 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-19 07:39
This question is probably for Chris to answer. On my S2 Howarth Thumb Plate Oboe I have the low C-B linkage. I can do the following trills. C/B and C/Bb (trilling with B and Bb keys) C#/B and C#/Bb (trilling with C# key) and C#/D# (tirlling with C# key) And I can also do a tremblo C/Eb. So at the moment , eveything is in good adjustment.
What I'd like to know is. What is the basic adjustment procedure for this C-B linkage for future reference if I ever have to make slight adjustments to this linkage.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2017-03-19 20:51)
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-19 12:40
Hi jhoyla. I have Seaton's Oboe Adjustment Guide but it's for the Conservatoire System only and even so, this lower B-C linkage should have been covered as it's also applicable to the English Thumb Plate System but it's not as far as I can tell. I'll check up on this again . Thanks for the response.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-19 13:00
What I actually have on my Howarth S2 Thumb Plate Oboe is a linkage that enables me to play low B natural or Bb WITHOUT pressing the C key. This is what I call the low B-C linkage mechanism and this seems not to be covered in Seaton's Adjustment Guide. What he states is that the Key #11 in his guide regulates the C#/B connection enableing you to do a C#/ B natural trill for example. Or am I missing some little detail here.
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Author: wkleung
Date: 2017-03-19 19:51
In case Chris P doesn't reply in time: I believe the basic adjustment for the low B-C link is that depressing the low B key alone should close the low C pad and the low B pad equally. One shouldn't close before the other, or with more force. Hope this helps!
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-19 20:50
Hi wkleung. Thank you for your responce. Yes , that is the case and at the moment all is in good adjustment as I mentioned in my first post. I just want to know what the standard procedure is for any on- going adjustments that may be necessary in the future as I think there are other actions in play with this set up.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-20 00:31
The main purpose of the B-C link is to free up the RH pinky so slurs and trills can be made easier - low Bb or B to Eb/D# is made a lot easier with the B-C link as you won't have to slide your RH pinky from the C to Eb key. There's a lower register Eb to low B slur in Karl Jenkins's 'The Armed Man' and this can be done on cors without the low B-C link (which most cors lack), but it's not always reliable. The B-C link makes this slur easy - lift off the RH Eb key when taking low B smartly with the left. As well as thumbplate and dual system oboes made for the UK market that usually have the low B-C link, some Italian and German oboes also have it fitted as standard.
The B-C link should close the low C pad with slightly more pressure than the low B pad to ensure you can get a low B cleanly (but the low B pad should also close under normal finger pressure). Similarly the bell key pad should close with less pressure than the low B key (which in turn closes with less pressure than the C key pad) so you can slur from D-Bb no problem.
Same applies to all woodwinds with linked keywork where two or more keys are linked together to be closed by a single touchpiece - the pads further down the instrument should close with progressively lighter pressure as you move towards the bell, so you can get the lowest note with the one key instead of having to hold more than one key down.
As well as low B on oboes, there's the low A on bari saxes, low E on clarinets, low Eb and low C on alto, basset horn and bass clarinets, low Bb on other saxes, low C on flutes, low B on bassoons, etc. - if one of the pads further up closes with lighter pressure than ones nearer the bell, then you cant guarantee the note you want is going to speak and you'll most likely have to hold more than the one touchpiece down to get it which is inconvenient. This is all down to the torsion in the keywork, something that's hardly covered in textbook diagrams, but is prevalent in all woodwind instruments - work with the torsion in the keywork rather than against it. Larger instruments will have more torsion in their much longer keywork compared to soprano woodwinds.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2017-03-20 01:50)
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-20 01:43
Hi Chris. Thank you for the feed back on this. It's much appreciated. I'll be copying and pasting this and printing it out as I've done for several of your other comments concerning Oboe adjustments for future reference. And once again , thanks to jhoyla and wkleung also.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2017-03-20 01:45)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-20 02:01
It can be fitted to most oboes where the low B and C keys share the same central pillar instead of being mounted on separate sets of pillars - some older Marigaux and Buffet oboes have these keys mounted separately. It can still be done, but the linkage arm will be long or a bar may have to be soldered to the part of the C key that links it to close the Eb pad cup if there's no room at the lower end of the C key rod or barrel between the lower pillar and the C key cup arm. If the C key is mounted between point screws, then these have to be an excellent fit for the B-C link to be reliable as any slop in the fitting of the C key will make the adjustment difficult or unreliable.
Howarth oboes often have the low B-C linkage arm mounted in such a way that it can be fully disengaged by backing off the adjusting screw - older Howarths that have the low B-C link have it mounted with some room for minor adjustment, but it can't be completely disengaged to allow the C key to open fully should you want to use the low B key independently for some altissimo notes or as a resonance key for some upper register notes.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2017-03-20 02:12)
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-20 02:22
That's interesting Chris. On my Howarth S2 there are the following adjusting screws on the lowest section of the lower joint. The screw on the Eb pad key and another one just below it above a flat spring. Then there is the screw on the C# pad key which I assume is the one that you do all the adjusments on concerning the C-B linkage. And finally the screw on the low Bb linkage to the bell.
