Contrabassoon Profile: Mollenhauer (early 70's) + Bach Cello Suite Minuet II

The latest in my profiles of various Contrabassoons! Here's an older Mollenhauer with photo closeups and then the 2nd Minuet from the Bach Cello Suite so you can hear how it sounds too.

(DISCLAIMER: I have NOT been paid to make these videos. They're for you to learn more about contrabassoons!)

Thanks to Jarratt Rossini for giving me permission to videotape the horn after completing the overhaul.

Overall info about the Mollenhauer:

- 1971 contra by mollenhauer and sons - kassel Germany. (They're still in business!)
- US representative is Greg Henegar in Boston
- Before the overhaul this horn was a little weathered (corrosion, very noisy).
now pretty nice (used lithium grease to quiet down the keys)
nice purple color
octave key rollers stink
low left thumb keys in a row - newer horns different
sturdy endpeg
Low B and Bb armature - Caution with soft cases!
remove tuning slide for storage - tenor wing is not sealed like other horns
New instruments have many changes including high D key.
Orig. Mollenhauer bocals are quite good, but thinner heckle would brighten up the sound a bit.

I hope to review more instruments soon. Please contact me contrabassoon@yahoo.com if you want to help me make this happen. Thanks!
• Amati
• Heckel
• Moennig Adler
• Püchner

Hosted by Jonathan Westerling in California. Video recorded on a Canon T5i and GoPro with audio recorded on a ZoomH2. Still photography by Manu. :-)

There weren't any videos on YouTube about the different Contra makers, so I though I would do a few videos for people who want to find out more about the various instruments out there. Enjoy!

Видео Contrabassoon Profile: Mollenhauer (early 70's) + Bach Cello Suite Minuet II канала ProducerJ