I've only ever made one bassoon reed in my life, and that was a long time ago. I've decided that I don't have the time or inclination to make my own reeds, so I buy them from other makers. I have a few favourites, and I try to support them as much as I can. I thought it was about time to start a list of the makers I know, along the lines of my own amateur orchestras site. There's no implicit or explicit recommendation of any of the makers here. After all what may be the best reed ever for me is almost certainly not going to be the ONE for you!
| Maker | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chiswell Reeds | Chiswell Reeds | Premium quality bassoon and contrabassoon reeds |
| Howard Dann | Howard's Reeds | German, French & Baroque reeds |
| Ben Exell | Golden Reeds | Every bassoonist has their preferred style of bassoon reed but the reed method I have established is one that produces high-quality, consistent and well-balanced reeds that suit players with a variety of different tastes. And all of this with the unparalleled stylish golden binding that comes as standard with Golden Reeds! |
| Tom Hardy | Tom Hardy Bassoon Reeds | |
| London Reeds (Made by Amy Thompson) | These reeds are designed to be ready to play. They are individually finished and tested to ensure that each reed is of a consistently high quality, and they have been receiving lovely feedback including:
"Your reeds are the best I’ve played on in a long time" "Reeds received on Wednesday and played a concert on Thursday straight out of the box. The reeds are fabulous!" They are often used by professionals as well as amateurs, and have been played (with positive feedback) in orchestras such as Ulster Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and Orpheus Sinfonia, amongst others. |
|
| Steve Marsden | Marsden Bassoon Reeds | Steve is principal bassoonist with the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, a busy freelance player (orchestral and soloist) and also Professor of Bassoon at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. |
| Andrew Stowell | Bassoon Reeds For Sale | The bassoon reeds that I sell are identical to those that I used in my twenty-one years as Second Bassoon at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London). |
| Retailer | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DoubleReed | DoubleReed Bassoon Reeds | We stock a selection of top quality bassoon reeds, suitable for all bassoonists. All reed types have been extensively tested by us for playability and durability before being offered for sale. |
| Crook & Staple | Bassoon Reeds | As a bassoonist reeds dominate your life; determining your sound, ease of response & tuning. This is why we handpick the best reeds for bassoon in the UK and even from around the globe for you to play. If you need any help just drop one of our bassoon experts a line or glance at our Q&A's at the bottom of this page! |
| Howarth of London | Shop for reeds | |
| John Packer | Bassoon Reeds |
There are many more makers out there, and I will add them as I find them. If you are a maker, or know of one that I should include, please contact me and let me know. reeds@bassoongb.net