I just got an old Kohlert, made sometime around 1928 as it says Graslitz Bohemia, and I took it in for an overhaul estimate and they said $4,000. Is that ridiculous for a repad and a few mechanical repairs? Should I send this bassoon back where I got it? Thanks for any help.

Also, wondering if its size is normal. It is so slim. Does anyone know if Kohlert made their bassoons a bit skinnier than average?

I am in UK not N America. Everybody has there own hourly rate depending on location, experience etc. Maybe the place you took it to don't really want to do it so just picked a crazy figure out of the air!

That does sound a lot unless there are a lot of issues like tenons need replacing or they are intending to silver plate the keywork & strip,stain & re-varnish the wood. My guide price for an overhaul is the equivalent of about $600, but very rarely more than about $750; however quite often there are things like lots of loose posts & keywork that need to be refitted on these old instruments which can be very time consuming. Also spares are not available off the shelf so if, say, any pivot screws need to be replaced thay will probably have to be individually made.

My feeling is that it would not be worth spending that much on it. Maybe you should ask around & see if you can find other bassoon specialists to give estimates for you.

Good luck

Ian

I do not intend to spend $4k on it, but I wonder if it is worth it to put ANY money into it. It's been 8 years since I last played, but from what I can tell the sound (on the 4 notes it actually plays) is good, the wood is in great shape, no cracks or missing keys. Yes it needs all new padding, a really good cleaning (its filthy) and a couple new screws. I'm just so worried I might put a lot of money into it only to find out it's worthless. I was hoping the guy who looked at it today would have told me more than just "it needs new pads," especially when I asked him a second time to tell me literally everything that's wrong with it and he pretty much refused. Obviously I am not ever going back there.

So, other than my above questions, would I be able to do a repad on a Kohlert using run of the mill Ebay pads? Thanks for your help, and to anyone else that hopefully replies.

There are plenty of places to mail your bassoon to, and so I wouldn't worry about finding someone else. That said, however, if the horn only plays 4 notes you can be sure it will at least need a complete re-pad. You can try to ascertain yourself if any of the posts are wobbly. If there are broken tenons, as contra 440 said, that will cost lots extra. It sounds like this repair from this guy would be more than the horn is worth.

I have an old Kohlert which might be slightly older than yours, and it plays all but the lowest notes, so I expect it is a case of leaky pads, not much more. But I have had such a hefty estimate on it (but not $4,000!) that I decided it was not worth the work, even tho the horn is very mellow sounding. In these cases, my own personal opinion is that, like with old houses needing a lot of work, someone who can work on them for their own use is going to get a decent horn (or house) for a decent amount of money, but not anyone else. I would put my $4,000 toward something that is already in good shape.

To pick up on your comment about the 'size' of the Kohlert. Back then the wood on bassoons was generally thinner than is used these days. Which, along with fewer keys than are considered essential now, made them much lighter.

I have no experience of buying pads off e-bay but have looked at a few of the ads. Some of them just provide a set & say that the sizes chosen should fit many bassoons. Even the same model of bassoon from different periods can have different sized key cups. So if you do try repadding it yourself, it's best to measure the inside diameters of the cups & order from a recognised supplier accordingly & buy 2 sets as you are almost certain to ruin a few - even after about 20 years this can still happen!

If you do dismantle the instrument do devise a method of keeping track of the pivot screws & steels/pivot rods so that they can be replaced in the same posts - it can save a lot of grief later on!!

Thank you. I just had a closer look and found a deep crack in the boot, so I am not even going to worry about all the other stuff. It's pretty much just a throwaway now that I know.

Sounds like the perfect lamp quality bassoon!

I a gree with Drew.
Although it is posssible to repair cracks depending on how bad they are. But still not worth $4000.