The Oboe BBoard

The Oboe BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Re: What sort of oboe do you play and why

Author: PaulNorway
Date: 2022-10-17 12:06

I bought a new oboe a year ago, so I have to update this very important thread.

I still have my Mönnig 180D english horn. That is going nowhere.
...but I changed my Mönnig oboe to a Ludwig Frank 11B.

I really liked my Mönnig, but it is a diva. Albrecht Mayer said he wanted the oboe to have "no character" and it should be like a blank canvas he could paint whatever he wanted on. Can you imagine that kind of freedom? I can, and it sucks most of the time. You have to be in full control of the instrument at all times, and it really responds to what you do. As I said to another oboist who also changed from Mönnig (to Marigaux M2): "Some days I did not know what to paint, and some days I just painted ugly crap".

I don't I will ever find another oboe that plays with such ease in the lower register. It was a dream.

At the Norwegian chapter of IDRS convention in 2021 I decided a was going to buy a new oboe. Actually I had decided to buy a Marigaux 901, so my focus was mainly on the Marigaux stand. They were all good, but then I decided to try some of the Ludwig Frank oboes there also. He had brought three oboes. 11CD, 12B and 11B. If you want to buy a Ludwig Frank oboe, conventions are the only place you can test different models and actually buy the oboe you are playing. He has a waiting list, up to a year, If you are buying outside conventions.

I was too slow to even test the 11CD before it was sold. So it was between the 11B and 12B. It you don't know that is the same model with and without gold plated keys. They were both good, at least I could not really feel or hear anything that set them apart.
In comparison with the Marigaux 901s the intonation was more even and it not feel as stiff as most Marigaux do when you come from Mönnig.

Ater some more testing (projection, dynamics etc...) I finally landed on the 11B, just because it was cheaper and it did not play any different from the rose gold plated (and more expensive) 12B.

"fun"-fact: Like Mönnig oboe, all LF oboes have gold plated rings and posts. I did not notice this oboe was rose gold plated until I came home. It looks really nice, and I like that it is not so BLING BLING as yellow gold.

TLDR: Blablabla I bought a new oboe.

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics