 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2017-01-16 22:11
Attachment: english horn.jpg (53k)
See attached picture for the key in question.
When no fingers are put down, the Bb tone hole should be down. However, it is raised very very slightly (barely perceptible to the eye) above the tone hole - causing a minor leak. This only affects one note - A natural which makes it sound muffled and weak. If I'm playing A, I can use a third finger to force that key to go down and then it sounds fine.
However, it's not always consistent. The issue comes and goes at random times. My best guess is that it would have to do with the weather. Maybe a change in humidity could cause the wood to shrink or maybe even the pad to shrink a little. Is there an adjustment screw I can turn to force it to go down?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-17 10:28
Is your cor a Howarth or another make and when was it last serviced?
It sounds like the linkage bar (con bar) running down the side of the top joint to connect it to the RH1 fingerplate could be the problem.
With the joints assembled and correctly lined up, check there's a small gap between the RH1 key foot and the underside of the lower end of the con bar in the middle of the instrument right where the socket ring is. If there's no gap at all, then that could be holding the Bb key open just enough to cause grief.
Depending on the make and model, the top end of the con bar engages with a linkage arm from the top joint Bb key. Either this linkage has an adjusting screw on it or it doesn't, depending on make/model/age/etc.
Check there's a key cork present at the top end - it'll either be on the top side of the con bar itself if the Bb key overlever has an adjusting screw, or the key cork will probably be on the underside of the Bb key overlever if there's no adjusting screw.
If that key cork has been punched through by the adjusting screw tip or is missing, then that will cause the Bb pad to be held open if the joints are assembled only slightly differently each time which could be the cause of the inconsistency.
Another cause could be the lower end of the con bar with the table on it could have been bent inwards and that will reduce the gap between it and the RH2 link.
Don't do anything yourself at this stage, but take it straight to your repairer. DON'T ever take it to a general instrument repairer with little or no experience of oboes/cors as they won't have a clue - the last thing you want is them doing more damage. So take it to an oboe specialist and they'll identify and resolve this problem there and then provided you make an appointment.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2017-01-17 11:22)
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