It's a fabulous recorder, I treated myself to a soprano and an alto. The sound is wonderful and the recorders speak easily. They really are very well made. These recorders come in a sturdy case. The cases have very thick padding in the lid that covers the recorder, but no padding underneath the recorder, which I find a bit weird. But there's a much bigger problem. I think it's the glue that is used in the production of the cases that causes the stong chemical smell, and it is really awful. It even catches me in the back of my throat. I've stopped using the original cases. The one star is about the case, not the recorder itself.