Buffet Crampon’s professional basset horn with RC bore, range to low C, and 19-key mechanism designed by René Hagmann. Fully optimized by Rodriguez Musical Services. Custom order.
$23,740.00
The basset horn is a member of the clarinet family pitched in F, sitting between the standard clarinet and the bass clarinet in range and character. Its inherently mellow, round voice has a distinct tonal identity that no other instrument can replicate. The repertoire is concentrated but significant: Mozart wrote extensively for basset horn in his wind serenades, divertimenti, and operas (La Clemenza di Tito, the Requiem), and a growing body of 20th and 21st-century works call for the instrument.
The Buffet Crampon RC Prestige Basset Horn in F is one of very few professional basset horns in current production. The RC bore’s natural warmth complements the instrument’s mellow voice, producing a round and smooth tone well suited to the music written for it.
This is a complex instrument. The mechanism includes 19 keys, 7 plateau keys, automatic double octave keys with high Bb key, and range down to low C. The design is by René Hagmann and incorporates several innovations: a special vent for throat F#, a vent hole that corrects a stuffy middle-finger B and improves clarion F# tuning, and a steel rod running through the body bore to actuate the bottom pads with precision.
Current versions use a larger bore that requires an alto clarinet mouthpiece (earlier versions used a standard clarinet mouthpiece). Players purchasing this instrument should confirm their mouthpiece compatibility.
Silver-plated keywork and Buffet’s Prestige-level craftsmanship are standard throughout.
Every basset horn that Rodriguez Musical Services sells has undergone the RMS Optimization. Pad and bumper seatings are checked, springs are adjusted, key heights are calibrated, and the entire mechanism is regulated so that the action feels effortless and the response is even across every register and dynamic level. Given the complexity of the basset horn’s 19-key mechanism, this optimization work is especially valuable.
The basset horn is an extremely niche instrument. Buyers are typically established professionals or well-funded ensembles purchasing for specific repertoire. Orchestral clarinetists who encounter basset horn parts in Mozart, Mendelssohn, Strauss, or contemporary scores, period-instrument ensemble players, and university programs building a complete clarinet family collection are the primary audience.
This is a custom order instrument with a waiting period. Contact RMS to discuss availability and timeline.
| Body | African blackwood (grenadilla) |
| Bore | RC (polycylindriRC (polycylindrical upper, conical lower) |
| Key | F |
| Range | Low C |
| Keys | Silver-plated, 19 keys, 7 plateau keys |
| Features | Automatic double octave keys with high Bb key, throat F# vent, middle-finger B vent, steel rod bore actuator for bottom pads |
| Mouthpiece compatibility | Alto clarinet mouthpiece (not included) |
| Designer | René Hagmann |
| Pads | Custom leather (RMS-installed) |
| Springs | Blue steel |
| Includes | Original Buffet Crampon case, RMS certificate of optimization |
This is a custom order instrument and is not eligible for the RMS Trial Program. Contact Rodriguez Musical Services at info@rodriguezmusical.com or 470-545-9803 to discuss availability, timeline, and pricing.
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