Brass Instruments > Bassoon Brass Instruments

Advantages: excellent tone quality
Disadvantages: silver plating wears very easily

I bought my Adler 25 four years ago for £4, 945. At the time I was extremely keen on music and I played in several orchestras. The tone from the Adler 25 is amazing, its deep, rich and beats the tone on any other bassoon I've heard or played on. The spacing between fingering holes is logical and is not too distant, whilst the register keys occasionally knock against each other when playing fast. There are only really two downsides to Adler bassoons, ... Read review

Advantages: Lots of rollers, good tone.
Disadvantages: No alternative low C key.

I bought my B&H bassoon about 8 years ago when I was around grade 4. I went to the woodwind shop in London and spent hours trying many different bassoons. I could have got it for £880 as seen, but opted to get it fully serviced for £1000. Well worth it as it needed some attention. When I first got my bassoon I thought it was wonderful as I had previously only played on an old school instrument. Now many years later I still think it is a good ...
...found them to be better. The bassoon has all the normal keywork (no short-reach keys), but the one thing I miss is not having the alternative low C key for the left thumb. On the whole it is a well tuned instrument - but of course it is very much reed dependent being a double reed instrument. But with a good reed it is easy to play, and pretty good in the stupidly high register as well. The keys have lasted well, I have only had to replace a couple ... Read review

Advantages: Build quality, appearance and tone. Excellent soft case.
Disadvantages: Very minor intonation issues in the upper register.

For the amazing price of this instrument (I paid around the £150 mark) it is an excellent horn for a player of beginner or intermediate standard. It is beautifully proportioned in the traditional saxhorn style - far more appealing to my eye than the open wrap design of many cheaper models. This horn plays with a lovely tone, perhaps with a few minor intonation issues in the higher register, but the notes can be lipped into shape. The tuning slide ...
...likely contributor to any imperfections. The corrosion-resistant rose brass leadpipe, excellent lacquer finish and robust stays make this horn a must for anyone seeking a real bargain. You can find virtually identical horns made in Taiwan/China and marketed under a number of brand names for £100 or £200 more! Additionally, the mouthpiece supplied is a good match for the horn's bore etc. The soft case provided is excellent and probably worth £60 ... Read review

Advantages: Great sound, easy player.
Disadvantages: Expensive, hard to find parts.

...Selmer (balanced action) and a Buffet Crampon Dynaction. **********The Buffet Crampon Dynaction********** Surprisingly I like the Buffet Crampon better; it had a much richer sound, was 'heavier', nicer colour, the key spread, especially the lower keys was a better fit, all in all I got quite excited. At this point I was not aware of the cost, age or overall condition of the instrument, but it 'felt right'. When I say it felt right I mean; it is ...
...was about this horn. Buffet Crampon are better known for their clarinets than saxophones, yet up until the 70's certainly they were of comparable quality, and sound as Selmer's, and were made in a factory just down the road. In fact I have an original Selmer case which my sax came in. My sax is called Dolly, some people do not christen their saxophones, I do. She was 'finished' on January the 7th 1956, which makes her just over 52 years old. She ... Read review

Advantages: Great price and value, top quality instrument
Disadvantages: None

...out in 1984 on a Hohner C Blues Harp I found what I was looking for. It is a basic twelve hole harmonica that has stood the test of time. Before Christmas I looked at my old harp and decided that it might be time for it to go into partial retirement. Having spent about £24 on it and played it thousands of times it was looking a bit battered and scratched. It still plays beautifully, no dead reeds, fantastic tone so when I went looking for the next ...
...in bright chrome and has Hohner International embossed on one side and Silver Star on the other. The back of the comb has "HOHNER" printed in silver on the back. It comes it a rigid ABS plastic case to protect it, which is a definite improvement on the soft vinyl case that the blues harp lives in. The sound? Well, I'm still playing the Blues Harp, the tone and the ability to bend the notes remains excellent, the Silver Star can bend, but not quite ... Read review