 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2013-08-11 08:57
Your band "oboe section" may actually have a point - fixing up oboes is not for the faint of heart (though many of us more "gung-ho" types would happily tear them down for you!). Many a professional woodwind repair man blanches when an oboe appears on his workbench.
If these oboes have sat unused for a truly long time the keywork is unlikely to unscrew cleanly; There are likely to be pads that need replacing; and after you (or more likely, a repairman) fix all of this they will STILL be the two oboes that were left at the back of the storeroom, that is, they are unlikely to be the best instruments owned by the band.
I would start like this; use a bristle brush to brush off the outside and clean up. Check that everything is moving - if not, you'll need to fix it. apply a droplet of oil with a needle to all keywork gaps, and wipe dry. Check that each joint seals perfectly (holds a vacuum for ~ 8 seconds minimum) - if not you may need to adjust it.
Top joint: stop up the bottom with your rh ring finger, close all the pads and try and inflate the joint through the reed-well. Do you hear any hissing, even slightly? Flick all the keys, octave keys, trill keys and check air comes out of everything. Now seal everything again (three fingers down and rh ring-finger stopping the bore-hole) and SUCK hard, letting the resulting vacuum seal against your lip. Raise press your thumb against the octave key and start counting seconds until it flicks up.
Bottom joint is similar, except I use my lh palm to seal the bore and I close the B key with one of the lh fingers. Release the B key and count seconds.
Brian Seaton's adjustment guide can be found here, but only for the very, very brave. Use a very good, perfectly fitting, flat-bladed screwdriver.
I'm the sort of guy who would happily use dental floss to try and fix a valve on one of your horns, so consider yourselves warned ..
J
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frenchhornist |
2013-08-09 03:23 |
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Chris P |
2013-08-09 15:15 |
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cjwright |
2013-08-09 16:43 |
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Wes |
2013-08-09 19:37 |
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oboi |
2013-08-09 21:50 |
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Re: Brand New Players, Very Old Oboes new |
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jhoyla |
2013-08-11 08:57 |
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The Clarinet Pages
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