Serpent Makers

While anyone familiar with instrument making and advanced woodworking can build a Serpent, there are four known manufacturers.

Note the split address / contact information for Christopher Monk Instruments, as of June 2003

Christopher Monk Instruments
With the death of Keith Rogers on January 21, 2008, serpents cannot be provided at this time. When more news on the future of Christopher Monk Instruments' serpent making becomes available, it will be posted here.

c/o Keith and Kathryn Rogers
Perkwood
Station Road
Yaxham
Norfolk NR19 1RD
England
phone: +44 (0) 1362-691198
email : gerald@keithcmi1.wanadoo.co.uk
(Serpents & Anacondas & Baroque Oboes only)

Christopher Monk Instruments
c/o Jeremy West
www.jeremywest.co.uk/cmi.html
email: j.west@ic.ac.uk
(Cornetts only)

David Harding (for information only, as of 2006)
56 Netherton Road
Appleton
Abingdon
Oxon OX13 5JZ
England
phone: +44 (0) 1865-863673
(Fiberglass Serpents)

<>David Harding (by Early Music Shop)
The Early Music Shop
Salts Mill
Victoria Road
Saltaire
West Yorkshire BD18 3LA
England
phone: +44 (0) 1274 288100
email: sales@earlymusicshop.com
www.earlymusicshop.com
<>(Foam Resin Serpents on the Harding design as of 2006)

Robb Stewart Brass Instruments
140 E. Santa Clara Street, #18
Arcadia, CA 91006
USA
phone: 626-447-1904
email: oldbrass@altrionet.com
(Ophicleides, Bass Horns)

Derek Farnell
82 Crumpsall Lane
Manchester M8 5SG
England
phone: 0161 740 7778
(Ophicleides)

Nicholas Perry
224 North Street
Luton LU2 7QN
England
phone: +44(0) 1582 457 992
(Bass horns)

Matthias Wetter Musikinstrumentenbau
CH-8475 Ossingen
Switzerland
phone: 0041 (0) 5231 73184
wetter@bluewin.ch
www.wetter-instrumente.ch
(Serpents)

Kaiser Church Serpents
North Carolina
USA
http://kaiserserpents.com/
(Fiberglass Serpents)

In addition to these makers, many specialty dealers of antique musical instruments are stocking distributors for Serpents and related instruments.

Would you like to try your hand at building a simple, easy to make instrument that looks modern, yet is a near acoustical copy of a serpent? Take a look at the Squarpent article on this website. It is not a substitute for the quality instruments produced by the makers on the above list, but it does cost less than $30!

The Serpent Website now also includes downloadable plans for building simplified ophicleides and contra-bass serpents using common materials and tools. Refer to the Squarpent article linked in the above paragraph.

The Serpent Website: Return to Index