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Re: A Beautiful Old Oboe

Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-04 04:15

With the thumbplate, the left thumb rocks up onto the back 8ve. Having played sax, then clarinet and then oboe, I prefer to have something for my left thumb to rest onto and rock onto the 8ve or speaker key.

I have played pure conservatoire system oboes, d'amores and cors, but find the left thumb placement directly onto the top joint uncomfortable compared to what I'm used to. Also the size and shape of the thumbplate is important - Howarth have a well sized and flat topped thumbplate which is comfortable, but others have much smaller and more domed thumbplates which I don't care much for at all. The thumbplate on my Yamaha YOB-821TP was a particularly uncomfortable one as it was small and had square edges, so I had a Howarth one made and fitted instead. The more recent ones Yamaha have been fitting are much better (as is their repositioned 3rd 8ve touch). But as the thumb is holding it down for far longer than releasing it, then it should at least be comfortable as should the back 8ve touch.

The S2 was also available with fully automatic 8ves and being thumbplate system, needed the 2nd 8ve touch to free up the left thumb for the upper register Bb and C. The pro model Howarth oboes available around the same time as your S2 were as follows:

S1 - Thumbplate system with simple 8ve keys
S2 - Thumbplate system with semi automatic 8ve keys
S3 - Conservatoire system with ring keys and semi auto 8ves*
S4 - Conservatoire system with ring keys and fully auto 8ves
S5 - Gillet conservatoire system with semi auto 8ves*

* A thumbplate can be added to make the S3 and S5 dual system and the S5 could be ordered with fully automatic 8ves, conservatoire 1-2-3 system and F resonance key for the German market. There were many other keywork options that were available that could be incorporated at time of order.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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