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Re: Selmer Paris oboe

Author: jwiseman114
Date: 2007-12-07 21:33

Chris,

Thanks again. I am new to the board and spent some time today reading your posts. You are very knowledgeable and have a gentle approach with the novices such as myself. I actually found an old post of yours that dealt with some of my questions. Your answers are much appreciated and make perfect sense but of course they have created more questions.

I finished the oboe today, though it will still require some additional adjustments, and even with my rudimentary playing ability the tuning issues were quite noticeable (painful). I do think the horn has a more than acceptable tone. It is not terribly bright and has a nice resistance. The pads settled in a little and the seal is much better. I think I need to further address some of the tone holes. To do this I need to make some better tone hole tools. The ones I have aren’t really sufficient for oboe tone holes. I’m going to have an oboe player friend of mine try it and give her opinion and spend a couple winter months practicing myself before I do anything with the tuning. I’m quite sure that some of my tuning problems are my own beginner’s technique and some are the horn itself. I’ll draw a pitch chart when my friend plays it and use it as a reference for later.

I love the technique with the blu-tac tape but I’m not positive I know what it is. Are you talking about the same stuff we use for scratch protection on flutes and saxophones? If so it surprises me that it would be sufficient to create a descent seal over the upper tone holes. It’s a great idea though.

What about octave width? When I’ve tuned clarinets I’ve used undercutting to bring wide 12ths together. I’d be afraid that with your technique I’d be creating a very sharp upper octave. I talked to a repair friend and mentor today and she suggested that I use cork for fill and possibly 5 minute epoxy to make the adjustment more permanent once the dimensions are realized. I like the idea of cork because I have worked with it before tuning saxophones. I’m not sure about the epoxy. It seems like it could get messy rather easily. When you refer to hard wax do you mean paraffin? Doesn’t it break off?

I have one more stupid question if you don’t mind. Nobody’s ever explained the purpose of tone hole beds on the oboe. Is it for the purpose of tuning (i.e. extra room for reaming)?

Do you like the Mirafone/Gordet/Hans Kruel oboes?

Thanks in advance

John Wiseman

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