 The Oboe BBoard
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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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Author: cjwright
Date: 2007-10-22 22:08
Drop Peter Hurd an email at info(AT)oboes.us. He's very knowledgeable about Chauvets, and very kind.
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2007-10-23 05:08
An after the fact left-F installation can certainly be done, but it can cost upwards of $450 to do so.
♫ Stephen K.
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Author: Nancy S
Date: 2008-11-25 22:01
In reading your entry, you referenced David Matthews of the Dallas Symphony - my daughter's oboe professor has told her to get in touch with him to fix a key on her oboe. the problem is - we have no contact info. Do you have an email or phone number for David. The professor was one of David's former professors, but he does not have contact info. Thank you for whatever info you can provide.
Nancy S
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2008-11-26 06:11
He (Peter Hurd) is exceeding kind! And generous with info.
Personally, I would do without a left F, rather than tinker too much with a master oboe.
GoodWinds
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2008-11-26 19:01
Nancy,
You can call the Dallas Symphony office and request that Mr. Matthews get in touch with you (generally they will not give out phone numbers of symphony members, but it's possible they may.)
MA
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Author: cjwright
Date: 2008-11-29 22:26
If you feel you must keep the instrument, then I would not hesitate to get a left hand F, but the split ring can be slightly more difficult to fit based upon the other factors. And if sylvangale knows someone who will do a left hand F for $450, then please by all means share with us! The cheapest person Peter Hurd and I know is over at St. Louis Woodwind and Brass for about $600 or so.
The other thing you should know about the split ring finger is that it will very well change the tuning of your middle E, as well as the tone. It would take a real master at accoustics to change the tonehole so that the color/pitch/stability matched that what it already is today.
So I guess what I'm saying is, if you're really set on this instrument, then it's ultimately your money, and might cost a total of $1000 or so but it can be done. But you'd probably be better off just selling it and buying something else.
I thought the appeal of Chauvets is its likeness to Laubins. You can get a decent used Laubin for $3500 if you keep your eye out.
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Author: cjwright
Date: 2008-12-03 02:37
Thanks for the compliment goodwinds. Yeah, Ken Decker is certainly top notch, but I thought he was more than that. If you can get him to do a left F for that much, power to you!
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2008-12-03 06:15
It was back in 2007 when I had the work done. I don't think oboe prices had the chance to skyrocket as they had since! Though Ken Decker didn't have to make custom parts for me either, I believe it was a stock Loree mechanism that was used and it was really inexpensive. It was an impeccable job and I'm very happy with it.
I did try playing on this oboe without the left-F for a while and it was just killing me to not have the keywork there. I would reach for it at times! It's definitely worth the investment to add on the left-F mech for the player and it'll add significantly to the re-sale price of any reputable oboe lacking the mech as well.
♫ Stephen K.
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Author: Jim-o
Date: 2008-12-03 22:53
Nancy,
I sent you Mr. David Matthews' email address. He is very good with repair. Anyone who also needs to contact him may send a request and I'll forward it.
Jim-o
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Author: Jim-o
Date: 2008-12-04 04:25
Thanks Mr. Wright and Sylvangale for your kind advice,
If my student wants to keep his oboe, I may pay to add just the Left F. I can cast the parts. The oboe helped him win first chair in All-District band. This model is an excellent student oboe by Ben Storch. I read Mr. Hurd and Mel Beimann and Lois Barton, plus a kind email from Mr. Martin Bebb. Then I gambled on an oboe by a master with a 1 year guarantee for only ~$380 from the Ohio Band Instrument Service. I added ~$500 for a shocked DSO English Hornist (Mr. Matthews)to rebuild it and ended up with a very pleasant (but expected) surprise. A master will refuse to make junk, even for kids. Storch was one. I was lucky, too . . . in a calculated way.
The oboe's value is in its sound and playability. There's little name recognition, unfortunately: Mr. Hurd has not sold the pro model that he has. Someone should call him for a trial! Mr. Martin Bebb and his harpist wife preferred his pro BW Chauvet to his fine Loree, which he sold off. He said that his forked F and regular F are amazing in all registers, same as with this model we have. There is only a C# issue with our student model.
Tell me this, y'all(I'm in Texas), would you be attached to an old oboe that plays and sounds really well? better than a friend's new pro Yamaha? better than the competition with new Buffet Crampons? Rigoutats? for cheap? I didn't have $2500 to give my 6th grader and the school stuff was unimaginable. No wonder they sell it as "impact resistant plastic."
Thanks for mentioning the Laubin, Cooper. I read that Storch got everything from Mr. Laubin. Makes sense: Wally Bhosys worked with Laubin, so his partner's oboes shared similarities. [I wonder where the reamers and tooling are, and what oboes the parts are similar to?]
You guys are all very helpful and knowledgeable. This board is an incredible public service.
Thx,
Jim S.
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Author: Carin Storch
Date: 2010-09-17 22:48
Hi Ben Storch was my Uncle. I loved hearing him play and looking at the tools in his workshop. I believe his last professional job was playing with the NYC Ballet Orchestra at Lincoln Center. If anyone has old photos of stories to share, I would love to talk with you. I recently came across old photos of him with several orchestras and musicians, some whom I do not recognize. I still have his reed cutters.
