Description
Condition: Excellent
Suitable for: Everyone
This 1938 Heckel bassoon has an extensive history of quality work done on it by Keith Bowen, Charles Heubner, and Ken Potsic. The high E key was added by Nick Evans. It plays with intensity and has a beautiful tenor and high range.
The unusual bass joint features the plateau or “flat top” manufacture style and is original from the Heckel factory. The Edith Reiter book on Heckels’ history indicates that this bassoon was made in 1938. The bell is marked “Made in West Germany” as a result of a full refinish done at the Heckel factory in the 1960s or 1970s. They were required to stamp that mark at that point in Germany’s history.
This instrument has a lined wing joint and small bore on the boot, an in-line body lock, and a left-hand whisper key lock. It was made without a crutch and remains that way. It has high D and high E, 6 rollers, a low F key, and low G key adjustment screws.
Brian Charles just cleaned, oiled, adjusted, and play-tested this bassoon here in our shop and it’s ready to play.
The body is in very good condition. It has no evidence of past or present boot rot. It has silver tone-hole inserts. The bell ring is ivory. It has thin Teflon bands at the ends of both tenons of the bass joint. The larger tenon may have had a thin crack repair at some point, as seen in the photos.
The German silver-plated keywork system has the usual signs of wear with some plating loss. It has some new pads.
The Heckel postwar CC2 bocal is well suited. It has a pro patch on the upper bow of the bocal as seen in the photos. The Fox integral case is in good but worn condition. It closes with the zipper from the right side which completely closes the case. The left side zipper is damaged.
Here are details on How To Trial This Instrument
If you’re ready to trial this instrument email us or call us at (603) 356-9890
