Yamaha S-Bend Bassoon Brush

Advantages: As close to a piano as you can possibly get
Disadvantages: Takes up a lot of space, extremely heavy

...I bought a Yamaha Clavinova CVP-87A in mint condition just 2 years ago from a well known music supplier, together with stool and original instruction manual and style disk. This is truly a remarkable piece of instrumental equipment which would cost around £2,000-£3,000 to purchase, had it been a new model. I bought it for £900, but only because it was second hand to begin with, so I really feel as if I'd got myself a bargain. I have heard that the Yamaha CVP Clavinova digital pianos are the most advanced digital pianos ever designed. A friend of mine who plays a lot better than I do, was really excited when I told him what I'd bought and couldn’t wait to try it out. He said that if you want a digital piano that has as true to life piano sound as a piano, with so many different instrument sounds, a floppy disk drive... Read review

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Advantages: fantastic tone
Disadvantages: not too cheap

...I purchased my Huller bassoon just after Christmas 1999, as I was then using a bassoon belonging to my school. The bassoon I purchased was second hand but still in fantastic condition. I would recommend Huller bassoons as they have a deep, mellow tone, essential to all bassoonists. I would advise those who have been playing a while and who aren't just looking for a starting instrument, as they don't come cheap, but it I also advise those interested in purchasing to look for second hand instruments as they tend to keep their value better than new, and still have the quality of tone and the fantastic appearance only found in the wood of a bassoon. However, as I have already mentioned, they aren't the cheapest of bassoons, but as they are made to the original German design, they are some of the most playable instruments around... Read review

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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, and that is the part that joins the big tube to the small tube, as the "key" is made out of very soft metal and bends really easily. The other is that the silver plating on the keys wears off very easily, leaving thumb plates and finger rests looking dull and black.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful