 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: ser
Date: 2012-03-17 01:41
On my English Horn all the notes seem to work fine except low D and below. The low D is a little stuffy and hard to get out, but C# doesn't speak. Can someone point me in the direction of what I might do to adjust this? I am not sure what keys or screws to check.
Thanks so much.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2012-03-17 02:06
What kind of instrument -- brand, configuration, etc.? How old? When was the last time it was serviced?
Susan
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Author: ser
Date: 2012-03-17 02:15
Lucerne English horn, conservatory and about 10 years old. It was overhauled about 2 months ago and was working great up unitl about 2 weeks ago. Then the D and below started to be a problem.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2012-03-17 02:30
"Lucerne" = "stencil" instrument, most likely either by Kreul or Marigaux/Marlene.
A few older "Lucerne" instruments by Cabart.
Oboes.us
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2012-03-17 03:14
Well, if it were my instrument, and the other lower joint tones were speaking, I would suspect something had gone out with the F resonance adjustment.
That would certainly be what I would check first.
Is it ONLY the D and the C#? Do the C and the B speak?
Susan
Post Edited (2012-03-17 03:16)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-03-17 03:33
It sounds like the forked F vent mechanism is out of adjustment - on pro level cors the F vent also vents the E, so it's a pretty complicated bit of mechanism which you'll end up chasing your own tail when it comes to regulating it.
First things first, make sure the pads are seating properly before going on.
If they are, then make sure RH 2 and 3 fingerplates close the small F# vent at the side of the instrument (under your right palm) with equal pressure and adjust them if this isn't so.
Now adjust the rocker (the see-saw piece with an adjusting screw at both ends) so the F vent closes while both RH 2 and 3 are closed together - there are two adjusting screws on the rocker so make sure both ends have some screw tip showing to ensure the action is smooth. Hold down RH2 and open and close RH3 which will open and close the F vent and check the closure of both the F vent and RH3 so they're closing with equal pressure.
There's also the adjusting screw on the F vent pad cup itself which should also have some screw tip showing - this is more important for the next step.
Close the low C key and check it closes the F vent with equal pressure as the low C key pad (this is important for the lower altissimo notes). Adjust it with the adjusting screw on the C key touchpiece arm. If the F vent is closing but the low C key pad insn't, then back off the screw on the C key and also the one on the F vent until both pads close with equal pressure.
The low C key also lowers the RH2 fingerplate (but doesn't fully close it) and the adjustment for this is further down the lower joint below the RH Eb key and very often doesn't have an adjusting screw on older cors, so you'll have to regulate that either by carefully bending the linkage or adjusting the thickness of the key cork on the linkage which can be a pain (having an adjusting screw there is better).
Now you've got the F vent closing with the low C key, it will most likely have to be checked and regulated with the RH main action (with the closure of both RH 2 and 3), so hold down RH2 and check the closure of the F vent when you close RH3 and adjust either of the adjusting screws on the rocker until they both close with the same pressure.
Then go around and check everything again!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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