Subcontrabassoon

The myth of the subcontrabassoon (an imagined member of the bassoon family capable of playing a full octave below the contrabassoon) stretches back to the 1800s. But in all that time, one had never been built. In 2021, that changed.

👁 Subcontrabassoon Mk2 Prototype

2022 Subcontrabassoon Prototype, Mk2 (with Lu Zhang)

👁 Subcontrabassoon Orchestral Premiere

Orchestral Premiere, January 2023 (with Josue Avelar and Marissa Takaki)

👁 Bassoon Family with Subcontrabassoon

Bassoon Family (Tenoroon, Bassoon, Subcontrabassoon, Contrabassoon)

👁 Subcontrabassoon and Contrabassoon

Subcontrabassoon and Contrabassoon (with Josue Avelar)

👁 2016 Subcontrabassoon Mk0 Design

2016 Subcontrabassoon Render, Mk0

My name is Richard Bobo and I’ve been waiting my whole life for two things: a manned mission to Mars, and a subcontrabassoon. Sadly, I am not a rocket scientist, an astronaut, or a trillionaire and Mars remains outside my reach. I am, however, a professional contrabassoonist with knowledge of woodwind design, years of practical experience with machining and computer-aided-design, and (perhaps most importantly) I’m tired of waiting.

If you’re interested in seeing my design grow from an incomplete playable prototype to a fully-capable instrument, you can help spread the word by sharing and liking the project’s Youtube channel and Facebook page.

You can also contribute directly using PayPal and be listed as a contributor on the project’s supporters page.

👁 Contribute with PayPal

URL: https://www.subcontrabassoon.com

⇱ Subcontrabassoon

Subcontrabassoon

The myth of the subcontrabassoon (an imagined member of the bassoon family capable of playing a full octave below the contrabassoon) stretches back to the 1800s. But in all that time, one had never been built. In 2021, that changed.