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Re: boosey and Hawkes regent oboe vs selmer sterling oboe

Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-05-17 00:13
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The Selmer Sterling (or any other of the older Italian Prestini, Santoni or Orsi stencil models made for the UK market) would be a much better instrument than the B&H Regent, but both have the same basic thumbplate system keywork which you may find limiting. Early ones don't have a forked F vent.

It's the same basic thumbplate system as a Howarth S10, UK spec Bundy/B&H "78" and Schreiber/Buffet Artist oboes except they have covered fingerplates instead of ring keys/open holes.

B&H Regents are a mixed bag - older bakelite ones are better players than the later ABS ones, but all suffer with weak middle tenons. I had one from 1983 which was impossible to play below low D without it bubbling because of the top joint bore being the wrong taper and one day I knocked it over and it snapped in half. Then I never played oboe again for around another ten years after that.

Yamaha YOB-241B should be a dual system oboe made for the UK market - basic conservatoire system built to low Bb with an added thumbplate and semi automatic 8ves which are far more advanced than most basic thumbplate systems. Be aware the more recent ones don't have a forked F vent, but the earlier ones do which are the better ones to get, so check if it has a forked F vent. The 241 oboes made for the rest of the world are pure conservatoire system (no thumbplate), only built to low B, may or may not have a forked F vent and I've seen some more recent ones that have a LH F key - maybe that's the US spec ones.

I'd recommend looking for a used Howarth S20 as they will have much better build quality, better spec keywork than a basic thumbplate system and better resale value.

There's no reason why you can't learn with a conservatoire system oboe, only if you can find a conservatoire system player/teacher who are a bit thin on the ground even now as most UK oboe teachers have been brought up on thumbplate systems going back generations and only a few have learnt on or have been taught and will teach conservatoire system.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2021-05-17 00:29)

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