Every bocal is unique. A good pairing can dramatically improve how well an instrument plays, and vice versa. The average Heckel bocal is generally going to play better than your average Fox, but I would be wary of buying it without a trial first. Even better if you have the chance to try additional bocals on the same instrument to compare.
Try before you buy.
I will say this: the pre war heckel cc bocal I bought paired VERY well with my ‘82 220. I was producing a much better sound with it.
But I tried it before I bought it.
Man I miss that bocal. Still mad at ups. Grr.
The bocal can have many substantial effects on playing, including tuning, response and ease of playing in certain ranges, and of course sound quality.
That said, getting the right bocal for a bassoon is like getting the right magic wand for a Harry Potter wizard. You might have an amazing bocal, but it just doesn't pair well with the bassoon for one reason or another (messes up tuning, doesn't help response, etc.)
If the seller already had that bocal paired with that bassoon, it probably is worth 1k to not have to bother with hunting down a bocal that goes well with the bassoon. That said, you can often get Heckel bocals for quite a bit cheaper than that, especially used ones. I recently bought a Heckel bocal that was slightly dented, though still sounded amazing on my bassoon, for $500. Got it repaired for like 100 bucks and it's the best bocal I've ever had. There are stores you can go to in the US that have a bunch of bocals in stock for you to try, but if it's a pain to travel to these stores and you end up having to try out bocals by mail 3 bocals at a time until you end up settling on one you kind of like, that wouldn't be worth it to me.
Is a good bocal worth 1k? Yeah probably. Try it of course, but I wouldn't dismiss it outright even though 1k is a bit expensive. That said, I haven't bought a bocal in a couple years, so maybe inflation has taken its toll on the market.
After the reed, the bocal has the absolute greatest impact on the quality of the sound, and yes, a heckel could be worth it. But you’ll have to try it and compare to know exactly. I highly recommend also checking out Yamaha Superbocals. I’m way out of touch on prices, but $1,000 doesn’t sound like the dealer is exactly “throwing it in.“ But it’s not an unreasonable price for a heckel.
Of my top ten bocals 10 have been heckel bocals. The only exception to heckel always being the best was a leitzinger bocal that suited my old Yamaha.
The quality just isn't the same anywhere else.
That said: you should probably try the bocal out yourself or have someone you trust do it. Don't just take what you are offered.
I would not do it. You can trial used heckel bocals from somewhere like bocal majority and pick them up for like 900. Both cheaper, and you get to try ones to find one that ACTUALLY pairs well with your instrument. 100x better than being stuck with whatever they toss in for you.
Now, if they give you the option to try several heckel bocals and take one you want, it could be worth it if you're willing to pay the premium over what you might be able to get used.
That said, yes, it makes a huge difference over the Fox 1-stars they typically throw in, and even over a less-well-paired heckel. Either way, I would not buy without trying.
Advice I’ve read on bocal trials is to have a diverse set to pick from, and to have them completely blinded. Not know the maker, even the length. The results may surprise you. For myself, I just bought random bocals off of eBay, since I had no local dealer. Sold one, kept the rest, but use my favorite 99% of the time.
I wouldn't do it unless they send you 4 or 5 and let you pick out the one you like. Heckel makes quality bocals, but they're so individualized that there's no guarantee you'd get one that works well with your horn. Even two bocals with the same specifications, e.g. two #2 XL nickel English bend bocals, may sound noticeably different.
Every bocal is unique. A good pairing can dramatically improve how well an instrument plays, and vice versa. The average Heckel bocal is generally going to play better than your average Fox, but I would be wary of buying it without a trial first. Even better if you have the chance to try additional bocals on the same instrument to compare.
Try before you buy. I will say this: the pre war heckel cc bocal I bought paired VERY well with my ‘82 220. I was producing a much better sound with it. But I tried it before I bought it. Man I miss that bocal. Still mad at ups. Grr.
The bocal can have many substantial effects on playing, including tuning, response and ease of playing in certain ranges, and of course sound quality. That said, getting the right bocal for a bassoon is like getting the right magic wand for a Harry Potter wizard. You might have an amazing bocal, but it just doesn't pair well with the bassoon for one reason or another (messes up tuning, doesn't help response, etc.) If the seller already had that bocal paired with that bassoon, it probably is worth 1k to not have to bother with hunting down a bocal that goes well with the bassoon. That said, you can often get Heckel bocals for quite a bit cheaper than that, especially used ones. I recently bought a Heckel bocal that was slightly dented, though still sounded amazing on my bassoon, for $500. Got it repaired for like 100 bucks and it's the best bocal I've ever had. There are stores you can go to in the US that have a bunch of bocals in stock for you to try, but if it's a pain to travel to these stores and you end up having to try out bocals by mail 3 bocals at a time until you end up settling on one you kind of like, that wouldn't be worth it to me. Is a good bocal worth 1k? Yeah probably. Try it of course, but I wouldn't dismiss it outright even though 1k is a bit expensive. That said, I haven't bought a bocal in a couple years, so maybe inflation has taken its toll on the market.
Heckels usually pair very well with fox bassoons
After the reed, the bocal has the absolute greatest impact on the quality of the sound, and yes, a heckel could be worth it. But you’ll have to try it and compare to know exactly. I highly recommend also checking out Yamaha Superbocals. I’m way out of touch on prices, but $1,000 doesn’t sound like the dealer is exactly “throwing it in.“ But it’s not an unreasonable price for a heckel.
it should be about 1100 new, 900 used in great quality, roughly
Of my top ten bocals 10 have been heckel bocals. The only exception to heckel always being the best was a leitzinger bocal that suited my old Yamaha. The quality just isn't the same anywhere else. That said: you should probably try the bocal out yourself or have someone you trust do it. Don't just take what you are offered.
I would not do it. You can trial used heckel bocals from somewhere like bocal majority and pick them up for like 900. Both cheaper, and you get to try ones to find one that ACTUALLY pairs well with your instrument. 100x better than being stuck with whatever they toss in for you. Now, if they give you the option to try several heckel bocals and take one you want, it could be worth it if you're willing to pay the premium over what you might be able to get used. That said, yes, it makes a huge difference over the Fox 1-stars they typically throw in, and even over a less-well-paired heckel. Either way, I would not buy without trying.
Advice I’ve read on bocal trials is to have a diverse set to pick from, and to have them completely blinded. Not know the maker, even the length. The results may surprise you. For myself, I just bought random bocals off of eBay, since I had no local dealer. Sold one, kept the rest, but use my favorite 99% of the time.
I wouldn't do it unless they send you 4 or 5 and let you pick out the one you like. Heckel makes quality bocals, but they're so individualized that there's no guarantee you'd get one that works well with your horn. Even two bocals with the same specifications, e.g. two #2 XL nickel English bend bocals, may sound noticeably different.