It is unknown when this instruments was completed and to whom it was sold initially.
Heckelphone #3283 was reported stolen in Detroit (MI), USA, on 7 July 1983 by its owner at the time, jazz bassoonist Frederic Dutton of Reseda (CA). Dutton, who also played bass in the original Dave Brubeck quartet, purportedly used heckelphone #3283 in Aaron Copland's Short Symphony, under the direction of the composer.
According to Howe & Hurd (2004), this heckelphone is believed to be the one used in the Paul Whiteman Band, played by noted clarinetist Ross Gorman at the premiere of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
The history of heckelphone #3283 after its theft in 1983 remains unclear, but as of 2020, there are some indications that it may have been destroyed.