Heckel Bassoon Bocal Guide:

The Heckel bocal is unparalleled in its refinement of sound and control. The letter designations indicate variations of metals, wall thickness, and bore size, while numbers indicate length.

00 - 446 Hz

0 - 444 Hz

1 - 442 Hz

2 - 440 Hz

3 - 438 Hz

The standard Heckel bocal has a wall thickness of 0.6mm. This is known as the "thick wall” and is labeled with a “C” or “CC”. The base metal of most thick walled bocals are made out of a hard German silver alloy (C) or a soft German silver alloy (CC). The harder alloy tends to be more brilliant and the softer alloy produces a warmer, more blended sound. Both have good projection. 

“Thin wall” bocals have a thickness of 0.5mm and are labeled with a “D”. They are made with the harder metal alloy and have an overtone-rich sound spectrum. Thin wall bocals tend have a more immediate response and tuning flexibility than the thick wall.

Aside from the different alloys, lengths and thickness, Heckel bocals are made with different bore shapes. For example, the C and CC have the same bore shape/thickness and the only difference is the hardness of the metal alloy.

The following key gives a short explanation of each letter of the Heckel acronyms.

B = Narrower bore than the CC which is good for the high register. Not as good intonation in the middle and low range.

E  = Slightly narrower opening at the tip for a more focused sound.

C  = The hard silver alloy, allowing for a brilliant sound. Otherwise, same bore size as the CC

CC  = Standard bore size with the soft silver alloy, allowing for a warm, blended sound. Good response in upper and lower registers Only available in the thick wall. Because it is a softer alloy, you won’t see a thin-bore (eg. CCD) CC bocal.

D  = Thin-wall. 0 .5 mm thick, which increase response time and vibration. Thin-wall bocals are made of the harder metal alloy.

V  = A version of the C bore with a slightly different taper, typically preferred by players with older instruments. Provides more even intonation across range of instrument

XL  = Offers improved response in the high register. We find that it matches well with Fox bassoons.

R  = The newest designation. The label is directly underneath the cork and there is no stamp on the body of the bocal. The metal is more compressed which provides a wider sounder spectrum and more responsiveness. 

On almost all Heckel bocals, the base metal stamp is located directly above the cork:

N = German Silver, soft. Standard

Z = German Silver, hard. Brighter sound than N

G = Gold Brass. Mellow and quiet sound for chamber music

AG = Sterling Silver 925. Bright, but quieter sound than silver alloy

AU = Gold 8 Karat. Mellow direct sound

14k = Gold 14 Karat. Markedly mellower sound

18K = Gold 18 karat. Similar to the 14 karat, but mellower.

PD = Palladium. Hard sound, but good choice for anyone with a nickel or silver allergy.