An Acoustical investigation into the effect of the crook profile on the sound produced by the bassoon

Sharp, D.B.; Wright, H.A.K. and Ring, W. (2003). An Acoustical investigation into the effect of the crook profile on the sound produced by the bassoon. Acta Acustica united with Acustica, 89(1) pp. 137–144.

URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/dav/aaua/200...

Abstract

The effect of the crook on the sound produced by the bassoon has long been considered particularly significant. Bassoonists often claim that older Heckel crooks have superior playing characteristics and produce a more desirable tone than more modern crooks. In this paper, acoustic pulse reflectometry is used to investigate possible differences in internal bore profile between crooks manufactured in the first half of the 20th century and those manufactured in the second half. It is shown that, although all the measured crooks have approximately the same initial and final radii, earlier crooks (manufactured by Heckel) typically have a wider bore in the midsection than crooks made more recently (both by Heckel and other manufacturers). In an attempt to understand how these differences in crook profile affect the bassoon's acoustical properties, impedance measurements for four bassoon/crook combinations are presented and discussed.

To determine whether listeners can distinguish between sounds produced using different crooks, psychoacoustical tests have been performed. In the tests, listeners were asked to make judgments on the timbres of notes produced on a reference bassoon using a variety of crooks. Results from the tests are discussed with reference to the crook profile measurements.

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