Can a Dalek play a bassoon?

Here's the answer:

This Dalek is exterminating its enemies with the beautiful sound of a Heckel 4000, now available from our web site entirely unsinged by the experience.

More pictures of the Dalek playing the bassoon over on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.256265007813744.57982.216198785153700&type=3

The Dalek is a real one as far as we can make out; we found it lurking in the stables at Tredegar Park, Newport, in the dark, all alone and abandoned, and covered in dust. Possibly left over from filming Dr Who, some scenes of which were filmed at Tredegar Park.

The Heckel 4000 can be found here: http://www.doublereed.co.uk/Bassoon_Heckel_4000_For_Sale.htm

Heckel 4000 Superbly Restored by Guntram Wolf of Germany

It is rare to have the privilege of offering for sale a bassoon such as this late-series Heckel 4000.

This Heckel is in superb condition, indicating a much-cosseted instrument over its life of 101 years so far. And it has been completely restored by Guntram Wolf, the bassoon maker of Germany, at a cost of €2000. As well as all the work one would expect from a prestige company such as Wolf, they have re-silvered the keys and added a crook/whisper key. We received it straight from Wolf and are now offering it for sale.

This example more than lives up to the reputation of Heckel bassoons: it has an amazing, sweet sound; and it blows very freely throughout the range, making it a really easy instrument to play. It comes with two Heckel crooks, one of which looks as though it is probably original.

The bassoon was made in 1911 and, like other very late 4000 series, has a modern round profile to the long joint, unlike earlier models which had the "flat top" profile seen on 3000 series as well as most of the 4000s.  

Here's a picture of a flat top profile long joint from a Heckel 3000:

 and compare it with the round top from this Heckel:

For more information on this wonderful bassoon, see here: http://www.doublereed.co.uk/Bassoon_Heckel_4000_For_Sale.htm