A recorder workshop grows 

Basement instead of blackbird and oven

The place with the smithy wasn't really suitable as a recorder workshop in the long term.

And we were moving to another house anyway – our own, where I was able to build whatever I wanted.
Almost whatever I wanted – I also came into contact with building regulations.

For now, I had a basement room for my workshop.

I was able to heat my new workshop, at least that was some progress. My new workshop measured 14 m² and was about as high as I was standing fully upright.

At least I was able to work there.

I did not see or hear the blackbird singing outside. And the stove – I managed without it.

In addition to the lathe, I acquired some used machines and made a few devices on my own.

And I built recorders – my very own ones!

The range expandes

Of course, I had to discuss all this with my chief. He proved to be very generous about it and gave me mostly a free hand in working on my own instruments.

In the end, I gained a lot of experience – for the benefit of us all.

One example was my new alto recorder in modern pitch – after Jan Steenbergen.

Baroque recorders in modern pitch are generally never exact copies of historical instruments – there is too much to adapt and change. So in the end they tend to be more instruments inspired by the intentions of the ancient master instruments.

My new alto recorder was one like that. Then the conception was the basis for a revised model in the Mollenhauer company.
That alto recorder would be a part of the Mollenhauer program for a long time.

And my own “440” soon became very popular.

A recorder player from Berlin had always been impressed by the Kynsecker recorders that Mollenhauer offered. However, she really needed alow-pitched recorders– 415 Hz.
I asked – I built.

And that was the core of my early baroque instruments.

I still make them today, only slightly modified, and demand for them is as high as ever.

Time to present my work

Even back then, the pulse of the recorder scene could be felt at all the various early music exhibitions.

Utrecht, Herne (who still remembers the municipal theater there?)

Again and again, I attended as a representative for Mollenhauer. Next to the stand of my employer, I had my own little table displaying the few instruments I had to offer at the time. Sometimes, I placed a bouquet of flowers on the table to brighten up the look of the table.

In 1996, I sold my first recorder at an exhibition in Herne. I still remember the name of the customer well.
She got a beautiful alto recorder after Bressan with decorations of imitation ivory. A fine instrument – we both found it so!

By the way – I shared this exhibition with Bernhard Mollenhauer, at that time my boss. I remember that he was quite impressed and even a little proud to see what was happening around my table.
This exhibition remained a pleasant memory for both of us.