I bought an overhauled Fox 220 from Justin Miller (I live like 20 minutes from him) when I was in high school back in 2014. It only cost me $5,500 and he even threw in a brand new case and reed adjusting kit for free! He’s so great. The 220 has served me well through college as a former music major. I highly recommend!
My affordable bassoon is a $435 ebay victory. It may not be pretty but it's perfect for me to mess around on. Someday I hope to be good enough to play in a community orchestra, I will definitely be looking for an upgrade then!
I have a question. As of now I'm starting highschool and I was just given the Fox 222, but it doesn't have the high D key. My band director gave me two options of bassoons to play: The Fox 222 or a Schreiber. Which Bassoon should I choose?
To disagree, I'd go for the Schreiber, especially if it's an older one (30+ years). The one I played through high school and college is a fantastic instrument. I still own it, 30 years later.
I tested the instruments that you call Nobel a few years ago at the Frankfurter messe and I was very impressed by their quality. Especially the wood compound version sounded and played very well. They are made in China and they have a retailer price of only 1200 dollars. The inferior plastic ones are only a few hundred dollars cheaper. I told some Dutch retailers about my plans to buy a bunch of the instruments and some answered me that these bassoons were ok but that the keywork was very weak and prone to quick wear.
First, I want to say thank you so much for your channel!! My daughter has been playing the bassoon since she was in the 9th grade (she’s a Junior now) and is self taught. Madeline was just accepted into District Honor band and has been nominated to try out for Governor’s band at Berry College. We know she wants to play the bassoon in college (and march with the saxophone as she does now). My question is, what bassoon do you think is the best next step for her? I believe she is on the Renard (school loaned) plastic one currently. We would like to get her one that will go with her to college and these extra band opportunities but certainly not go above $10k (would like way less IF possible). As of now, Madeline isn’t majoring in music, she just loves marching and her bassoon! If you could advise, that would be so appreciated!!! Thank you!!
I ended up getting a Kohlert on eBay (reputable seller) and took it to a bassoon repair specialist. In all, I spent just under $2000. She has great color and with my Heckel bocal she's even better. I grappled with this for a while and decided there's no sense putting ones-self into serious debt for an instrument that will upgraded within a few years. As always, great video. Thanks for the post.
There are some great Kohlerts out there- sounds like you got a good one at a great price! And I love the upgrade with a Heckel bocal. Thanks for your support and watching. :) Happy Bassoon-ing!
Fascinating! Thanks as always for your insights. When I bought my bassoon from Forrests in 1986 I chose the Fox Model III. As now it was lower priced than a Renard 220 or 240, and my thinking went, "Have a professional level instrument rather than a student, even though it will be polypropylene rather than wood." As an intermediate amateur (I guess, how do we categorize ourselves????), it has met my needs and over the years I have added rollers for right thumb and right little finger F sharp, the pro U-tube, high A bridge, most of which I couldn't have done on a Renard. Have I continued to wonder if I should have bought, or upgraded to, a wood instrument? Sure. But I've chosen to practice santosha, contentment, and be satisfied with what I have. I would appreciate your thoughts on the Fox Model III (and IV). Thanks again for all you do Eryn! Especially for the discount codes which I hope will help lots of new students to take up double reeds.
Hi Paul- The Fox Model III is going to be similar in many ways to the Fox 41. There has been extra care in the Model III in the finishing work not done on the Fox 41. The bonus of a polypropylene instrument is that you never need worry about rot, hot or cold weather, etc. The downside is that plastic will never resonate and vibrate like wood. I know a lot of band programs/music schools would love to have your instrument for the low maintenance factor. It's a toss up- every bassoonist needs to find what fits their needs. And sometimes bassoonists outgrow their original needs. I hope this helps! Always love to hear from you! :) Happy Bassoon-ing!
I recently purchased a Royal Global Max low c bass clarinet which is Grenadilla wood composite construction. WOW. I have a wooden Selmer and Amati that dont even have the same focus
this is completely unrelated to the video, but i just found out that you're the principal bassoonist for my local symphony orchestra. i knew that you lived close because you go to all of the conventions in and around georgia but knowing that you've probably played with some of my teachers is crazy
Yes, the music world is a small place- especially for double reed. If your ever at a performance I'd love for you to come say HEY! And you might consider coming to our Annual JSU Double Reed Day in January. :) Happy Bassoon-ing!
I have purchased a Tempest Bassoon from Agility Winds and while it is 3500$, it plays very well for my taste. If you could, would you so kindly experiment with this instrument?
