Author: tgenns
Date: 2017-07-07 16:54
Some thoughts on plastic vs wood oboes:
Plastic oboe advantages:
No break-in period (three months)
Will never crack
Plastic oboe disadvantages:
Although the sound will be nice, it will lack the complexity in sound that you
would get in a wood oboe.
Resale value will not be as good as a wood oboe.
Wood oboe advantages:
Better sound -- more complexity in the sound
Wood oboe disadvantages:
Break-in period for three months to minimize cracking
Instrument should be warmed up by your hands / body before playing to
minimize cracking.
Cracks -- the majority of wood oboes crack, which needs to be repaired.
Once the horn is repaired, it will play fine, but this entails time, money, and
headaches!
For a student / amateur oboe, a plastic horn will be fine, and may be preferred for the much less fussing involved. Also, if you are doing a lot of outdoor playing, you should consider getting a plastic one.
For a professional oboe, you would want to get a wood oboe because of its better sound. There are some exceptions -- Loree makes a plastic oboe that sounds and plays as well as a wood one, but it costs more. I have not played on their newer ones, but it gets good reviews from experienced, knowledgable oboists.
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