Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-03-28 01:35
A Howarth S10 or S10B is definitely a far superior instrument to the Buffet - I'm not just saying that as I'm biased in any way, but the Buffet hasn't got anything like the same depth of tone or build quality as the S10/S10B. An S20 would be a better instrument as it's a pure thumbplate oboe and has semi automatic 8ves and a RH C-D trill key which make things much easier.
All Yamaha oboes are primarily conservatoire system and offered as dual system for the UK, so only have the side G# key on the top joint - the 431 has the Ab-Bb trill which is a linkage piece from the G# key to hold down the LH2 fingerplate so the trill is done by playing Ab (G#) and trilling with LH finger 2. If the LH1 fingerplate hasn't got the adjusting screw on it, one can be fitted - either a relatively simple thing to do by filing a notch on the top side and drilling through to fit a 12BA screw, or the more expensive method of fitting an actual adjusting screw pip with a full sized adjusting screw, but it will need replating and the pad replaced. Some Yamaha 400 series do have adjusting screws on the LH1 fingerplate depending on their age - probably the more recent ones will have the adjusting screw.
S2 oboes will either have a ring key or covered fingerplate for RH1 depending on their age - the more recent ones will have a covered fingerplate. There are a few S2XL oboes as well, but these are most likely from the late '80s as not many were made. At my time at Howarth I only saw two new S2s and the one S3 oboe as most pros will play full Gillet conservatoire system oboes now - either conservatoire or dual system.
There are some rarities as thumbplate system Lorees which were specially made - they look like regular full Gillet conservatoire Lorees, but don't have the connection between the joints (RH1 to the con bar) and I think in place of the G#-A trill they may have had the thumbplate Bb/C side key. Howarth also offered the S5 in this system which they called the 'English System S5' and was made to special order.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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