Talk:Heckelphone

Heckelphone or Bass Oboe?
As it stands, the second para. contradicts itself - first saying that the early 20th-century English composers were writing for the heck., then saying that recent evidence indicates they were writing for the hautbois baryton. I have attempted to make it more coherent, but am aware that the general gist of the re-written para. favours it being the heck., which may be subject to dispute. Certainly the general statement that "English composers were not scoring for Heckelphone" is incorrect (Havergal Brian, for one, was writing for the heck.), but perhaps there is evidence in the case of some of the composers. If so, by all means make the para. more nuanced (and it would be useful to cite, or link to, the "recent evidence"). Vilcxjo 00:49, 15 November 2005 (UTC)


 * Heckelphone:scary. -- —Preceding unsigned comment added by Eddisford (talk • contribs)

English parts labeled 'bass oboe ' as in Delois's First Dance Rhapsody (1908) and Holst's The Planets, are played on either bass oboe or hecklephone. For the composer knew, this decision was ultimately not his. It would be whichever the "player" happens to produce. Nowadays, usually Hecklephone. It has been said that both these works were written with the hecklephone in mind. beny (talk) 10:43, 2 July 2017 (UTC)

How many?
This article states that 'about 150' have been made, while the article on the Oboe states the more precise 165. However, neither article is clear on the source of this figure. It would be good if this article were to cite an authoritative source for this figure. --Fcw (talk) 15:43, 6 June 2008 (UTC) You can go to the Heckel website and they will have ever Heckelphone made listed by serial number. Here is the Heckel website. You can even e-mail them and they will respond to you about the number made. My is listed and the "one displayed at the Banoff Convention" John Chance Johchance@aol.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.17.87.9 (talk) 16:18, 23 July 2008 (UTC) Here is the table provided by Heckel http://www.contrabass.com/pages/hecktab.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.17.87.9 (talk) 16:21, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Fingering System?
On the baritone oboe page it is stated that the heckelphone has a different fingering system than standard members of the oboe family. From the picture, the key configuration looks identical to other oboes, though. I think that's very relevant, could someone elaborate about the difference? Thanks. -- megA (talk) 14:46, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Hecklephone. The Compass is down to its low A (sounding A), The key for this note and the key for Bb are actuated by the right thumb. In the key work, the rings and plates of ordinary deep oboes are replaced by Heckle's own arrangement of buttons and three-quarter rings, the buttons actuating the axles that close the primary note holes while the three-quarter rings, pivoted on the opposite side of the instrument, play the normal role of rings. The fingering is French or traditional German as ordered. beny (talk) 18:29, 1 June 2017 (UTC)

From: Anthony Baines, woodwind instruments and their history. 1967, Faber&Faber. 1991 Dover edition. beny (talk) 20:12, 1 June 2017 (UTC)

Well written, poorly edited
I personally consider this a well-written article. My statement would probably get a "citation needed" mark from whoever edited it in July 2012 though. Please don't edit angry. As to world interest, I am in Australia and used this article to estimate a suitable digitally-sampled sound to use in the musical "The Secret Garden". As it stands, I cannot even find a sample library where it might exist so I'll have to mess around with the EQ on a bassoon sample. One of the best YouTube clips about it is from New Zealand. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Davechivers (talk • contribs) 09:00, 26 February 2014 (UTC)

The ever elusive Hecklephone double reed.
A bass oboe reed is similarly made like other oboe reeds. generally on a staple.

The hecklephone reed is more often made without a staple, like A bassoon reed, which it resembles in shape, though it is smaller - about 60 mm long and 12 1/2 mm across the tip. beny (talk) 19:53, 1 June 2017 (UTC)

From: woodwind instruments and their history, Anthony Baines. ISBN 0-486-26885-3 beny (talk) 20:04, 1 June 2017 (UTC)