 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: newedit617
Date: 2014-06-12 02:17
Hello again,
I purchased a Prestini oboe (circa 1971) online, sight unseen, as a backup to my regular Marigaux 901. It was from a repair person who specializes in oboes so I concluded that it would not be a bad risk. The oboe came today and has a very sweet, bright tone. I like that it is much lighter and the keywork is more ergonomical than the 901. However, the keys are EXTREMELY "bendy" and flexible, to the point where after a session of playing, the left hand octave key had warped so that when it is depressed it touches the trill lever and opens the upper trill key!! Any ideas what kind of metal this is? Has anyone had this experience with certain oboe makers?
Sorry so many questions lately. I promise to "pay it forward" when there is a thread where I may be of some help!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-06-12 19:54
Typical Italian workmanship.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2014-06-12 22:28
Not sure what kind of metal was used by Prestini, though the alloy used seems to be inconsistent over time. I have had two or three fine playing Prestini oboes that seem to have key-work made with an alloy similar in hardness to 1960s-1970s Loree oboes.
Many Larilee oboes tend to have exceeding "bendy" key-work made with a very soft alloy. Impossible to keep such Larilee oboes in adjustment.
Oboes.us
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-06-12 22:42
A lot of Italian instruments have keys cast in single pieces (touchpieces, key arms, pad cups, key barrels, spring hitches, adjusting screw pips - basically the lot are all cast in one go!), so they're very likely to be soft. Some castings can hide serious metallurgic defects which only show up when the key fractures at that point - if you're lucky they'd be found when the castings are filed smooth by seeing a visible dark line running through or a patch on the surface of the metal that won't disappear with more filing.
Most oboe makers have keys made from some cast, some extruded, some turned and milled components which is all hard soldered to the key barrel (extruded metal tubing), so that usually results in stronger keywork and more reliable regulation (dry solder joints aside). Touchpieces are usually cast as they're irregularly shaped, whereas pad cups are machined. Key arms and linkage pieces are often milled or stamped from sheet metal.
The kinds of metal used are often bronze or nickel silver for the castings and brass or nickel silver for key barrels, key arms and linkages, socket rings and socket linings which are stamped, extruded or machined.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2014-06-13 01:47)
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Author: darryoboe
Date: 2014-06-13 04:25
I remember playing on a Larilee in high school. My teacher consistently used half my lesson time trying to adjust my instrument.
Please tell me that the keywork on Bulgheroni instruments isn't overly "bendy". I recently suggested that brand as a possibility to a local university.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2014-06-13 11:19
Bulgheroni is a first class maker. I have had not any difficulties ever with bendy key work on any of the Bulgheroni oboes, oboes d'amore, or English horns I have had.
The Bulgheroni "Opera" model is truly an outstanding professional level instrument in my estimation.
Oboes.us
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Author: darryoboe
Date: 2014-06-13 16:02
Good to know. I made the suggestion to check out Bulgheroni after reading your reviews on oboes.us. I have personally never tried one.... yet.
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Author: newedit617
Date: 2014-06-13 19:39
Thanks for this wealth of information.
This particular Prestini is stamped "France," but it still seems to suffer from the mechanical defects described here!
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2014-06-14 00:59
I surmise that the Prestini oboes stamped "France" were perhaps made in Italy and marketed in France... Prestini may have had an agent or agency in France.
Oboes.us
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-06-14 01:34
They're very similar to Orsi oboes from what I've seen and also the La Margue oboes that get mentioned on here every now and then.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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