Thomas Boekhout (1666-1715) was a Dutch maker of woodwind instruments.  He was a pupil of Jan de Jager,  and lived in Amsterdam, making recorders, flutes, oboes and bassoons, but was best known for his bass recorders. The Amsterdamsche Courant reported in 1713 that he “makes and sells all manner of flutes, oboes ... bass recorders which give all the notes as on a normal recorder, and a new kind of bassoon, both invented by him.“ Boekhout has the following surviving instruments in museums and private collections: 2 sopraninos, 1 soprano (this is the instrument in the Metropolitan Museum of Art used as a model by Tom Prescott), 7 altos, and 11 bass recorders, including one in the private collection of Friedrich von Huene which is one of his five surviving basses to have both an extra key on hole 3 and a large vent hole on the bulbous foot joint to accommodate the insertion of a foot peg without blocking the instrument.  The purpose of the key on hole 3 is to enable the instrument to match the fingerings of the alto recorder on high notes d2 and above, since his instruments without the extra key required alternate fingerings. The only other instrument maker in that period who provided a key for hole 3 was I. H. Rottenburgh (see picture of middle joint of Rottenburgh bass with key on historical basses page)

MakerRecorder ModelRecorder SizePitchMaterialPieces

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Tom Prescott Boekhout


Soprano
Castello Sonata Quarta
415 European

Boxwood

Two DoubleEnglish Used - Light tone and quick response throughout the range. Revoiced and by the maker in March, 2006 to bring it to as-new playing! $1625$1450
Thomas BoekhoutOriginal
Soprano408Ebony w/Ivory mountingsTwoSingleBaroqueMetropolitan Museum of Art, Crosby Brown Collection. c. 1700 Instrument used by Tom Prescott as his model for Boehkout soprano.N/AN/A
Thomas BoekhoutOriginal
Alto408Stained BoxwoodThreeSingleBaroqueCurrently this instrument is in the private collection of Dr. Herman Moeck, Celle, GermanyN/AN/A
Thomas BoekhoutOriginal
Bass410Stained MapleFiveSingleBaroqueCurrently this instrument is in a private collection in Switzerland . Photo, courtesy of Heinz AmmannN/AN/A
Heinz AmmanBoekhout
Bass415Stained Maple w/extending foot pegSixSingleBaroqueNew - outstanding baroque bass recorder. Plays high f# without needing to stop the bell!$3250SOLD for my personal collection!

3/16/2002