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Re: best oboe to buy for a student

Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-07-13 14:14

There was an alto sax being sold recently that had apparently according to the seller been "recently serviced*" - I could see from one of the photos the low E pad had a white patch on it, closer look showed the pad was shot and the white patch was the felt showing. So I mentioned this to the seller and told them whoever serviced it should have replaced that pad as that's one of the first things high on the list of priorities.

* The least expensive operation is a check-up where the instrument is checked, adjusted and oiled and only a few keys are ever removed to replace any damaged pads, broken springs or missing key or tenon corks, so just doing the minimum needed to get an instrument playing - often done in an emergency. That's not to be confused with a service.

My simplified description of a service is when an instrument is taken apart, all the joints and toneholes are cleaned, the bore is oiled, the keywork is cleaned and polished. Any pads, key corks or springs that need replacing are replaced and the mechanism is oiled as it's being reassembled and then regulated so the instrument is put back into top playing condition. This should be carried out routinely at 12 to 24 monthly intervals to be sure it's all playing and working well. That's not to be confused with an overhaul.

An overhaul is in essence a complete stripdown and rebuild from the ground up. So everything is taken apart and all consumables (pads and corks) are all removed and replaced with brand new pads and corks so you will pretty much have an as new condition instrument. There are loads of other things done during a service on top of that and in addition to a service which makes it the most expensive work carried out on any oboe and is only done a few times in the instrument's lifetime.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010

Independent Woodwind Repair Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.

The opinions I express are my own.

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best oboe to buy for a student new

bluejay555

2017-07-07 03:41