 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: JRC
Date: 2012-01-29 17:02
I am very happy to acquire an English Horn that goes very well with my 1960 open ring Rigoutat. It is 1950 Howarth open ring dual system with solid silver metals: keys, posts, rings, and well, as well as the bocals (crooks if you like).
It plays and sounds just like a Loree. Condition of wood is excellent, no crack of any kind but a little dry on the bore surface. Condition of metal, keys and all, is also excellent; it appears that it was rarely played. It is in perfect condition in every respect. I will have to decide if I wish to keep the dual system or get rid of thumb plate. I actually like the thumb plate. It gives me more options but first I have get use to extra metal on my left thumb.
Amazingly the pitch and intonation are right on the dot. After all those years. no drift. Well... this is the second jewel I found in two years. First the Rigoutat and this.
Post Edited (2012-01-29 17:20)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-29 17:25
You could always have a thumbplate fitted to your oboe to match!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: JRC
Date: 2012-01-29 17:41
Thank you Chris for making this possible. You filled my dream.
As for fitting thumb plate on my oboe... I am going to try to get use to extra metal on my left thumb. Once I am comfortable, I will think about it. Actually working across the pond turned out not as bad as working across the continent.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-29 19:27
Do many oboe specialists in the US deal with dual or thumbplate system isntruments (or have converted conservatoire instruments to dual system)? I can only assume they've only encountered them with visiting players or orchestras from the UK or the instruments British ex pats take with them, but I doubt they'd ever encounter them otherwise.
It's only the UK where the thumplate has lasted and still shows no signs of abating (although there are many conservatoire players who are British and were taught conservatoire system from the word go over here), so the majority of oboes built for sale in the UK (and those actually built in the UK) are dual system.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2012-01-29 21:30
We have a dying breed of thumbplate/dual system players in Australia, and I suspect a large number of them were actually UK immigrants (the ones I know certainly are). The older instruments are turning up for sale in music shops as these players pass on or retire, and my department just retired (after not using for many years!) a whole batch of thumbplate beginner oboes. We have taught conservatoire exclusively for about 4 decades.
I played a Howarth open-hole (though conservatoire system) oboe built in 1953 while awaiting delivery of the Marigaux. What a beautiful, warm, stable instrument this was! I hope you have much joy with your EH, JRC!
Rachel
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Author: Wes
Date: 2012-01-30 04:29
Congratulations! Have you gotten an EH that is stable on second register G2 and Ab2? That would be even better!
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Author: JRC
Date: 2012-01-30 14:15
Ummm... I did not know such is a common problem. If you have that problem, you should look into replacing the 1st octave hole insert. It may need cleaning or not quite the size you need.
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Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2012-01-31 00:01
I'm playing a Howarth S20C (intermediate model) at the moment in orchestra. I can't say I have noticed ANY inadequacies on any notes - perhaps third-space C is a little sharp, but that's the only tuning/timbre deficit across the entire horn.
I wasn't aware there were stability issues on those notes? Perhaps it's a reed style thing...
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Author: Wes
Date: 2012-01-31 17:31
Thank you for your kind comments. Instability of those notes is present on my old Buffet EH, my 1985 Loree EH, and my almost new oboe d'amore. Actually, it is good to check their tuning with a tuner or their instability may be hard to detect. By playing with the bell off, these situations go away. They really are no problem as fingering changes can fix them. Reed styles or bocals don't make any difference here.
Older Loree and other oboes have had instability problems with G2, F2 and F#2 for the same reason, acoustically derived, which can be easily explained. My main oboe teacher always said to add the low B key when playing G2 but I never did it as my Loree didn't have that problem. Recent Loree oboes don't seem to exhibit that problem so it may have been fixed by bore or bell changes. They may also have changed the EHs. Good luck!
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