 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: GoldenBoy
Date: 2014-09-19 07:28
Hello all,
I've been having a heck of a time getting even a simple service accomplished on my new (used) oboe, and am wondering what others' experiences have been getting an instrument touched up and in good mechanical order. (Usually I would just do the work myself, but since the oboe is new to me I wanted to go to a true professional this time.)
So I found someone to do a "full service" here in NYC. He had it for 6 days and charged me $386.00. ($350 plus tax and $5 to replace a messed-up adjustment screw.) Considering it was playing well and sealing very well before I brought it in, needed no pads (just several bumpers and a good cleaning), I assumed I would get it back in perfect order for that price.
Well, I got it back yesterday and not one bumper was replaced! Upon questioning the repair tech, I was told that bumpers aren't included in a full service, and that replacing any bumper corks would have been up to $150 dollars extra.
Has anyone else ever had an experience like this? Whats a service if not replacing little bits that have fallen off the instrument over time?? On top of it, the instrument is still incredibly dirty (key oil still black as tar, toneholes still gunked up, and wood still grimy). Still waiting for a reply from him, but I'm aiming for a full refund minus the cost of the screw.
Anyone have a good repair guy in the NYC area for quick touch-up work like this? I know of lots of great people but they're all far away from here, and always backed up with work!
Sorry for the rant.
Post Edited (2014-09-20 09:01)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-19 12:38
On a full service I replace the majority (if not all) of the key corks as well as replacing any pads and springs that need doing (I include replacing up to 5 pads in the cost), polishing the plating, cleaning the joints and toneholes, oiling the bore, cleaning and straightening the screws, checking the screws and keys all fit well and doing any other remedial work that needs doing (I charge extra for replacing tenon corks as they're not included in a service) so anything short of that isn't a full service in my books.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2014-09-19 12:55
I've yet to have my Howarth S55c Dual System Oboe given a full service (annual) by an Oboe specialist repairer and I've heard that it will cost between $Aus800 to $Aus1000 with a waiting period of around one month.
So far I've only found one such repairer here in Australia and haven't approached them as yet to do a full service on my Oboe.
Meanwhile I'll just continue to 'tinker' with the occasional adjustment screw ect until the day arrives when it'll really need overhauling.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-19 13:55
Barry, have you contacted Richard Craig?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2014-09-19 14:19
Chris. I got in contact with Richard several weeks ago asking him where I could rent out a Cor Anglias and he suggested I get in contact with the Australian Double Reed Society. Richard is the Oboe specialist I was referring to in my previous comment. The cost of a full service and time it would take is my assumptions going by what I"ve read on the internet concerning this type of specialist work.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2014-09-19 14:27)
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Author: Bryanwalker
Date: 2014-09-19 15:34
If you want your oboe repaired right and at a fair price, take the train down to the Collingswood, NJ and visit John Symer. You can also mail your oboe to him if you can't make the trip down.
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2014-09-19 17:35
Which repair person did you use? I live in the NYC metropolitan area and never had a problem. Just remember the cost of labor is about 90 dollars per hour presently. You need to be very specific in telling what you expect; although in full over haul I would expect all pads and corks to be replaced.
Mark
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-19 17:43
A service should at least involve replacing key corks that are near to getting past their best.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: GoldenBoy
Date: 2014-09-19 18:19
Thanks for all the replies.
I agree that Symer is the best and most reasonable, albeit difficult to get into contact with at times.
To be clear, I basically asked him to put it into perfect order, as I wanted to start with a clean slate on this oboe. I didn't mention bumpers specifically, but then again, you shouldn't have to. It was the repair tech who then suggested a full service for a flat rate of $350, based on how dirty the oil from the rods was.
$90 per hour is perfectly reasonable for a good repair tech in such a high-rent city. Unfortunately it's pretty clear that he spent about an hour on it, if that. At most, he did a very light clean/oil/adjust, and maybe cleaned the octave vents. Basically I think he saw that the oboe already played very well, and decided to try pulling one over on me by letting it sit in his shop for a few days and charging me for a major service that he didn't actually perform.
I'll refrain from mentioning him by name, as he may still make it right (still no reply) and I don't want this coming up in google searches for his name just yet, but suffice it to say he's the only oboe repair specialist (That I know of) in midtown west, manhattan.
Post Edited (2014-09-20 21:31)
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2014-09-19 20:22
I see.....I am bit surprised. I never heard anything bad about that repair person; however, I also do not use him. Unfortunately, there is a lack of repair people in NYC now the Kristin Bertrand moved down to Maryland.
In addition to Kristin ... I have used Hedi Wolfgang for over twenty years.
Lovely lady and a very competent repair person. The shop is in her home. And she plays the Oboe quite well too. I like a person who has real hands on experience with an instrument(s).
Give her a call .... she is listed Yonkers NY.
She is only a 30 minute car ride from NYC, Long Island, etc.
There is no reason from my experience the entire job including pads/corks and more ... cleaning out the octave vents etc.) could not be completed for the sum paid.
Mark
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Author: Wufus
Date: 2014-09-19 20:23
Try Heidi Chisholm Wolfgang in Yonkers.
http://heidioboerepair.weebly.com
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Author: GoldenBoy
Date: 2014-09-20 08:55
Thanks Mark and Wufus. I have an appointment with Heidi Wolfgang scheduled. I've only met her once quite some time ago, but have always heard and seen great things about her work. She was great on the phone and her procedures and rates are more than reasonable.
Sadly, it doesn't seem that Nick is willing to offer even a partial refund. He's standing by his rate of $350 for a service with no bumper cork replacement; what amounted in my case to a clean/oil/adjust+octave vent cleaning, and a poor one at that. (Not one pad, spring or cork replaced. No repairs on the mechanism at all.) Unbelievable.
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Author: cjwright
Date: 2014-09-20 15:43
Sounds like one really terrible service.
If for some reason any of you ever make it to Korea, there's a repairman who runs a business called Lodem. He trained at Howarth and worked there for several years, and completely re-padded/overhauled my entire instrument for $700. Fantastic job.
Blog, An Oboe In Paradise
Solo Oboe, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra
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Author: CocoboloKid
Date: 2014-09-20 19:48
I would highly recommend Dana Frobig...she's an excellent repair tech as well as being a fantastic oboist in her own right, and she's also in Midtown.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-20 20:39
Cooper, what's the Korean chap's name? I know he went back to Seoul sometime in the early '00s to set up his own workshop as there weren't many (if any) oboe specialists there.
He worked up in the London shop but came down to the Howarth factory for a week or so to work with us doing finishing while I was working there - his work was meticulous and not a single fingerprint was left on an instrument he worked on.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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