Buying a Second-Hand Bassoon

New instruments can take many years to reach their full potential in sound quality. If a bassoon has been cared for properly its sound qualities will improve over time. As new wood grows older it settles and becomes more stable, giving the bassoon a richer, more reliable sound.

Some of the finest makers of new bassoons leave their wood to age for a minimum of 12 years (Heckel in Germany, for example) before using it to make a bassoon. This aids the stability of the wood in the bassoon and its acoustic properties over time.

Buying second-hand, the wood is often much older than this and is, as a result, very stable. Furthermore, the acoustic qualities of the maple wood from which bassoons are made changes and improves over time through being played.

The mature, rich sound quality of previously-owned bassoons is one of the strongest reasons to buy second-hand.