Once again, it’s very late and insomnia is setting my schedule for me so I thought I’d create an entry on bassoons. After all, I haven’t chatted much about music lately and thought it might be fun to do a mini-series on the topic. Interestingly, this is inspired by some of my students (I don’t have many but then again, there simply aren’t many to begin with) who seem to be enjoying their lessons. I’ve got to admit, I enjoy them too – sometimes its about the only thing that I enjoy doing and that takes my mind off of everything else that’s going on. Recently, I’ve been doing some Internet searches on bassoon-things: looking to see what other bassoonists I’ve known over the years are doing (sadly, not much – we’re a dying breed), reed making, instruments, latest recordings, etc. There have been many times, in the recent past, where I’ve just wanted to pack things up and move to a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific that has there own little musical society and play/teach bassoon all day long. Got to admit, if I didn’t have family, I would dearly love to do something as wacky as that. As far as I’m concerned, musicians are among the only sane group of humans remaining on this Earth and the thought of living, breathing, eating, and sleeping music all day long sounds blissful.
One of the interesting things I’ve been watching over the years are who the manufacturers of bassoons are, what design characteristics they’re employing, what materials they’re using, and the acceptance of their instruments among real bassoonists (doublers, i.e, those who play sax, clarinet, and/or flute as their primary instrument[s] are not, and never will be included in that category). Interestingly, it appears as if Heckel has simply out priced itself as no one can afford them – I just noted that one of their relatively recent entries into the market, their “Heckel-Crest” which they claim is an “inexpensive instrument” which is “especially adequate for pupils, students and hobby-bassoonists” costs a mere $29,000 (yes, that’s just under thirty THOUSAND dollars)! Remember, that’s for their “student model” – a horn that they introduced in 1998. Who can possibly afford that? Almost without exception, most of my students are playing on Fox bassoons – their less expensive student (plastic/Polypropylene) models. Fox seems to have gained a significant foothold on the market over the years and appears to have chipped away at Heckels, as they have been making fine horns since the early ’70s (or perhaps a bit earlier). Even so, their instruments are also expensive. Surprisingly, they can even be bought on Amazon! According to Amazon’s site a moment ago, Fox bassoons range from in price from a mere $4,959 to $20,000. Unbelievable but true. Of course, “good” deals can be found on Fox models that are less than Amazon – I just found one for less than $3,600. I’ve also been hearing rumblings that another relative new comer, Moosmann, are producing good instruments but I’ve never had any experience with them.
It would appear as if other brands are long gone: Mirafone, Kohlert (a Chinese company appears to have purchased the name!), Conn, to name just a few. Other standbys remain – Adler, Mönnig, Mollenhaauer, Püchner, Schreiber, and even Yamaha (While I’ve never played a Yahama, they’ve been rumored to be fairly good horn).
Then we come to the junk bassoons – Bundy, Linton, Lesher, and Selmer (really). I’ve had kids come to me with these (including brand new ones) and they are, for lack of a better term, total crap. They are so bad, that they are often not playable and had no potential to become so. Putting a rubber plunger on the end of these and storing them in a bathroom might be the only good use for either of them – even then, I doubt they would hold up.
- In the 1990's, Keilwerth stenciled a saxophone for Buffet called the 'Expression' and that model has a Keilwerth serial number. The modern Buffet 400 (and similar) are Asian-made and do not follow these serial number charts. The Bundy in question here is from approximately 1950 to date.
- Before serial number 5711 (1922) only small bore bassoons were built; between serial numbers 5711 and 7700 (1935) both types were built and after serial number 7700 typically only the wide bore was built. Thick Wall Construction In 1963 (around serial number 10700) Heckel began making the walls of the bassoon thicker.
As he grew up, he learned to play the oboe, clarinet and bassoon and he observed and learned how to make various wind instruments at Vinzenz Kohlert's Sons (established 1840). His experience as a musician helped him immensely and from the beginning he placed a high value on quality craftsmanship in the construction of his oboes, clarinets. Box app for desktop windows.