Next week in the blog (there is always a blog linked to the video) I will be charting my favorite brands for used bassoons and my not so favorite brands. Hope you will join me. www.erynoft.com/blog.
I’m looking for a fairly cheaper bassoon such as the nobel pvnb1w. I looked on the website to purchase it and I used the “eryno” and “erynoft” codes but neither worked. Do you have another other recommendations for something cheaper. I’m in a high school wind ensemble.
Morgan Gingerich I just double checked the website- Be sure it doesn’t try to use a capital letter. As long as it is all lowercase eryno will work. I honestly do not have a new bassoon for less I would recommend. Hope this helps.
Been many years since I played a bassoon I have an opportunity to purchase Moennig Artist modelfrom 1952 for 3k is that considered a good deal? I know I may need to take it to a bassoon specialist to have renovated! Thanks
The recommendations in the video and the corresponding blog would be my top choices. There are other brands on the market that I didn't mention- largely because I do not believe they would be a solid investment. Hope this helps!
Judorange1980 I play a Heckel 10000 series. Here is a video with more details about the restoration when I first got it. th-cam.com/video/iNUWIdSxtyM/w-d-xo.html
I play the oboe but i want to learn how to play the bassoon too after I get better at the oboe. What is a good beginner bassoon that is affordable for a broke college student? 😅
So to buy one of these, do you just email Justin Miller about it and include the discount code in the email? Also, do you think that the Nobel wood composite instrument would be good enough for a high school student? Or would I have to immediately go for a 240 or 220
Yes, you can either call or email Justin to purchase. And be sure to let him know that you watched the video and you will be all set to save the $1000 on the purchase price. I do think that this would take you all the way through high school. And even some colleges (if not a performance major). Hope this helps. :)
Happy to Help! The Nobel website is currently under construction and should be available later this month. Contact information for the company is available on my blog linked to this video. Wish I could make it easier- but It's Coming. Just in a few weeks. :)
This was a great video, thank you! Just wondering if you planned to do another like this in the student range? I'm looking at purchasing my own bassoon (under 15k) and I'm having trouble deciding on an instrument. Has to be able to last me my uni degree/hopefully most of my career until I upgrade. Also have you heard much about Moosmanns?
I would love to do your suggested video. I am not sure if I can get all of the companies on board. For this video I had to purchase a Fox 41 to get an accurate comparison. There is more about this on my last week's blog. www.erynoft.com. Wish I could do more- It just take more time! Happy Bassoon-ing!
BillyBob I make reeds for my beginners and would be happy to make you some. I'm actually playing one of the student model reeds I make in the video. Visit my webpage www.erynoft.com for details.
there are a lot of affordable bassoons that you have not mentioned: Amati, Adler, Moosman to name a few. All have bassoons in the price range $3000 - $5000.
I bought an overhauled Fox 220 from Justin Miller (I live like 20 minutes from him) when I was in high school back in 2014. It only cost me $5,500 and he even threw in a brand new case and reed adjusting kit for free! He’s so great. The 220 has served me well through college as a former music major. I highly recommend!
I love hearing happy stories! :)
My affordable bassoon is a $435 ebay victory. It may not be pretty but it's perfect for me to mess around on. Someday I hope to be good enough to play in a community orchestra, I will definitely be looking for an upgrade then!
I'm glad you found a bassoon to get you through. Congratulations!
I have a question. As of now I'm starting highschool and I was just given the Fox 222, but it doesn't have the high D key. My band director gave me two options of bassoons to play: The Fox 222 or a Schreiber. Which Bassoon should I choose?
Aubrey Ell the FOX! Schreibers can be very inconsistent. And you don't necessarily need a high d key to play the d. 😊
Eryn Oft Thank you so much for the help!
You're Welcome! :)
To disagree, I'd go for the Schreiber, especially if it's an older one (30+ years). The one I played through high school and college is a fantastic instrument. I still own it, 30 years later.
Lucky lmao. I wish I had a fox at our school. We just have a couple of Lintons 😬
I tested the instruments that you call Nobel a few years ago at the Frankfurter messe and I was very impressed by their quality. Especially the wood compound version sounded and played very well.
They are made in China and they have a retailer price of only 1200 dollars. The inferior plastic ones are only a few hundred dollars cheaper.
I told some Dutch retailers about my plans to buy a bunch of the instruments and some answered me that these bassoons were ok but that the keywork was very weak and prone to quick wear.
I got a pretty good one for 750 :P
That's Awesome! :)
Damn that’s a steal!
