 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: jamslam
Date: 2009-01-27 03:29
Is it true some oboe players replace their oboes every 4 or so years and if so why?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-01-27 04:13
Endorsements.
There are also players that play on the same oboe for decades.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: wrowand
Date: 2009-01-27 15:15
It's not just endorsements. There are many reasons:
1. Always looking for something better.
2. Wanting to have the latest design improvements.
3. Oboes get blown-out -- they start to lose some of their tone (i.e., whatever was attractive about the tone) and maybe some of the pitches are not as stable as they used to be.
I know many oboists who change instruments frequently (i.e., less than 5 years). I don't know any who are making money from endorsements although of course someone does.
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Author: jamslam
Date: 2009-01-28 00:42
Thanks for straight forward answer I was unaware of the blowout issue and tone and pitch that makes sense.
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Author: Vallemar2
Date: 2009-01-28 03:36
Aren't some people saying that the "blowout" issue is a myth?
I think Peter Hurd discusses that on his website
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Author: cjwright
Date: 2009-01-28 05:49
Some people like Alvin Swiney insist blowout is usually caused by buildup in the toneholes. Others like Peter Hurd and David Weber insist that it's not that the wood opening expands persay, but the bore warps a bit from moisture.
In any case, I was talking with Martin Schuring over winter break and he said he doesn't consciously buy a new instrument every 4 or 5 years, but he finds himself doing so out of sheer instinct.
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Author: hautbois
Date: 2009-01-28 12:49
For years I played on Lorees, and found myself looking for something in the fullness of sound which had been lost, or something to solve a particular problem which had become frustrating, after about 4 years. It may have been that the instruments were "blown out". (I found no such problems with my Loree d'amores, though I eventually changed to a Marigaux one to accomodate problems with my small hands and increasing lack of flexibility.) I then changed to Laubin, and did not find the same phenonenon. However, other frustrations led me to Marigaux after maybe 5 years (though the Laubin tone was still wonderful on that instrument). I found no 'blowing out' problems with my Marigaux 2001 instruments (I had 2) in the 7 years I played them until I retired.
Elizabeth
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Author: Vallemar2
Date: 2009-01-28 13:43
Maybe it's just fun to get a new one; like trading in a perfectly fine used car.
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2009-01-30 15:53
If Lorees blow out after four years, then are the rest of us, who can't afford a new Loree and are advised to "check out a used one", simply never going to be able to have a Loree, if we can't afford $8,000 for a new one and the old ones on the market are all blown out? ![[frown]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie2.gif)
I was looking forward to getting at least a used Loree as soon as the last kid is out of college. But I'm sure not going to spend $2,000 on something that the last owner got rid of because it had outlived its useful life span of 4-5 years.
I had never heard about this issue before, either. Wouldn't this mean that plastic is then inherently superior from at least this aspect? I've never heard anybody mention that.
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Author: oboedrew
Date: 2009-01-30 16:35
There is no consensus amongst professional oboists, oboe-makers, and repair technicians on the issue of instrument "blow-out." Some believe it is a real phenomenon, others believe it is imagined. Some even believe it is a disingenuous ploy used by oboe-makers to push sales of new instruments. Amongst those who believe blow-out actually occurs, there is often disagreement over the cause. This is one of those issues where everyone has an opinion, based mostly on anecdotal evidence, yet all too often opinions are asserted with unwarranted conviction.
If blow-out occurs, it happens over time. You don't just wake up one morning and find that your oboe is blown out. An argument can be made that good players will easily adapt to very gradual shifts in the intonation tendencies of their instruments, and that they might have more difficulty coping with the very sudden changes of intonation tendencies caused by switching to new oboes.
My suspicion is that some players constantly switch oboes for the same reason that some reedmakers are constantly trying out a new staple or gouge or shape. We want to believe there is some "trick" we're missing, that there is some new item that will suddenly take our playing or reedmaking to a whole new level. More often than not, the better solution is to practice a few more hours, or practice more efficiently, or sharpen the knife, or refine the scraping technique.
Anyway, I know oboists who buy new instruments every year. That's not a typo. EVERY YEAR! Some of them always sound like they're playing on new and unfamiliar instruments. Others seem to adapt very quickly to the new oboes and always play wonderfully. I also know oboists who have been playing on the same instruments for decades, and who still play at an exceptionally high level on seemingly decrepit oboes.
