Double Reed Ltd. at the Big Double Reed Day 2013

The Big Double Reed Day has evidently become one of the most important events in the British double reed calendar. The exhibition hall in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama is large, but the Big Double Reed Day could hardly be contained!

Double Reed Ltd. bassoon stand BDRD 2013

The number of people in attendance was phenomenal (can anyone provide the exact number?) During peak times the entire hall was so packed it was difficult to move. However, thanks to excellent planning this wasn't a problem as events were staggered throughout the day so that oboe and bassoon recitals, master-classes and so on usually commenced half an hour apart.

Managing the Double Reed Ltd. stand were Martin and Oliver Ludlow. We had barely set up our stand when people began filing in and coming to chat with us. Martin is pictured here during a rare break when there was no one at our stand. Throughout the day there were people at the Double Reed Ltd. stand trying bassoons, browsing our bassoon accessories and asking some good questions.

The reputation of Double Reed Ltd. as a place to go to for good advice on bassoon related matters has really blossomed and it was particularly nice to talk to so many parents who are in the position of needing to purchase a bassoon for their child. Through this blog we have dedicated a whole series to parents in A Guide on How to Buy a Bassoon for Your Child for precisely this reason.

Oliver - bassoon specialist Double Reed Ltd.

A particular popular item was the Ludlow Mini-Bassoon. This was the first time we have exhibited our mini-bassoon and, perhaps not surprisingly, a number of people fell in love with it. The quality, set-up and price of the Ludlow mini bassoon made it a strong topic of conversation on the stand.

Many of our bassoons are purchased through our Approval Loan Scheme, whereby we will send bassoons out on trial for a week. Our trial scheme works well for those looking to purchase a bassoon, but the downside for us is that we do not get to meet many of the happy customers who buy our bassoons. However, at the Big Double Reed Day this year we had the pleasure of meeting a number of people who had a bassoon supplied by us. 

Much of the day was spent answering questions and offering specialist advice on bassoons, their history, which bassoon to buy and why, bassoon accessories and so on. The service we offer is based on the provision of expert knowledge about bassoons and the Big Double Reed Day 2013 demonstrated that there is a real need for well informed advice and information about bassoons.

We would like to say a big thank you to all those who bought bassoons, accessories and came over to talk to us on Sunday at the Big Double Reed Day. It was an enjoyable day and we look forward to seeing you all next year.

Need more information? Take a look at our website here: www.DoubleReed.co.uk