Author: Jim-o
Date: 2007-10-21 17:14
I recently bought a Chauvet oboe, #BW411 for my son, Bret, from an instrument service. The wood is very dense, the mechanism did not appear to be played to pieces and the name was more than reputable. It was leaky, but played.
It was rebuilt by David Matthews, EH - Dallas Symphony, really at his insistence. He was so right, and he did a great job! The sound, tuning, and intonation were more than we had hoped for . . . (and it SO beats the superglued school Selmers, both of them. The poor kid is in pain when it stays home for outside band functions).
This is possibly a lesser pro model of the time. It lacks a left F and split-D(?)
1) Should/could I get a left F installed (later)?
2) When were these made?
I am thankful for assistance of Mr. Martin Babb, owner of BW216, bought used in 1958 from his teacher Walter Kessler of Tulsa. At the time, he says the plating was completely gone in some places. So Mr. Babb guessed that his was built in the late 40's or early 50's. It was rebuilt by Monnig(sp). Do we have a timeline of any sort, and are the serial numbers reliable?
It was fascinating reading the Gordet/Ben Storch expose in July, '07. I have a lot of respect for the masters who took various products and applied their bore, tone hole fixes, etc., to produce a superior sound and intonation in a solid, sometimes superb instrument. I would like a (probably separate) topic to get some of this history down before even their students are too few to help much. I have been unable find an article by Ben Storch in Woodwind, 1948, "Exploding the Oboe Myth", and would like to have a clearer picture of the 'group' who worked their magic on wood and silver after WWII in New York. I guess I am asking for a book that may already exist.
My kids say I'm obsessive. It's just fun.
Thanks,
Jim S.
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