Thomann TRB-31B Matt Bass Recorder

...if you want to try bass recorder without investing several hundred pounds. I've had mine for a few weeks now, and am thoroughly enjoying it. I think the build quality these days is much better than suggested by some of the older reviews. The sound is rich and mellow, a little hoarse in the higher range, but that may be down to my technique, or lack of it! No complaints about the carry bag. The neck strap is pretty flimsy, but works.

This is a very cheap plastic bass recorder: less than half the price of the plastic bass recorders that are produced by the major Japanese names in plastic recorders.

Having read some positive comments on this website about the Thomann bass recorder, I took the plunge and ordered one.

Unfortunately, the case of the first recorder that Thomann sent me arrived with a broken zip. I sent it back and was sent a replacement. That recorder arrived badly-scratched and with damage to the end of the windway - and the zip on the second case didn't work properly either. I sent that recorder back too and got a refund.

If you are lucky enough to get one that is unscratched, these recorders look fine from a distance. Close-up, however, it becomes apparent that the finish is poor. The plastic seams are roughly-finished. The plastic around the keys on the two examples I have seen looked as if they had been gouged by the screwdriver that was used to fit the keys. It looked as if these recorders had been hastily-assembled, with poor quality control in the factory. The case in which the recorders come has a very weak zip (the zips were broken on both examples that I have seen).

On a more positive note, I did try playing the first recorder that I was sent. It sounded fine and played all the notes that you would expect it to without any problems. These are certainly usable recorders, if not particularly high-quality ones.

I would sum up by saying that if price is more important to you than quality, this could be the bass recorder for you - it is VERY cheap. However, if you care about the quality and appearance of the musical instruments that you play and are not willing to put up with the faults that I have outlined above, I'd recommend that you do as I eventually did: stump up the extra cash and buy a bass recorder made by one of the well-known Japanese brands. There is a big difference in quality between the two. But given that this Thomann bass recorder is less than half the price of the well-known Japanese brands, it will probably suit some people down to the ground.

I ordered this bass recorder for my 11 year old daughter. Because of the keys, she could play this one before being able to reach all the holes on a tenor recorder and loves playing it. The recorder looks fine, although the details of the keys etc show the cheap quality. At first I was a bit worried, but she has used it now every week at recorder group at school for more than a year and it still works fine with no problems. The cheap price means that a) she has one, as I don‘t think we would have spend hundreds of pounds on a more expensive one and not many children or schools do, so she is always most welcome with it and b) I don‘t need to worry about her taking it to school and everywhere. The case is fairly cheap faux leather quality as well, but again still going strong after a year of continuous use. Apart from the looks it sounds great for such a cheap instrument. I am sure more expensive wooden ones sound better, but if the question is bass recorder or not bass recorder, then this one is definitely worth thinking about. The reason why bass recorders are so rare must be because they are usually much more expensive and we are very grateful to Thomann for making such a low cost bass recorder, it has already provided our daughter with a lot of great experience and playing opportunities, she would otherwise not have been able to have. Maybe when she is older and still interested we will think about investing in a more expensive instrument, but for now and for school ensemble level kind of groups this is doing a fantastic job. No complaints at all from any of the teachers who saw and heard it, quite the opposite.

I've played a wooden bass recorder for a number of years but wanted one that was lighter and easier to take to rehearsals.

A normally expensive instrument I had my doubts as to the quality of a much cheaper bass recorder but am thrilled as the tone is lovely and deep with no split notes. Low F is achievable immediately every time. F# key was a touch sticky on first play but fine after a couple of minutes.

It is lightweight, easy to play and very responsive to quick changes in octave. Two full octaves are very easy to achieve. I have tried both fast and slow pieces and am pleased with the instruments responsiveness. I will change the neck cord for a wider one, but that's just personal preference.

Having looked at other reviews on you tube saying the keys were noisy, I am pleased to report I have not found this to be a problem. Also, I read that Bb was difficult to achieve, again no problems.
The parcel was received within 8 days of ordering posted to the UK. It was well wrapped.

Altogether great value for money, and yes, having played for over 40 years I would recommend this bass recorder.

Wendy Usher UK