At the moment my Oboe is in good adjustment so there is no need to be touching any adjusting screws but it is good to know what to adjust if the need ever arises during periods between sending the instrument off to a qualified Oboe servicer (in my case it's Richard Craig)
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2017-03-20 02:25)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-20 03:05
Unless you know exactly which screws do what, don't adjust anything if you're not sure what they do.
The one on the lower end of the Eb pad cup links it to the C key so it can be closed fully by the C key.
The one that sits above the flat spring is to regulate the amount of free play in the feather keys - there has to be some free play between the flat spring and that screw to be sure the Eb pad cup isn't being held open.
The other one at the end of the feather keys is to synchronise the movement of the low B key and the bell key linkage - this can be a tricky thing to adjust on oboes with a low Bb bell vent as the bell key will have to be adjusted correctly which takes some doing to set up well (this involves bending the bell key but making sure the key barrel and rod screw aren't bent).
The one on the C# pad cup is similar to the one on the Eb pad cup, but in this instance it's there to allow the low B key to close the C# pad fully when doing a low B-C# slur or trill.
You can only check the C-Eb linkage by holding the LH Eb key down and closing the C key and checking both pads close together.
Similarly with the low B-C# linkage - hold the RH C# key down and the LH B key will close the C# pad.
Always use the touchpieces to operate (close) the keys when making adjustments instead of closing them by the pad cups as the amount of torsion will be different if the pad cup is closed directly or remotely. Set them up as you'd play them.
The B-C link and low B-Bb can only be checked and adjusted by using the touchpieces.
On cors as the keywork is so long, you can check the C-Eb adjustment by holding down the LH Eb linkage down onto the flat spring and close the low C key with the one hand as you're checking the pads with a feeler gauge in the other - just like soldering, we really need three hands when adjusting oboes or cors.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-20 03:32
Once again. Thank you Chris for your detailed comments. Your last post will also be copied/ pasted and printed out for future reference. I've always considered that a working knowledge of how to adjust the screws of an Oboe is really essential 'know how' for an Oboist just like it's essential to completely understand how to make your own reeds. It's quite apparent that the adjusting screws of the Oboe are meant to be 'tweated' by a capable Oboist as a matter of course. And if an Oboist doesn't know how to , then learn how to. Hence the reason for the existance of , for example, Brian Seaton's detailed information on his interent site (for the Conservatoire System) for on going adjusting of the instrument. One just cannot send the instrument off to the Oboe specialist just because it goes slighty out of adjustment. It is also necessary of course to sent the Oboe off to a specialist for it's annual (for bi-annual) service.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2017-03-20 05:33)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-20 03:42
On oboes, if the low B and Bb go out of adjustment so one pad cup moves and closes before the other, that's more often down to the feather keys having been bent (at the touchpiece end) rather than the linkages or adjustments going out of adjustment. And as the feather keys are on a pinned steel, a lot of care has to be taken when straightening them out as the steel can break where the pinning screws are fitted.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2017-03-22 12:17
I've heard the low B-C# adjustment referred to as the "Tombeau" connection - due to the rapid passage in Ravel's "Tombeau de Couperin" that requires it. This passage is often chosen as an orchestral audition piece 
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-22 21:26
The articulated C# will allow you to slur from low Bb-Db or B-C# easily, but it doesn't do the same job as the B-C link - both articulated C# and the B-C link can be fitted to the same instrument.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-23 02:22
I'm surprised that the C-B link is on the S2 TP Oboe. But then again it was a professional Oboe in it's time.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2017-03-24 00:35)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-23 20:14
The B-C link is typical on British oboes - the S2 is a pro level oboe.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-24 00:37
Thanks Chris. I just edited my previous post to state that the S2 was a professional Oboe in it's time. I wasn't quite sure.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2017-03-24 17:05
Chris mentioned "Similarly with the low B-C# linkage - hold the RH C# key down and the LH B key will close the C# pad". On my S2 with the B-C link it doesn't have the B-C# linkage. I can play the low B on it's own and then press down the C# key but the lowest tone hole on the lower joint ( the C tone hole) remains closed. This still gives a C# but of course it's a bit muted.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-03-24 20:09
That's the only way you can play a low B-C# trill effectively if t has both a fixed C# key and the low B-C link.
On oboes with a fixed C# and without the low B-C link (which there are plenty - most basic conservatoire systems are like this), you'd have to slide your RH pinky on and off the C# key while holding the low C key down at the same time with the same finger (unless it has a banana key for RH3 to hold the C key closed).
The pro level Howarth oboe lineup was:
S1 - thumbplate system with simple 8ves
S2 - thumbplate system with semi-auto 8ves
S3 - ring key conservatoire system with semi-auto 8ves
S4 - ring key con with fully auto 8ves
S5 - full Gillet conservatoire system
Optional keywork on the S1 and S2 was the LH F key, LH C#, both LH F and C#, 3rd 8ve, covered action on some or all keys, side G-Ab trill key, F resonance key (not to be confused with forked F vent which was standard), fully automatic 8ves on the S2.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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