First, I want to say thank you so much for your channel!! My daughter has been playing the bassoon since she was in the 9th grade (she’s a Junior now) and is self taught. Madeline was just accepted into District Honor band and has been nominated to try out for Governor’s band at Berry College. We know she wants to play the bassoon in college (and march with the saxophone as she does now). My question is, what bassoon do you think is the best next step for her? I believe she is on the Renard (school loaned) plastic one currently. We would like to get her one that will go with her to college and these extra band opportunities but certainly not go above $10k (would like way less IF possible). As of now, Madeline isn’t majoring in music, she just loves marching and her bassoon! If you could advise, that would be so appreciated!!! Thank you!!
I just sent you an email so that we can find the best longterm solution! Happy Bassooning!
I ended up getting a Kohlert on eBay (reputable seller) and took it to a bassoon repair specialist. In all, I spent just under $2000. She has great color and with my Heckel bocal she's even better.
I grappled with this for a while and decided there's no sense putting ones-self into serious debt for an instrument that will upgraded within a few years.
As always, great video. Thanks for the post.
There are some great Kohlerts out there- sounds like you got a good one at a great price! And I love the upgrade with a Heckel bocal. Thanks for your support and watching. :) Happy Bassoon-ing!
Fascinating! Thanks as always for your insights. When I bought my bassoon from Forrests in 1986 I chose the Fox Model III. As now it was lower priced than a Renard 220 or 240, and my thinking went, "Have a professional level instrument rather than a student, even though it will be polypropylene rather than wood." As an intermediate amateur (I guess, how do we categorize ourselves????), it has met my needs and over the years I have added rollers for right thumb and right little finger F sharp, the pro U-tube, high A bridge, most of which I couldn't have done on a Renard. Have I continued to wonder if I should have bought, or upgraded to, a wood instrument? Sure. But I've chosen to practice santosha, contentment, and be satisfied with what I have. I would appreciate your thoughts on the Fox Model III (and IV). Thanks again for all you do Eryn! Especially for the discount codes which I hope will help lots of new students to take up double reeds.
Hi Paul- The Fox Model III is going to be similar in many ways to the Fox 41. There has been extra care in the Model III in the finishing work not done on the Fox 41. The bonus of a polypropylene instrument is that you never need worry about rot, hot or cold weather, etc. The downside is that plastic will never resonate and vibrate like wood. I know a lot of band programs/music schools would love to have your instrument for the low maintenance factor. It's a toss up- every bassoonist needs to find what fits their needs. And sometimes bassoonists outgrow their original needs. I hope this helps! Always love to hear from you! :) Happy Bassoon-ing!
A fox renard is actually a good bassoon for it's affordable price i have a fox renard myself
I agree! I love the 240 and 220 but both of those instruments cost well over the $5000 budget set for this challenge.
What is your opinion of the chinese made bassoons that cost$1500.00
Honestly I think there should be more
Its the chicken and the egg problem
If you’re a kid your school band may have one for you to sign out and borrow
I love your channel! You helped me learn to better half hole on my high G's. I have a antigua bassoon and I just love it.
That's great! I am so happy to help. Comments like yours keep me going. Much appreciate you taking the time to write. Happy Bassoon-ing! :)
I recently purchased a Royal Global Max low c bass clarinet which is Grenadilla wood composite construction. WOW. I have a wooden Selmer and Amati that dont even have the same focus
this is completely unrelated to the video, but i just found out that you're the principal bassoonist for my local symphony orchestra. i knew that you lived close because you go to all of the conventions in and around georgia but knowing that you've probably played with some of my teachers is crazy
Yes, the music world is a small place- especially for double reed. If your ever at a performance I'd love for you to come say HEY! And you might consider coming to our Annual JSU Double Reed Day in January. :) Happy Bassoon-ing!
I have purchased a Tempest Bassoon from Agility Winds and while it is 3500$, it plays very well for my taste. If you could, would you so kindly experiment with this instrument?
Next week in the blog (there is always a blog linked to the video) I will be charting my favorite brands for used bassoons and my not so favorite brands. Hope you will join me. www.erynoft.com/blog.
Hi do you know schiller’s bassoon?
Where did you buy the Nobel PVNB1W ?
I’m looking for a fairly cheaper bassoon such as the nobel pvnb1w. I looked on the website to purchase it and I used the “eryno” and “erynoft” codes but neither worked. Do you have another other recommendations for something cheaper. I’m in a high school wind ensemble.
Morgan Gingerich I just double checked the website- Be sure it doesn’t try to use a capital letter. As long as it is all lowercase eryno will work. I honestly do not have a new bassoon for less I would recommend. Hope this helps.
