Author: hautbois
Date: 2009-02-22 13:10
I think Denver is definitely a factor. The oboe I grew up with, an Incognoli, did not crack in the years I played it on the east coast. A majority of my Loree cracks (including two d'amores) occured in late winter in Denver, where there is heat on inside and very little humidity, despite my efforts at whole-house humidity control and additional in-case moisture devices. (The soundboard of my Steinway piano, carted to Denver from the east coast, also cracked.) On the later of my Lorees I oiled the bore (sweet almond oil mixture created by Larry Naylor), with no improvement in result regarding cracking. And after my Laubin with the liner and no cracks I played Marigaux, which also cracked . (I did not oil the top joint of the Laubin because of the liner.)
There was a story about Al Laubin and his wood selection -- which may or may not be true, but I will report it anyway -- that he would put his wood outside in the winter for a season and then only made instruments on the wood which held up under those conditions. Regardless of the accuracy of that little vingnette, I think he chose his wood very selectively. When I was a teenager my teacher, who played Laubin, took me to Scarsdale NY to visit Laubin's workshop. I was really impressed with how he worked pretty much alone and was himself responsible for the limited number of instruments he created. (I don't know who did the deywork at that time.) I have played Laubin instruments without a liner (for example, my teacher's old one, and one of a friend, both without a liner) and I preferred the response and sound of my instrument with the liner.
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