Finally we come to the Asian connection (although I’ve already mentioned Yamaha). Over the past several years, a large number of bassoons, including huge numbers of junk bassoons, are coming out of China. Interestingly, it appears as if production of such instruments is being spawned by a growing interest in Western classical music within the Chinese culture and there are several sites (which I don’t have at the moment) which have documented relatively recent connections between Western bassoonists and Chinese. Based upon what I’ve been reading, there are highly mixed reviews of some of these horns. Interestingly, these horns are general appraised as “looking good” but, due to the wood used, quickly succumb to a large number of problems (loose posts, keys that bend because they’re made from softer metals, etc.). Just as interesting is that these bassoons are so low in cost that many may often be found for less, far less, than a thousand dollars. Considering that many bassoon CASES (you know, the box that holds the instrument) are so expensive that the Chinese instruments (which come with cases as well as case covers) often cost less. Just who manufactures these horns? It’s hard to say as many Asian companies produce these instruments for others who, in turn, put their own brand name on them. One such case appears to be Takeda bassoons, designed by Yuhiko Takeda, former bassoonist with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra to be of “good quality and . . . inexpensive.” Interestingly, I’ve read some fairly good reviews of these instruments. Even more interesting is that while these bassoons are designed and promoted by a Japanese bassoonist, they appear to be made in China. Rumor has it that once these bassoons arrive in Japan, they are striped down and rebuilt according to Takeda’s specifications. All of these bassoons have an interesting design feature – they are what bassoonists commonly refer to as a “gentleman’s model” or a “gentleman’s cut”, meaning that their bells are extra long, while the long or bass joint is cut short. This allows the instrument to fit in a significantly smaller case. What makes this more significant is that another Chinese bassoon – one that is frequently seen on eBay, happens to be exactly like the Takeda instruments but have the “Laval” brand stamped on them. It would strongly appear that the Lavals are made by the same manufacturer and could, conceivable, be reworked (by someone who is knowledgeable about bassoon repair) to be a better horn. One of the very bizarre things associated with “Laval” bassoons is that their cases contain a hydrometer – why any bassoonist would “need” a device that measures the moisture in a case is beyond me. Obviously, this must be some type of sales gimmick as bassoons, as a rule, are generally very rugged instruments. Pictures of Takeda bassoons in their cases are not available (at least I haven’t found any yet), there are plenty of pictures of “Laval” bassoons on eBay to confirm this.
As this post is already quite long, I think I’ll save the rest for another time.
Bassoon Makers
Woodcut by Weigel (1698)
Puchner |
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Software Serial Numbers
Crystal reports 2008 version number. Born in 1870, Vinzenz Puchner lost his parents at a very young age and he subsequently went to live with the Gessner family in Graslitz, Bohemia(at that time, part of the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg Empire).
As he grew up, he learned to play the oboe, clarinet and bassoon and he observed and learned how to make various wind instruments at Vinzenz Kohlert's Sons (established 1840). His experience as a musician helped him immensely and from the beginning he placed a high value on quality craftsmanship in the construction of his oboes, clarinets, bassoons and flutes.
Vinzenz Puchner established his own woodwind instrument company in August of 1897 in Graslitz. Early on he took part in regional exhibitions (Aussig 1903 and Komotau 1913) gaining gold medals and establishing his reputation as a master instrument maker. In 1914, he was called into the Austrian military due to the outbreak of World War I and his son, Josef (age 17 at the time), ran the company while he was away.
After the loss of World War I, the multi-national state of Austria-Hungary, of which Bohemia was a part, broke up into a number of national states. The Bohemian part of the 'music-belt', represented by the chief cities of Graslitz and Schonbach, belonged to the newly-founded Czechoslovak Republic. As a result of the Munich agreement of September 1938, the Czech Republic, occupied by a majority of ethnic Germans, was annexed by the Third Reich.
Shortly after the annexation to the German Reich, many employees of the Puchner Firm were called up by the German military. Free reseller programs. During World War II, the company continued to make musical instruments although mainly for export but it was also partly turned over to war production for the manufacture of airplane parts.
After nearly 50 years in business and just after World War II in 1947, a government commission from Prague under the so-called 'Benes decree' appropriated and liquidated the Puchner business into the Czech State Enterprise, 'AMATI'. Josef was forced to work as an instrument tuner for a time while the rest of the family was exiled to Nauheim in the the state of Hesse where other instrument makers from Graslitz (now called Kraslice) had already been relocated. Josef was able to join the family in April of 1948 and Vinzenz Puchner died in Nauheim in November of 1948 only a few months after the exile.
You Serial Numbers
Vinzenz's son and grandson, Josef and Walter, immediately began the construction of a new location for the business in Nauheim where they founded the firm of 'Josef Puchner formerly Vinzenz Puchner, Graslitz'. The structure was completed in 1955 on Beethovenstrabe where it still stands today.
The shortage of dry seasoned wood hindered the construction of new instruments for a while and the Puchners were only able to provide instrument repair for orchestra musicians in the area at first. In addition, they made motorcycle horns, music stands and clarinet mouthpieces from 'India rubber'. Then an opportunity arose to buy a supply of older wood which had been stored for more than ten years and they began again to construct instruments starting with clarinets first and adding oboes and bassoons later.
Serial Numbers Nero
Josef Puchner passed away at the age of 91 in 1988. The company was then re-organized under the name 'J. Puchner Manufacture of Woodwind Instruments Ltd' and Walter's children Gabriele and Gerald joined as fourth generation partners.
Many of Puchner's employees have been with the firm for more than 35 years and the company focuses on quality craftsmanship based on this long standing experience. As a result, Puchner instruments are treasured by musicians throughout the world.