I heard somebody with a Silberton at a session at the Middle Earth in Whitby last year. Nice thing. Must... resist...

I was thinking about Instrument Acquisition Syndrome with recorders earlier today before this thread surfaced. Just looking at the F altos I have:

- a fifty-year-old pro Baroque model in cocobolo by Koch in the US, fantastically brilliant and powerful, will cut through anything in a noisy pub

- a Lee-Collins-modified Zen-On (plastic with a cedar block, hand-finished), highly responsive, blends very well with George's moothie in the Sunday afternoon Sandy Bells session

- a 1980-ish Schott Concert in something like plumwood, helluva loud and not very subtle, has some personal associations for me

- a Hopf Praetorius Renaissance replica, wonderful dark breathy tone and strong low register, part of a set of these, also looks and smells terrific

- an unmodified plastic Zen-On for lending to any friend who needs an alto to play with me

- an ordinary plastic Yamaha that sits in a basket where I can grab it any time.

There. I've got a good reason for having all of them, haven't I?...

Haven't got an A=415 alto yet.