I am looking for a bassoon that i hope to bring with me to college. I am currently in 11th grade and have played bassoon for 1 year, however, I am excelling quite rapidly in my playing. Currently I am using a school bassoon (a student Fox model) and would like to purchase a good, quality bassoon that would last through college.

Are there any good bassoons for less that $3000? There are so many brands out there that it is easy to be mislead. My teacher reccomended a Renard Fox 240, however that would cost in the $5000 range.

What brands and models are well made and sound good, either used or new that I could buy for a smaller cost?

Also, is Polisi a good make? I`ve had a hard time researching that brand.

Thanks for any help you can give,
Clay

That is a hard question. I don`t think there are any new bassoons under $3000 matching your request.

A Fox R. 240 or entry-level puchner would be good ideas, for a little more money.

Polisis are hard to describe. I honestly cannot come to a concluision with them.

Seems like the perfect solution for you...http://www.wwbw.com/Amati-ABN-81S-Bassoon-i23072.music
however some people advise against this brand, a friend of mine has one and its great and i have also played on a few and they are good.....the reviews of that bassoon on there are also good....so i dont think you can go wrong!

Oh ya... Ameican dollars... that`s a farily good instrument at a farily good price. You should buy it from somewhere with a trial evaluation.

Good luck!

Here`s what I know about Polisi bassoons, from an article I read years ago. They were made by William Polisi, a very well-known bassoonist. He started with bassoons from Kohlert in Germany and made modifications and adjustments including adding some keywork of his own design. I`d say a Polisi would probably be a better than average intermediate bassoon.

I think the major issue with a Polisi bassoon would be condition due to age. I don`t know how long the company was in business, but Mr. Polisi died in 1984. A Polisi could easily be 40 years old and would likely need an overhaul. Hope this helps.

I don`t now anything of that brand. I have a Fox Renard Artist which I purchased from a graduate performance major in college who was upgrading to a professional line. I didn`t own a bassoon until college either, and I played all through middle/junior/high school.

Check colleges in your state and surrounding states online. Find out the names of the bassoon professors and email them to see if any students are upgrading their instruments and are thinking of selling their original ones. Mine is a very nice one because this graduate student was the original owner and he broke it in really well. I got lucky and got it for $2,500 back in 1983.

Good luck.

The pertinent part of your question is "would like to purchase a good, quality bassoon that would last through college.". If you are considering majoring in music, or even playing in college ensembles throughout your college career, do whatever you need to do to get a quality instrument. The Renard 220 or 240 is probably one of the best buys in the "student line" category and are being used in many college and community orchestras. If you try to "get by" on what you can get on the cheap, you will probably regret it in a couple of years and the Renards will certainly stand you in good stead through college and beyond. Also the Fox Model III has a great reputation for a propylene (plastic) instrument and is priced even lower than a Renard. Take a look at this web site http://www.mddoublereed.com/bassoons.htm
for some information from a Fox rep and player. (I`m not affiliated with Fox or with their reps, I just think they have great horns.)

Rich

moosmann.....i am the "resident" moosmann "artist" on this board, and i can say they are excellent. They have everything that you want, good intonation, great projection. the horn just feels right in my hands to be honest.

But spend more on your instrument, becuase if you get a crappy instrument, you will only have to upgrade up at college, when your prof said you cant play on that.

cheers

Arnold