Keith Bowen Bassoon Workshop

Professional Fox bassoons are custom made for each individual order. The Fox Products corporation requires a $1,000 deposit.

The oldest design is the "Long Bore." It is identified by a very warm "round" tone, evenly balanced, with excellent intonation throughout the entire range. It is the most secure design and its tone quality fits well into chamber music as well as orchestral second bassoon parts. It is currently used to make Fox Models I, and II.

The most flexible design is the "Short Bore". It is characterized by a tone quality that is more "open" than the long bore. It is voiced to permit the performer to open up and "sing" in solo register and its tone quality lends itself to solo performance. Fox Models 101 and 201 the professional level "Short Bore" bassoons.

The Model 601 and 660 were designed to meet the demand for power by modern orchestras. The design is a thicker walled bassoon, with longer, larger, more resonant tone holes. The tone quality is bigger, yet slightly less concentrated than the short or long bore models. Although the thick walled bassoons are more difficult to play, they deliver more power when pushed, yet easily handle soft attacks. The thick walled bassoons are designed to accommodate a wide range of mechanical options, with the player being encouraged to select those that are most appealing, including the type of wood. The Model 601 is the slightly longer version (the shorter 660 found in the short bore section). The 601 offers a slightly flatter and has a slightly warmer tone then the 660.

Keith Bowen is an authorized dealer of new Fox® and Renard Bassoons. All prices are estimates for the purpose of comparison. Actual Bassoon Prices may be different. Fox typically changes their prices at the 1st of January.