Hello all.
New to the forums as a poster, but I've been reading them quite a bit... I haven't noticed a post dealing with my specific issue though, so here I go.
I just recently bought a Fox 222 for myself (it was necessary... I left my public highschool a year ago and had to return the bassoon they lent me, and have not been able to rent one since... Finally I got enough money to buy a bassoon and got this one for a steal, just over $3,000, and it is in amazing condition, as far as I can tell), and playing it today, I noticed that the E natural in the staff sounds... odd. I can't quite put my finger on it... it's supposedly in tune, but something about the sound quality sounds very distant. I've tried everything from adjusting the position and seal of my first finger, adjusting my embouchure, and air. All this did was cause the note to squeak at one point and slip into a completely different note (a very flat G, according to the tuner) at another point. I seem to remember hearing some alternate fingering for E natural (other than the whisper key/1) when I took lessons a year ago, but I can't seem to remember what it might have been, nor can I find it written down... perhaps my line of thinking is faulty.

Anyways, that should be enough info... possibly too much. Any ideas out there?

Peace

Take a soft pipe cleaner or Q tip with most of the cotton off and try to make sure the finger holes are clear. There might be something hung up in one of them.

One thing to check is that the E flat trill vent is closing properly. This is the hole near the C# hole - the linkage to that key is from the A flick & C# keys via the forked rocker. Although I would expect the D to be odd as well in that case. There are a number of causes of this - 1. the pad is old & has compressed; 2. The silencer cork has fallen off between the forked key & the pad key; 3. either the A or C# is set too low (Or has too thick a cork on) & is depressing the fork key a bit. When checking ensure you are not touching the ring round the 'C' hole.

Hope that makes sense - it's much easier to show it than explain.

if it's sharp, try adding the Eb kay (left pinky). it can change from one bassoon to another, but i can add down the Bb (R thumb) and right 2. or the original fingering and the pancake. just finding something that works is important.