The reed contrabass (Italian: contrabbasso ad ancia; French: contrebasse à anche) is a metal double reed woodwind instrument in the bass-contrabass register, pitched in C. Although the bassoon-like double reed and metal construction make it superficially similar to a contrabass sarrusophone, it is descended from the ophicleide which it resembles in appearance, as well as in the arrangement of the simpler key work and fingering.[1]