Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2011-03-12 06:32
I have purchased at least two oboes on Ebay that were described as being in "excellent condition," only to discover that the upper joint bores had been completely destroyed by someone attempting to remove a stuck swab with an industrial drill motor with twist drill. On one of the oboes, the drill even took out the bottom of the reed receiver. I have also had oboes with major gouges and grooves in the bore made by metal hooks sent in to try to remove stuck swabs. Often the slightest gouge, groove, divot, scrape, roughness (or even a large knot having broken out) in the bore of the upper joint can ruin the playing characteristics of an oboe. The only fix (IF the bore is perfectly straight, AND the drill can be centered) is to have the reed receiver removed, bore drilled/reamed out, a sleeve installed, bore re-drilled and re-reamed, tone holes drilled, and undercut. Not an easy task, and expensive. Only about three or four oboe specialists in North America can accomplish this repair. The Huller English horn on Ebay can not even be saved with such a procedure, as the bore is in fact oval shaped as a result of the extreme side slipping of the crack inside.
In the third photograph, just above the first octave vent, you will see a dark patch in the shape resembling a large English horn plaque. This is the site of a massive double fissure. The main crack runs almost the entire length of the upper joint, with secondary companion cracks in abundance. Yikes!
Oboes.us
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The Oboe BBoard
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