I’ve had a Bernolin 442 resin recorder for several years. I used it for most of the samples on LearnRecorder.com. I think it is a fine instrument, and quite a step above the top of the line Yamaha plastic alto, which is itself a good instrument for the price. I also have two beautiful Fern rosewood altos, a 440 and a 415, made by David Coomber in the 1990s. These instruments are again a step up from the Bernolin resin recorder. In my view it is a simple matter of getting what you pay for. The Bernolin altos are much cheaper than their handmade counterparts, even though they are themselves handmade, by a respected and well known maker (the savings come from the cheaper material). If your budget stretches only to a Bernolin resin alto, then in my view your money will be well spent.
