 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: oboeaw
Date: 2006-11-02 20:16
My 7 year old student's mother got her a J Michael oboe from Parsons Music Company in Hong Kong.
In fact, it's an automatic system (the parent did not know the difference) and the oboe is absolutely no suction at all. I only can play upto G, so I asked my student to change the other one. However the company was not very professional.They seem to know nothing about oboe.
They say they would like to fix it, so I ask for seeing the repairman, one of the salesmen there told me the repairman is not available to see customers, but the salesman did not know oboe. How can I explain the problem?
In fact, I tried some China-made oboes, there are two makers are good:
1. Sunrise
2. Futeng
Conservatory system with cork pads with a plastic body.
As a player and teacher at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, I told her the oboe has no suction, I asked her to buy some better products.You know what did she say, she said she would not change for a teacher.
I have never seen a person like that, it's not a matter of taste, it's a matter this oboe does not worth $1000 USD. It leaks seriously....
Plus there is no "real repairman" in this company.
Why I can't see the repairman?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-11-02 22:41
I've seen the J Michael clarinets and they are useless. I dread to think what their bassoons are like!
Now, why am I not surprised to hear their oboes are crap - and why they'd make an automatic one which can only be much worse?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: A_person13
Date: 2006-11-03 14:08
I'm just wondering,what exactly is the difference between automatic and semi-automatic?
And wouldn't ordering a Barrington model from wwbw.com be better?
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Author: JRJINSA
Date: 2006-11-03 15:00
Order a Barrington for $700 (they're on sale), try it for 45 days, have your teacher try it and make a decision. I've had one for six months now and it's great. I purchased this to see if I would like playing the oboe in general before I made a big investment. I'm very pleased with it and am finding this instrument to be a blast to play and learn. My teacher has made this instrument "sing" and he's impressed with the sound. I'll probably get something better if I get good but for a beginner it's a no risk! I've had no troubles with it so far and the thing came to me in the mail and played perfect from the get go.
45 days - no risk. WWBW is a great place.
Good luck!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-11-03 16:18
With automatic octave keys they change over when going from G to A in the upper register without the need to physically open the upper 8ve key - while the octave key (for the thumb only) is held down, the lower vent is open from E up to G#, then releasing LH finger 3 for A up to C causes the upper vent to open while the lower one closes at the same time.
Just as a saxophone does, though oboe automatic octave mechanisms are a lot more complex than sax ones and much harder to set up so they work perfectly, they don't have the 'margin of error' that sax 8ve mechanisms do which make sax 8ve mechanisms much more reliable even on old and fairly worn out mechanisms, and on the worst built ones where there's a lot of excess play they still work to an extent - hence the reason why they're such a bad idea on a badly engineered oboe due to the more complex nature of an oboe's auto 8ve mechanism as any lost motion, poor adjustment, soft metal, bad design, etc. can cause nothing but trouble.
And as the Barrington oboe is made in Shanghai anyway, buying one directly from the factory where they're made will be a fraction of the cost of buying the exact same one (besides the name engraved on the bell, take your pick of names - they're all on the same product!) from WWBW only for it to get sent back to China.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2006-11-03 16:23)
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Author: oboeaw
Date: 2006-11-03 18:51
don't ever purchase this oboe, it looks like a oboe but it's a toy.
the poor oboe maker must accept the fact, the easy money won't come from making oboe or selling oboe, plus that local music store called Parson' s is another nightmare. I only request to see the repairman because they claim they can fix it.
I will wait and see. Not many repairmen can fix such an instrument, if there is one, the music company will lose instead of earning upon this business beacuse it will cost them at least $300 US dollars.
AW
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