Professional/Conservatory
Woodwind · Instrument Hub Specification and market analysis
Contrabassoon
The contrabassoon (also called double bassoon) is a double-reed woodwind pitched an octave below the standard bassoon, built from roughly 18 feet of folded conical bore compressed into a body only slightly taller than a bassoon's. It is the lowest regularly used wind instrument in the modern symphony orchestra.
Role in the orchestra and band
Functions as a tonal bridge between the bassoon section and the low brass, and reinforces the orchestra's lowest string lines; composers occasionally give it brief exposed solo passages for its distinctive low color. Almost always a single player per orchestra (a "doubling" bassoonist), rather than a dedicated full-time chair, and the instrument itself is overwhelmingly owned by the orchestra or institution rather than the individual player.
Sound and range
Roughly three octaves, fully chromatic; modern instruments are built down to B-flat1, with some extended to A1 — the lowest written pitches of any standard orchestral wind instrument. Not a transposing instrument; parts are written in bass clef.
Common types
German (Heckel-derived) system — the standard system built by Fox and other current makers.
Professional four-piece construction — body, wing/bass joints, and bell, built to fold the instrument's very long bore into a manageable overall height.
No entry, student, or intermediate tier exists in current production — every contrabassoon on the market today is built and priced as a professional/institutional instrument.
Who should choose the contrabassoon
Contrabassoon is not a first instrument: it is played almost exclusively by bassoonists who already have significant playing experience and are asked (or choose) to "double" on it within a school, conservatory, or professional orchestra program, typically using an institution-owned instrument rather than buying their own. There is no meaningful beginner or rental market for this instrument at any price — even Bassoon, which this site documents as unusually expensive for a "first instrument," at least has a nominal rental market that Contrabassoon does not.
Buying guidance for beginners and level progression
Almost nobody buys a contrabassoon the way they buy a flute or a trumpet. In practice, working contrabassoonists play an instrument owned by their orchestra, conservatory, or school program — a real, confirmed new instrument from the field’s standard maker, Fox Products, currently runs $39,680-$45,680, with no student or intermediate tier at any price. If you are researching this instrument, you are far more likely to be a bassoonist asked to double on contrabassoon within an existing program, a band or orchestra director sourcing an institutional purchase, or simply curious about the lowest voice in the orchestra — this page is written for all three, but does not pretend a beginner buying path exists where none does.
For an institution weighing a purchase: confirm which key system and bore length your ensemble’s repertoire actually requires, budget for the bocals and reeds separately (a contrabassoon reed is a distinct, larger consumable from a bassoon reed), and expect a special-order lead time — major retailers including Sweetwater confirm they do not keep this instrument in regular stock and fulfill orders directly through their relationship with the manufacturer.
Common problems
- Given the price, a used contrabassoon represents a far larger inspection risk than almost any other used instrument on this site — pad seals, bocal condition, and the low-register mechanism should be checked specifically by a technician experienced with double reeds and low woodwinds before any used purchase.
- Contrabassoon reeds are a distinct, larger-scale consumable from bassoon reeds and are not interchangeable between the two instruments — budget and source them separately.
Recommended starting points
Major brands
Fox Products
Frequently asked questions
This FAQ reflects our own desk research. We'll add an "expert reviewed" label once a named, credentialed reviewer has been engaged for this subject.
Not really — there is no student or entry-level contrabassoon currently in production at any price. Every current model is built and priced as a professional/institutional instrument, and the realistic path into playing one is doubling from bassoon within a school, conservatory, or orchestra program that already owns one.
Its much longer folded bore, larger keywork, and far smaller total production volume (it is a niche, largely institutional-purchase instrument) put it in a different manufacturing category from student or even professional bassoons — current confirmed new pricing runs $39,680-$45,680.
Modern instruments are built down to B-flat1, with some makers extending the range to A1 — the lowest written pitches of any instrument in the standard orchestral wind section.