Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2008-03-21 17:53
Hello EBH!
Welcome to the Boards! There are a lot of us like you around here -- adult converts.
One thing I would add to what Chris has said, above, is to try to find a backup instrument that likes the same sort of reeds as your primary instrument -- length, strength, color, etc.
When I got my all-resin Loree as a backup for my Covey, I was not really clued in enough about reeds to realize that I was getting instruments that don't like the same reeds. Both are very fine instruments, in and of themselves, but the Covey wants a very dark, perhaps shorter, and sturdier reed, while the Loree is happiest with a brighter, longer-tipped, more flexible reed. This means that when I switch to the Loree, I either have to sacrifice a reed adjusted for the Covey, or find others in my ever-increasing pile of rejects that better suit the Loree.
It's not 100% a big deal. With careful advance planning, I've never had to use the backup as anything other than a backup -- the occasional rehearsal or outdoor event while the Covey was off for adjustment or repair. But it's just one more little nuance to keep in mind in your instrument selection. It generally works out that, just about the time I get used to playing the Loree, the Covey is back in my hands.
By the way, I can highly recommend Margaret Noble, of OboeWorks http://www.oboeworks.com/, as a person to whom you can entrust your instruments for adjustment and repair. She is a prompt, thorough, and very capable oboe technician, and she is a really good communicator, too.
Let us know what you come up with!
Susan
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