Buying a Bassoon

Do you really need to purchase a bassoon? Does your school have one that is good enough? My first bassoon cost twice as much as my first car, and I paid wholesale for it when I was a new college teacher. I'm not saying that to scare you, but you should be prepared to hear some big numbers if you want a professional or big-name bassoon.

If you do decide to buy a bassoon, your first move should be to engage an expert bassoon teacher or bassoonist to help you. The number of models and the choices of keys are not anything that an amateur can tackle. I will give you some guidance, but please consult one or more professionals before making a bassoon purchase.

Wood or plastic?
Excellent instruments can be made of plastic. I have a friend that plays a plastic Fox bassoon in a major symphony orchestra. (Rmember: he is a terrific reed-maker!) Plastic is ideal for young players or for school purchases. Please also remember that a great bocal can make a huge difference in the sound and playability of any bassoon. Don’t skimp on your bocal!

Wood is the preferred material for professionals and advanced students, as the tone is usually much more beautiful. Softer wood creates a richer the tone. Remember, though, that either wood or plastic can be used to make a good bassoon.

Buying Used
A used bassoon can be a very good bassoon, as they last a long time. The bore does not wear out, like on oboes. Here again, your professional consultant will help you to decide.

Renting?
Renting a bassoon is not usually possible, as they are too expensive for the economics of renting to work.

What can I expect to pay?
If purchasing a name-brand bassoon from a dealer, you can expect to pay from $5000 to over $20,000. Professional bassoons, even used ones, can cost many thousands more. Please take a look at our Orpheo bassoons--the pricing cannot be beat! Just compare that to the least expensive Fox plastic model with a High D key--it now costs over $5,000, and that is from the large discounters.

Please take a look at our Orpheo bassoons. Our wood model is selling for around $1,500. This low price is possible because we buy directly from the factories in China and sell to you without any intervening markups. As a bassoon teacher, I am thrilled about this. Many of my students can now afford to have their own bassoon; this was never the case when I first started teaching.

Don’t turn up your nose at Chinese instruments. Do you know that Steinway pianos are now manufactured only in China? This is an indication of the current state of Chinese musical instrument manufacturing.

Cost of a Bassoon
A new American-made bassoon can have a discounted price ranging from $5000 to over $20,000. Used instruments can cost from around $2000 to as much as a new instrument. You don't even want to ask about a Heckel. Remember: it is the sound, intonation and condition, not the name on the instrument, that matter.

Key Choices: there is no such thing as a standard bassoon.

The bassoon has more possible keys and keywork variations than any other instruments.
The big thing to remember is that you should buy a German System (or Heckel system) bassoon if you are an American. The French bassoon is a completely different instrument with a very different sound.

1)    Try to keep keywork simple for a student bassoon. They don’t do you any good if you don’t know what to do with them.
2)    For small hands, remember there are plateau keys that can be an alternate for the open holes with rings, especially for the third finger of the left hand.
3)    High D Key: this key used to be considered optional, but is now considered to be a standard key to have.
4)    High E Key: This key has become a basic part of professional model bassoons but is not needed for student use.
5)    Rollers: All modern bassoons include two roller keys for each of the little fingers and some may include additional thumb rollers, and more. I love rollers because I have small hands. Some people don’t like them at all. The best advice is to try them out.
6)    Whisper Key Lock: this is not a necessity for a student bassoon, but is nice to have. They are always a part of a professional model. Whisper key locks come in several variations. Some types can be easily added to an existing instrument.
7)    Body Lock: A body lock holds parts of the instrument together that might otherwise move about. These are necessary for plastic bassoons and desirable on any bassoon. Remember: do not engage the body lock when the bassoon is in the case. If dropped, it can rip out of the body.

Yes, you can damage an instrument when it is inside a case. If your case is loose (if the instrument can move in there) you can damage your instrument by dropping the case. A good example of this is the old style cheap flute cases. I always told my students to put a dish towel in there to take up the extra space.

On the other hand, a good case is great protection. I do not advocate doing either of these things, but here is how a good case works: I once backed my Datsun 510 over my Fox bassoon case. There was no damage, although it scraped the case cover a bit. Once I dropped my Loree oboe case out of my backpack when riding my motorcycle. Again, no damage.

8)    B (flat) Guard: this is an inexpensive option that is often left off student models, but it shouldn’t be. It protects certain vulnerable keys from being snagged by the players clothing. This can easily be added to any bassoon that does not already have one.

I am sorry this article is so long, but the bassoon is complicated. I hope this guide will help you, but please count or your teacher or local bassoon professional to help with a bassoon purchase. Even if you need to pay for that help, it will be worth it to you.

If you want an American Bassoon…
Fox is the acknowledged leader in American-made bassoons. There are several favored models for students. Remember that you can have keys added to any model. Since Fox sells everything they build and has a waiting list, you will most likely wait for any bassoon to become available, even from the large discounters.

1)    The Fox model IV bassoon is an excellent value in a polypropylene instrument. It comes with a full set of keys including a high D key, a ring key, and  professional bocals.
2)    The Renard model 222 is the lowest priced wood bassoon from Fox. It usually comes with a plateau key. I would add a high D key. New 222s now have silver-plated keys, but older ones do not.
3)    The Renard Artist models 220 and 240 are the usual "semiprofessional" models. Mechanically they are identical and have high D & E keys, a whisper key lock, and extra rollers. The difference between them is in their acoustic design—the shape of the bore. Either model is excellent, but you will probably prefer one or the other for sound and control. These models are deal for serious students and will serve the players needs well past the high school years.

Bore Choice Example: I chose along bore model bassoon because it is more stable and easier to control than the short bore. Why? Because I am primarily an oboe player. And believe me, it is one nice bassoon.

4)     Professional models: students should wait until they are in a music degree program or are committed to attending one before buying such an instrument.