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Yamahas, Staples, General Confusion

Author: MarcAZ67
Date: 2012-02-08 20:54

Hello everyone,
I've been a lurker here for a while but have finally joined so I could ask all of you for your wisdom and advise. I'm especially interested in those of you that play a Yamaha 841, but to everyone really.

My brief story is that I am a conservatory-trained oboist (schooled late 1980's) that quit for many years and now miss it and want to start playing again. Sadly (I think?) I sold my Loree and have had a Yamaha for five years. I really do like how free blowing it is but have always had challenges with playing in tune across the registers. Not that I've made thousands of reeds, but it seems that below middle A my pitch sinks. and not just on my reeds but on a few I've purchased. I've played on Gilbert -1, Robinson, Sampson +1 (I think), and a Lucarelli shape. I don't know about the bought reeds, but I've been using Stevens Brass #2 thin wall 46mm staples.

I would swear by watching the tuner and the way the pitch seems to dive below A ( like the bottom drops out of the oboe) that I have a crack. My top joint is a bit grainly, but my expert local repairman (David Weber) on last inspection said I have no cracks. And I am able to do the lip suction test and it sticks! When I play I lip up or blow up the pitch, but I really don't want to do this anymore

So yesterday I did an experiement..I pulled out my very old Loree tubes and made a Gilbert -1 reed and though not fantastic, it seemed the pitch was overall higher (a little too high) BUT the sound felt very constricted and I had to push hard. But The Stevens tubed Gilbert -1 reeds feel very free blowing and I can get a bigger sound and I don't want to lose that.

Long sob story short.. I don't know if my oboe is just "funky" and my style leads me back to Loree (am considering this), but the tube observation makes me want to experiment with something in size between a more open Stevens and a more constricted Loree tube for use on the Yamaha. Especially wonder what any 841 plays use as their setup?

Wow - then I saw those o-ring staples. Oboe Technology has changed since the late 1980's...and the prices too!

thanks for reading,
Marc

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