrument

A Note About Recorder Servicing

Work carried out on Dolmetsch recorders during the first two years after purchase is covered by our comprehensive two year guarantee.

After that, we expect to service your recorder every two or three years if use is heavy - every five years if use is light. If you believe there is a problem with your instrument but you don't know quite what it is, first give us a call, send us a fax or e-mail us. Our response will be quick, friendly, knowledgeable and informative.

We service a wide range of recorders made by other makers - we provide this service for many leading musical instrument retailers in the U.K. If we believe the work would be better done by the original maker, and where that is still possible, we would tell you so.

We can supply spare parts for many of our models of plastic recorder.

Dolmetsch is the world's most experienced recorder repairer. We have been making and repairing recorders since 1919.

See our Recorder Servicing Page for more information.


Recorder Accessories (Cases, Recorder Stand, Ivorine Mounts, End Pins & Keys)


Handmade Recorders ( )

WOODS
information about woods
  Pearwood
  Maple & Sycamore
  Satinwood
  Rosewood
  Grenadilla   European Boxwood
Model and Pitch Price (in £ sterling) Price (in £ sterling) Price (in £ sterling) Price (in £ sterling)
Sopranino Recorder in F - Octave Flute - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Descant/Soprano Recorder in D - Sixth Flute - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Descant/Soprano Recorder in C - Fifth Flute - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Bressan (440Hz)
Bressan (415Hz)
Descant/Soprano Recorder in B flat - Fourth Flute - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Treble/Alto Recorder in G - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Treble/Alto Recorder in F - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Bressan (440Hz)
Bressan (415Hz)
Treble/Alto Recorder in E flat - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Tenor Recorder in D - Voice Flute - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Tenor Recorder in C - no keys (keys can be fitted if required) - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)
Stanesby (415Hz)
Bass Recorder in F (crook blown, keys for holes 3, 4 and double F/F#) - including case
Stanesby (440Hz)  
Stanesby (415Hz)  
Prices do not include postage or packing
Mioplant Currency Converter - download this desktop utility to find out prices in your own currency!


What Can You Tell Me About My Dolmetsch Recorder?

Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd. was founded in 1936 to continue, in a formal way, the work begun by Arnold Dolmetsch in the early 1880s. In March 1978 the Dolmetsch family (Dr. Carl Dolmetsch and his twin-daughters Jeanne and Marguerite Dolmetsch) was forced out of the company and decided to set up a new family firm J & M Dolmetsch which started making instruments in September 1978. The original company, Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd., weakened by poor management, collapsed in October 1981. J & M Dolmetsch purchased the assets of Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd. from their liquidators and it is that reunited business that continued the family's work under the name Dolmetsch Musical Instruments.

No matter when they were manufactured, all Dolmetsch wooden recorders bear one of the following logos

1

Dolmetsch set out in a semi-circle, containing the letters J & M, marked made in England have been made by J & M Dolmetsch or Dolmetsch Musical Instruments and will be marked with an unique serial number identifying that they are handmade and have been designed and voiced by Jeanne and Marguerite Dolmetsch.

2

Dolmetsch set out in a semi-circle, without any internal letters, sometimes, but not always, marked made in England or England alone, have been made either

a

by Arnold Dolmetsch Limited, in which case they will bear a unique serial number (see the table below to identify year of manufacture); or

b

by Dolmetsch Musical Instruments, in which case they bear no unique serial number and are from our mid-priced ranges.

3

Dolmetsch set out as a circle, sometimes including the words made in England have been made by Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd. and, in the majority of cases, have been voiced and tuned by Dr. Carl Dolmetsch or by other members of the Dolmetsch family. They will bear a unique serial number (see the table below to identify the probable year of manufacture).

4

Arnold Dolmetsch set out as a circle, sometimes including the words made in England have been made by Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd. and, in the majority of cases, have been voiced and tuned by Dr. Carl Dolmetsch or by other members of the Dolmetsch family. They will bear a unique serial number (see the table below to identify the probable year of manufacture).

5

the letters JMD set vertically as in a cartouche have been made by J & M Dolmetsch, will be marked with an unique serial number, identifying that they are handmade and designed and voiced by Jeanne and Marguerite Dolmetsch.

The number 3499 after the letters B.S. set out as a B lying on its side over a triangle containing the letter S (also called the 'kite' mark), sometimes including the words Part 2A, refers to the now discontinued British Standard for recorders. Reference to this British Standard appears on Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd recorders made during the 50s, 60s and early 70s.


Serial Numbers

We set out below the approximate date of manufacture associated with the serial numbers used by Arnold Dolmetsch Ltd. They should be taken as approximate to the extent that any particular number may have been made from two years earlier to two years later than the date given in the table.

Year From Year From Year From Year From Year From Year From Year From
1919 1 1920 50 1921 100 1922 150 1923 200 1924 250 1925 300
1926 350 1927 400 1928 450 1929 500 1930 550 1931 600 1932 650
1933 700 1934 800 1935 900 1936 1000 1937 1200 1938 1400 1939 1600
1946 1800 1947 2200 1948 2600 1949 3000 1950 3400 1951 3900 1952 4400
1953 4900 1954 5400 1955 5900 1956 6400 1957 7000 1958 7600 1959 8200
1960 8800 1961 9400 1962 10000 1963 10600 1964 11400 1965 12200 1966 13000
1967 13800 1968 14600 1969 15400 1970 16200 1971 17000 1972 17800 1973 18600
1974 19400 1975 20200 1976 21000 1977 22000 1978 23000 1979 24000 1980/81 25000+

Only a few recorders were made between 1939 and 1946.


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