I noticed that fox usually uses red string, and some uses cork on the tenor on the bassoon. Fox's website claims that string is safer for your instrument, do you guys know what they are are talking about, any disadvantages/advantages to string v. cork, besides string lasts longer, and if so, why dont other instruments use string on their tenons?
Thanks in advance!

I recently bought a fox 222, and it has all cork tenons. the only reason given for this was that god made cork and man made string, and what man is better than god? Its not really a factual basis for having cork tenons over strings, but it works. I had the bassoon checked over my a technician near me who prefers sting tenons because he believed it was more strucutrally sound. But I do not know for sure which is better. My school bassoon had string tenons, and almost never needed greesed, the cork tenons i have now need greese every time i play, but that is because the tenons are new as of april 2008.

Thanks for responding! I have learned over time that it involves something, like you said, with the structure. Some believe it makes it less likely to damage the tenons, and of course it never really needs to be greased. I wish other instruments had the string, so you could use less grease! Some web sites actually tell the people to not put vaseline on the corks! WHO WOULD DO THAT? LOL It is a pain to grease the bocal cork!

Cork tennons require heat to apply the glue to the horn. If your bassoon is wooden, there is a possibility of overheating it and burning the wood. In addition, one should use caking wax with thread and cork grease with corks.

It really has to do with what the different manufacturers prefer. Many use cork, some use string. Obviously, if you buy a bassoon that has string wrap, you will likely continue with this unless it all unravels and you want to do something else. If the horn you buy has cork wrapped tenons, you'll stay with that unless there is a compelling reason to change, and I don't know of any. IMHO there is no one best way despite what many repairmen will tell you. If there were, all the manufacturers would have changed to it.

It's also to do with tradition & players' preference.

These days most people use contact adhesive to fix tenon corks - the use of shellac, which does require heat, went out of fashion many years ago.

I am surprised nobody has pointed this out already, but string on the tenons is useful because when the tenon gets loose, you just wind more string on to it. With a cork, it is necessary to replace the cork. I like to buy my bassoons with cork, then when they wear out, replace the cork with string!