To each their own.
Cheers,
Drew
www.oboedrew.com
Post Edited (2009-01-30 16:39)
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Author: johnt
Date: 2009-01-30 18:22
My teacher played with the San Jose Symphony for 35 years on the same Loree oboe. When he sold it, it was as good as the day he bought it. Blowout is a myth. People get new oboes for the same reason they trade in their cars at 50,000 miles, as someone here has previously opined. Dutchy, if you want to buy an oboe (Loree or Howarth, the best out there IMHO) have Peter Hurd or Hannah of Hannah's Oboes check it out for you. It is the quality of the reed & the support behind it that determines the quality of the sound. So Drew is spot on when he says "To each their own." Ya pays yer $$$ & takes yer choice. Though I digress a tad here, this is tantamount to spending over $100 for a reed knife when the Neilsen wedge at $30 + is really the best knife out there for reed refinement. I use a Dewalt jointer blade (German steel) to getting rid of most of the cane. You can get three for something like $55 & change at Lowe's. Sears charges about half that amount for three & they work just fine too. With a General file/tool handle from Ace Hardware for about $9 +, bobs your uncle; although if you really want to be MacGyverish, you can wrap duct tape around one end & have yourself a dandy handle for even less. There, now. I'm through blathering. I feel better ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Best,
john
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-01-30 19:35
Dutchy, my oboe teacher still plays on the same Marigaux oboe she's had from new back in 1974. She bought it from Anthony Camden while visiting the UK, then returned to the US with it and then later moved back to the UK to study which is where she has lived ever since.
The top joint split completely down both sides while she went back to the US not long after she bought it (the climate in northern Minnesota isn't exactly oboe-friendly), it was pinned and has never opened up since. Not long after that she moved to the UK again, this time to study at music college and worked as a freelance player in London, raised a family and is still playing the same oboe some 35 years or so later, still with the original split and pinned top joint.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2009-01-31 01:47
I played on a 'blown-out' instrument once, and decided that it was probably the player (me) that was 'blown out', not having played in seven years. But really, it was fine, and now I am the proud owner of a rather warped Jarde which ALSO plays fine.
Take care of your oboe and it will last a long time.
I'm always so simplistic.
mary
GoodWinds
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Author: JRJINSA
Date: 2009-01-31 03:51
Recently had the "blow out" discussion with my teacher who is a pro in my city's local symphony. The only reason he replaces his instruments is because of new developments, technology, and curiosity. Interestingly, he still has his old instruments he's always played on, the new ones as well. They all basically yield the same end results. I find this interesting...makes me, personally, just want to stick to my same old "horn".... The gist of the conversation - "blow out" is a myth.
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2009-01-31 14:21
Oh, good, I feel MUCH better now. ![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif)
And I wondered if this...
Quote:
good players will easily adapt to very gradual shifts in the intonation tendencies of their instruments
...isn't just another way of saying that instruments mellow over time? I always thought that was a Good Thing, actually one of the perks of playing a wood oboe; I wasn't aware some people might perceive it as a "blowout", and a signal that a new instrument was required.
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Author: Oboewan
Date: 2009-02-18 21:53
I hear you Dutchy. I got my Covey back in 92 and my Loree in 95 and still enjoy playing on both of them. I've gone back and forth so many times about which one I like more and I think I'm leaning towards the Covey these days. One thing that I believe (and have no basis in proof) is that an oboe hasn't really reached it's full potential until it has cracked- there is a lot of pressure in the top joint that is usually relieved after a crack and the sound can open up even more. I know that I was extrememely surprised that I actually enjoyed the feel and sound of both my Loree and Covey after they had cracked more so than before.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-02-19 12:16
I'm not a pro player by any means, but I've had my oboe for ten years now(though it was already around five years old whe I got it) and don't plan on changing it for the forseeable future.
Even though I do get plenty of opportunity to try a variety of brand new oboes, I'm perfectly happy with what I've got.
And what with the price of new oboes I'll definitely stay put with what I've already got!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2009-02-20 06:48
that is a fascinating theory. I'm sure it (the 'improved' quality) would have something to do with the capabilities of the repairman that pinned the crack, too.
GoodWinds
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