Bassoon of the Week - An Original Dobner Classical
November 14th, 2025
Bassoon of the Week - The Rarest of the Rare: An Original Dobner Bassoon for Sale
Our Bassoons of the Week series has so far focused on modern instruments, but we also have a fine selection of historical bassoons for sale from the 18th and 19th centuries.
These range from an Ignaz Huittl – active between 1750 and 1800 – through to an 1880s Heckel and a French-system Mahillon made at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries*.
An original early-19th-century French bassoon - a rare opportunity for collectors and performers alike
The focus this week is a Dobner bassoon, dating from between 1812 and 1837. This is not a copy, but an original instrument. Remarkably, despite being around 200 years old, it remains well preserved and fully playable.
The Dobner family worked contemporaneously with the Keller family (of Bühner & Keller fame**) in Strasbourg, and the two families collaborated in their instrument making activities. As a result, the Dobner shares many similarities with the better-known Bühner & Keller bassoons from the same period.
Dobner bassoons today are exceptionally rare; William Waterhouse’s New Langwill Index does not list any known examples, and even our own comprehensive database of more than 500 historical bassoons in museum collections around the world does not have an entry for one.
The related Bühner & Keller bassoons have been copied by modern makers including Leslie Ross and Paul White (incidentally we have one of Paul’s copies here along with his reamers and plans). However, this Dobner presents a very rare opportunity to own an original instrument from a collaborating maker.
A Classical-Era Masterpiece Still in Playable Condition
This Dobner is a great example of a French bassoon of the period. It has seven brass keys and a brass crook – which is a very good match and may well be original. The bassoon is in great condition, and plays comfortably at A=430Hz. Some attention will need to be given to swabbing it out every time it is played to preserve it, but other than that, once serviced, it will be a reliable instrument for any prospective owner.
What Oliver Ludlow says
“I found it easy to pick up and play straightaway. The intonation is good and it is ideal for classical and early romantic repertoire. It is well worth trying if you are on the lookout for a classical bassoon.”
Try it for Yourself
If you are interested in this Dobner, simply get in touch. You can:
- Visit us to try it in person
- Have it sent to you through our popular Try Before You Buy service.
Why not consider becoming the proud owner - and player - of this beautiful and rare 200-year-old bassoon.
*This selection is in addition to the Veriam Music Trust’s historical bassoon collection which we house.
**Bühner & Keller bassoons are renowned particularly because Étienne Ozi - the Paris-based composer, bassoonist and author of the celebrated bassoon method book Nouvelle Méthode de bassoon - played on and endorsed Bühner & Keller bassoons.