I love playing the bassoon but when I go over the break I squeak and my Bassoon is over 10 thousand dollars any tips???
weird flex but ok
More space in your embrochure is what my teacher says and just blow
Sunya Walker Make sure that you half hole the left hand first finger properly and that the boot joint seals correctly
thanks! very informative and interesting
Great vídeo. Very useful for one of my students. Muchas gracias!
Happy to help! Happy Bassoon-ing to you and your students. :)
@@erynoft Thank you for your kindness.
Been many years since I played a bassoon I have an opportunity to purchase Moennig Artist modelfrom 1952 for 3k is that considered a good deal? I know I may need to take it to a bassoon specialist to have renovated! Thanks
Hi Eryn, any experience with Accent bassoon? What are your recommendations for a 2nd bassoon to be used exclusively for outdoor concerts?
The recommendations in the video and the corresponding blog would be my top choices. There are other brands on the market that I didn't mention- largely because I do not believe they would be a solid investment. Hope this helps!
Would you recommend the recommended Nobel to someone looking to learn Bassoon for a master's in Woodwind Performance/Pedagogy degree?
Which one do you personally own? (outside of this selection I mean)
Are you asking which bassoon I own in the $5000 or less category? Or which bassoon is my main bassoon?
Which model is your main bassoon in general, yes ;)
Judorange1980 I play a Heckel 10000 series. Here is a video with more details about the restoration when I first got it. th-cam.com/video/iNUWIdSxtyM/w-d-xo.html
I play the oboe but i want to learn how to play the bassoon too after I get better at the oboe. What is a good beginner bassoon that is affordable for a broke college student? 😅
So to buy one of these, do you just email Justin Miller about it and include the discount code in the email? Also, do you think that the Nobel wood composite instrument would be good enough for a high school student? Or would I have to immediately go for a 240 or 220
Yes, you can either call or email Justin to purchase. And be sure to let him know that you watched the video and you will be all set to save the $1000 on the purchase price. I do think that this would take you all the way through high school. And even some colleges (if not a performance major). Hope this helps. :)
This was too helpful. Could you link a place online where to buy nobel bassoons?
Happy to Help! The Nobel website is currently under construction and should be available later this month. Contact information for the company is available on my blog linked to this video. Wish I could make it easier- but It's Coming. Just in a few weeks. :)
My school gave me a Fox Renard 41, not great but I can make do.
This was a great video, thank you! Just wondering if you planned to do another like this in the student range? I'm looking at purchasing my own bassoon (under 15k) and I'm having trouble deciding on an instrument. Has to be able to last me my uni degree/hopefully most of my career until I upgrade. Also have you heard much about Moosmanns?
I would love to do your suggested video. I am not sure if I can get all of the companies on board. For this video I had to purchase a Fox 41 to get an accurate comparison. There is more about this on my last week's blog. www.erynoft.com. Wish I could do more- It just take more time! Happy Bassoon-ing!
I hope you make a video on how to trill
WOW! I hadn't thought of that. I could do that. Look for it in coming months. Thanks for the suggestion.
I'm in the beginner band at my school and they lend us the fox 240 models
You are so lucky! Thanks for watching. Let me know if you have any video requests or suggestions. :) Happy Bassoon-ing!
Eryn Oft do you have any recommendations for beginner bassoon reeds thanks
BillyBob I make reeds for my beginners and would be happy to make you some. I'm actually playing one of the student model reeds I make in the video. Visit my webpage www.erynoft.com for details.
do you make money from being a professional bassoon player?
|Hello| Yes!
No
HELP i'm thinking of learning bassoon, should i get a plastic reed, and if i do, how often will i have to replace it?
Play the recorder first
This is as of April 2019, just a heads up, Nobel’s website is not longer working.
I can’t find anything online as to what happened to the company.
Nah it's back
Too many bassoonists, too little jobs . Supply and demand
For 50000$ you can start your own bassoon making workshop... Low demand and irrational high standards raise the price ...
I have seen some bassoons up to $85,000!
Any thoughts on the Moosmann M24?
These were a bit out of the price range but when I do bassoons for $10000-$5000 I will be sure to cover it! :)
there are a lot of affordable bassoons that you have not mentioned: Amati, Adler, Moosman to name a few. All have bassoons in the price range $3000 - $5000.
Take a look at this video. There is a further discussion over there. www.erynoft.com. Thanks for watching!
Affordable? :thinking:
I know- this is as good as it gets for "affordable" bassoons.
Why am I here, I’m a saxophonist 👁👄👁
Lol I play clarinet and violin what am I doing
Living your best bassoon life! :)
I don't even play woodwind, I play viola
Jason Shan oof
got my fox 222 for 2500 😆
Way to GO!!! :)