Customer Reviews
Just a novice viewpoint 
2007-03-31
My first plastic recorder. Nice instrument, however I find the Aulos instruments much better.
Great value recorder 
2006-07-22
The YRS-302 is the best inexpensive recorder you can purchase. To find one better, you'd have to spend 2-3 times as much for a marginal improvement (cheap wood, or wood/plastic mix). If you want to explore whether or not you want to learn to play the recorder, this is a good tester: not so expensive that you lose if you don't like it, but not so cheaply made that you'll be guaranteed to hate it. If you stick with it with this recorder for a year or two, you can then decide what you want to do with your playing.
The sound is smoother than the $2.50 plastic recorders given out to myriad school children. But the soprano recorder may sound shrill to your ear anyway (even an expensive wooden one). If you are concerned about that, look at the alto or tenor recorders.
Great instrument for the price 2005-04-11
For the price, this recorder is one of the best plastic ones out there. If you are thinking about trying the recorder, I would highly recommend this one over the cheaper ones. The cheaper ones tend to sound shrill when you start playing the higher notes. I think that's part of the reason why recorders have such a bad reputation; kids shrieking on their school issued recorders can send any adult running. In contrast, the Yamaha 302 has a warmer tone and the higher register is not grating on the ears. It comes with a cleaning rod, cream for the joints, a fairly nice carrying case that zips, and a small insert with a fingering chart.
The only drawback to this recorder is that it tends to clog easily. The mouthpeice is thinner, which makes it more comfortable to play, but I think it contributes to the clogging. Of course, clogging in unavoidable in all plastic recorders - all my other recorders clog too so I don't think this detracts from the benefits of this model.
All in all, I have been very happy with mine and I think I could only do better by buying one of the handcarfted wood recorders that run upwards of two hundred.
Fantastic Value 2005-03-11
This Yamaha recorder provides fantastic quality for the price. The Soprano YRS-302B is durable, comfortable, and sounds surprisingly nice. It will meet the needs of most casual players.
Better than others 
2008-05-23
This ones is a little better than the loud plastic ones, but I guess I'm just not a recorder person, It still sounds like a toy to me. Maybe the very expensive ones would sound a little more rich, but I don't think I wanna play that bad. I'll just stick with the metal flutes for now.
great recorder, great price 2008-05-05
nothing more to say than what the title says... great instrument for a great price
Better sound than my wooden recorder. 2008-04-02
I own a wooden soprano recorder, but I never play it anymore - I'm always playing this one. It has a very nice, warm sound. The price is a little high - if you're just starting to learn the recorder, buy a cheaper student model. But if you already know the basics of recorder and want to improve your sound, then this is a good product for you.
Is it really worth the money 2008-03-23
You'll likely find that any of the Yamaha plastic recorders are great instruments. If you need something top quality, go to a wood instrument. Otherwise, stick with the less expense models.
Maybe buy the Soprano and Alto less expensive models for the price of this one and give one to a friend and play duets. Then the fun really starts.
Very very nice. Baroque, not German (and why this matters) 2007-11-08
I purchased two of these recorders: one as a replacement for my daughter's inexpensive soprano recorder (which my 3 year-old son shattered while playing golf) and one to play when I travel.
My goal was to find an inexpensive, easy-to-care-for recorder with a softer sound than the typical shrieking whistle sold to school children.
I have not been disappointed--the Yahama Soprano recorder has a wonderful warm sound and is very comfortable to play.
A note for parents: This recorder uses Baroque, not German fingering. This means that it is may not a good pre-band instrument, as most band woodwinds (and most recorders for school-age children) use German fingering. For example, on a Flutophone (German fingering), you play F by covering all of the holes on the left hand and only the top hole with the right hand. In Baroque fingering, you play F by covering the first, third and fourth holes on the right hand. It is a bit more challenging to play legato, since you have to cover/uncover multiple holes simultaneously.
Also, some recorders for children (such as the Flutophone) have lipped holes, which seem to make it easier for the child to completely cover the hole. The holes on this recorder are not lipped.
