| Greg's bassoon by Savary jeune, 1826 |
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I bought this instrument from Bissonet in Paris in about 1990, and until 2008 I thought it was made in 1824. Then I took some detailed photos and discovered it was made two years later. M. Bissonet tells me that it was found in an old cinema that was being demolished, and he suggested that it might have been used to accompany silent films.
This instrument is interesting mainly because it is a “cheap” Savary. It was restored by Guntram Wolf of Kronach, and despite the “cheapness”, it's a really nice instrument, one of the nicest I have played. It only has 7 keys: 2 on the bass joint (3 if you count the covered C hole), 2 on the wing, and three on the butt.
The instrument has not always been treated with tender loving care. When I got it, the top tenon of the bass joint was warped and badly oval, and the bell had been split in a couple of places. Despite all attempts, it wasn't possible to restore over these blemishes, and in the end the bell was nailed on to the top of the bass joint. In addition, the lacquer has been badly scratched. The following photos, taken in late 2008, show some of these points:
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Bell nailed on to bass joint.
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Crack in bell (in the reflection).
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The following photos were taken in mid-1998. They're of low resolution, but could be of interest:`
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