 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Theo Amante
Date: 2020-04-21 20:13
Im planning to get my first oboe and I found something at a decent price. The first listing was about 25,000 pesos or $500. Now the price was reduced $300. The only red flag for me is that its brandless. I haven't asked for more information though.
Would it be something worth getting for a beginner? Hsll would be very much appreciated.
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2020-04-21 21:56
I recommend that you never buy an instrument that you or your teacher have not played. If you are just starting, then you should find a professional to play on the instrument. If it is online and not near you, then you should find and hire a local professional to play on the instrument and give you an opinion.
Any instrument that is brandless is likely very old, maybe up to 60 years old. An instrument in that price range might be cracked, unplayable, and require repairs that could add up to another $200.
A beginner needs an instrument that plays with no cracks or leaks, and an old instrument might require repairs and maintenance that could set you back at least another $150 to make playable.
If you or a professional do not play the instrument, you very well might spend the $500 and still have no instrument to play.
I have never seen an instrument that I would recommend for a student that sells for under $1,000, so as you can see I am not very positive that you will be happy with the instrument online.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: mberkowski
Date: 2020-04-22 00:02
Another possibility besides being very old, an unbranded instrument might be one of recent mass-manufacture, assembled in large quantities for export where some later get stamped with a brand name. You will find many, many such instruments for auction on ebay, or for sale on large retail sites (Amazon, Aliexpress) and they tend to be visually alike with a brand maybe emblazoned on the bell. They will often be priced anywhere between $200 US and $2500 US, but have a poor reputation for durability and may not arrive in playable condition if not imported through a dealer who adjusts and play tests them. The unbranded ones are probably less likely to have been checked over & adjusted by an instrument dealer.
Michael
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Author: oboist2
Date: 2020-04-22 00:59
Theo, do get a teacher or professional to look at this instrument and thoroughly test it before parting with your well- earned cash. Instruments are often sold by people who know nothing about what they are selling, and in some cases, even worse, do know. Without appraising it, no-one could say whether it was suitable for a beginner or not. Also you need to consider that instrument repairs and reconditioning is expensive, and you might end up paying a way more than what you purchased it for, just to get it up to playing condition. If you are in the position to be able to do so, please seek the expertise of a local oboe teacher or professional.
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2020-04-23 21:57
I hadn't thought of that, but if it's recent manufacture and that price, I'll guarantee you that it's made in China.
I had a student buy one of those for $1,500 and it looks beautiful with complete French full conservatoy keywork. The problem was that it plays a full tone flat and the keywork is so poorly made that it cannot be adjusted to seal all the keys. The student had to go back to playing on a student model school instrument to be able to play in tune.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-04-24 10:49
I've also seen a clear plastic Chinese oboe that had all the bells and whistles as well as gold plated keywork, but the top joint bore was around 2mm too wide at the socket end and that made it impossible to play anything below low E without it bubbling. Not only that, the owner paid way over the odds for it and all they got was an expensive candlestick.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: mberkowski
Date: 2020-04-24 20:16
Hotboy wrote:
> The problem was that it plays a full tone flat and the keywork is
> so poorly made that it cannot be adjusted to seal all the keys.
That's a shame. You're not likely to find a lot of "Oboe in Bb" transposed parts to play that instrument on.
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2020-04-24 23:18
Yeah, but it would be perfect for playing duets with a Clarinet! hehe...
Dane
Bay Area, California
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