Kind of a hot take: Paetzold recorders are really ugly.
I do feel like aesthetic quality is important for a lot of instruments, especially for performances and just general motivation to play. And just personally, I think paetzolds are incredibly ugly. specifically referring to the blocky and square recorders they’re known for, to me they just look like foundation. Ugly black and plywood boxes. I think the fact that they’re not immediately recognizable as instruments is a bad thing. They stick out like a sore thumb in any ensemble they’re in. Plus i personally don’t like how the keys blend into the instrument. It makes them look and feel even less like instruments. I get they’re supposed to look like organ pipes, but i don’t think that aesthetic translates well to recorders. I just don’t get the visual appeal. They just don’t look good to me.
I have never played a paetzold, i am simply just going off of how they look aesthetically, in which i believe they’re really ugly.