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Author: heckelmaniac
Date: 2010-09-18 02:38
My understanding is that Al Laubin imported Chauvet instruments
just after WWII - serial numbers will have numbers only, such as: #1000.
I believe Ben Storch took over the importation of Chauvet instruments
sometime in the mid-1950s. Serial numbers begin with "BW."
Ben accomplished all of the "fettling" (voicing: bore reaming, tone hole sizing and under cutting)- he was a master of the art. The BW series serial numbers I believe run fromBW1 to about BW 500. The very best BW Chauvet oboes seem to come from serial numbers between (say) BW100 to about BW275. Some truly exceptional instruments made within that range of serial numbers.
Ben dropped the line c. 1965, and started the "Gordet" oboes, made by Kreul
("German Gordet"), Bulgheroni ("Italian Gordet"), and Malerne ("French Gordet, though a few may by Chauvet). Ben also had the "BenWal" line- most were by Malerne.
The Chauvet importation into North Amerca after 1965 was through Linx and Long on W. 48th Street in Manhattan. All the post Ben Storch era Chauvet instruments were finished and voiced at the factory. Post 1965 Chauvet instruments had serial numbers beginning with "AC." I believe just about 700 or 800 AC instruments were made. Chauvet closed its factory circa 1974.
Overall, the Chauvet BW series oboes will be more desirable, and have more "Laubin like" timbre and playing characteristics than the later ("lighter sounding") AC series instruments. It is not as common to find an AC oboe that plays as well as a BW oboe, though on occasion, I have had an AC that
must be described as absolutely first class.
The Chauvet brothers learned their craft working at the Loree factory.
One of the Chauvet brothers worked for Al Laubin for a time (in the 1960s?) as a key maker. The history of the Chauvet factory and the Chauvet brothers is very sparse. My dear (late) friend Wally Bhosys passed some of Chauvet history on during some of his legendary "fireside chats."
Some top notch oboists (such as Warren Sutherland) played Chauvet oboes exclusively for an entire career.
And Chauvet instruments were very well made. I have had several Chauvet oboes that had many decades of school or institutional use. After accomplishing thorough overhauls, all were ready for many more decades of service.
And Ben Storch also accomplished magnificent work on the BW Chauvet English horns. The BW English horns in the 200-300 serial numbers seem to be the most desirable, though I scarcely ever come across an indifferent BW
Chauvet English horn of any serial number. The AC Chauvet English horns though can often rival a BW- most of the AC English horns will be excellent.
A story about one BW Chauvet English horn I sold a couple of years ago.
It was the only Chauvet English horn I have ever had made of Palissander, Madagascar Rosewood, Dalbergia Baronii. It was a very fine instrument, though
I say I have had a few preferred over this specific horn. The new owner is an amateur who plays in first tier amateur orchestra in a major city.
For one concert, the principal oboist was unable to play, so the orchestra hired a professional to sit in as principal. At a break in a rehearsal, the professional oboist asked the owner of the BW English horn whether he could try her instrument. "Yes." So he played for a few minutes, and then said to the owner emphatically, "name your price!" She simply replied without missing a beat, "no!" I have also had similar experience trying to purchase Chauvet oboe BW144- my "name your own price"tactic was simply to no avail. Chauvet oboe BW144 is one of the most remarkable oboes I have ever played.
I place some Chauvet instruments in the "Rolls Royce" category, or at least
in the "Mercedes-Benz" category.
In my experience, Chauvet instruments tend to be way under appreciated, and usually far under valued in the marketplace.
Truly, Peter
Oboes.us
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Author: pkhoover
Date: 2011-06-27 17:38
I found the info regarding Chauvet very interesting.
I have an old Chauvet EH AC series that I purchased from my college professor many years ago. A common thread among english horns is a 'sagging' middle C. At one of the IDRS conventions, I tried 13 different Henneker bocals before I found one that complemented my horn.
About 6 years ago, I decided that my horn needed some swedging work done and basically a good tune up. Based on a friend's high recommendations I called Paul Covey's shop (I believe that he was either near the end or had already passed). When I told the person from his shop what I needed, they told me that my Chauvet was too old and not really worth overhauling and that I would be better off if I just bought a new horn. I then went to the person I always use in Cleveland, Ohio, and was very happy with the job that he did.
My Chauvet has a wonderful warm sound, and recently at the 2011 JMOC, one of the guests gave me some info regarding Chauvet and proceeded to tell me that he used to own one long ago and loved it. I had performed the orchestral excerpt from La Mer and received several complements on the wonderful sound of my Chauvet.
Patti Hoover
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2011-06-28 01:00
I can't imagine any repair person worth his salt telling someone their oboe is 'too old'. I'm glad you went ahead and had it done elsewhere. Sometimes those Oldies are the Besties.
GoodWinds
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2011-06-28 01:01
Where does one find this Gordet/Ben Storch expose article??
GoodWinds
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