 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: upislandgirl
Date: 2020-01-03 05:44
Hello, I am hoping someone might be able to help me. Back in middle school/high school, I was a pretty "serious" (as serious as one can be at age 14) oboe player. An oboist from a local symphony orchestra was getting a new oboe and somehow we managed to snag his old one for me to use, replacing the plastic thing I had been playing. I cannot for the life of me find anything that identifies it so I can get an estimate on value.
I know Selmers are not generally regarded as great oboes.
I even called Selmer and they were like "Uhhhhh....we can't find that number in our records." Anyway, i got it in the mid 1980s, and I assumed it would be from the 80's or maybe 70's but who knows.
The only marks I see on it are on the bell, where there is the Selmer USA logo. On the back of the bell, at the top, it says "F6990" and that is it. Those are the asbsolute only identifying marks.
Google, Reverb, eBay, the internet in general turn up NOTHING. It's like it never existed.
Can anyone help? I would appreciate it so much. I really really don't want to sell it, but things are pretty dire, financially, and I want to know what it's worth, if anything.
Post Edited (2020-01-03 05:56)
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2020-01-03 11:18
As you say, (1) not a very good brand, (2) not in good condition, and (3) old. It looks like Selmers I saw back in the 70's. I would be very surprised if you can get more than $150 for it because it will probably take $400 worth of work to put it in playing shape.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-01-04 00:30
That's a mixture of two oboes! It's a basic Bundy/Selmer 1292 top joint and a Selmer 101/Signet Soloist lower joint and bell.
Do the serial numbers on the joints match up? I'm guessing the F6990 serial number is only on the lower joint and bell and the top joint carries another number (if any).
If it's a Bundy/Selmer 1292, that would be a basic conservatoire system built to low B and has a keyless bell with a vent hole (unless it's a thumbplate system model made for the UK market which were built to low Bb).
If it's a Selmer 101/Signet Soloist, it would be a full Gillet conservatoire system to low Bb with everything except a 3rd 8ve key and low Bb bell vent.
At some point the top joints on two oboes have got mixed up - the top joint should have an extra C-D trill touchpiece for LH finger 2, an Ab-Bb trill mechanism (link from the G# key to the LH2 fingerplate) and an extra (upper) side key for the G#-A trill.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2020-01-05 03:08)
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Author: mberkowski
Date: 2020-01-06 00:36
Chris,
Did you add the 3rd octave key and low B flat vent to this instrument as cusrom work? The unvented low B flat on mine is hopelessly flat. I seem to recall you mentioning you'd done significant customization on one of these.
Michael
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-01-06 11:35
Hi Michael, I went to town on this oboe to bring it up to the same technical spec as a Howarth S5 as I wanted a decent plastic oboe for less than favourable conditions. As well as the keywork alterations I reamed the bore out with Howarth XL reamers.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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