 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: oboist2
Date: 2020-06-28 03:03
I am trying to find a good oboe d'amore bocal. The base outside corked dimensions should be 7mm or 7.1 and the metal external diameter is 6.4mm. I have three bocals already, but the metal at the tip is easily bent, so wanting something that is stronger. it is for a very old d'amore and most of the modern ones do not fit. it has been suggested that I get the bocal receiver widened, but I am afraid if I do that, it may cause intonation problems, so am reluctant to do this.
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Author: oboist2
Date: 2020-06-28 03:04
I am in Australia by the way, so to visit a US maker to get something custom made would not be possible.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-06-29 11:03
7mm to 7.5mm diameter reed sockets are normal for oboes, but not for d'amore crook sockets unless the crook cork is ridiculously thin or the corked end of the crook has a recess cut into it for the cork strip to be glued into (if the thickness of the metal will allow that). Either that, or a metal sleeve soldered to the crook and made a very close fit in the socket like a tuning slide or flute headjoint.
If the socket has enough metal, it can be opened up and that won't cause any tuning problems, or a wider diameter one fitted and also made to the correct depth won't cause any problems. It's the depth of the socket that's critical as well as the diameter of the hole where it meets the top joint bore.
My Marigaux d'amore has the same diameter reed socket as a Marigaux cor anglais which is wider than the majority of cors on the market, let alone d'amores. Fitting such a thick cork to it, especially bending a relatively thick piece of cork around such a tight radius without it cracking is a pain. I got around that by coating one side of the cork strip with glue and leaving it to dry fully which gave it more flexibility when worked around a mandrel to make it more supple before fitting it to the crook.
Have you contacted Richard Craig about this? I don't know any other oboe specialists in Australia.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: oboist2
Date: 2020-06-30 01:47
Thanks Chris - This d'amore is a very old one - made in 1910, marked A. Robert ( but made by Couesnon). I contacted Thomas Hiniker with the idea of getting a custom bocal made, but he thought it better to perhaps fit a new insert. I spoke to Richard Craig, and he said that, in his opinion, it would be better to leave the instrument in original condition. He will look at the bocals that I do have, and see if anything can be done to strengthen them, or perhaps make a new one. I will send it down to him and he can decide what is best. I can certainly play on the bocals I have, but the metal is not great and that is why I was looking for something better. Evidently Loree crooks are the same dimensions at the base, as regards the metal, but the corks add about another 1 mm to the overall dimensions. I may be able to work with that. Thanks so much for your valuable, as always, feedback.
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