Howarth oboes, Comparison of different models Options

[Roseau]

I am considering buying my daughter her own oboe (at the moment she rents one from the music school). I am very happy with my XL and am thinking about looking at one of the lower-end Howarth models for her.

Would those of you who play (have played) and S20 or an S40 mind giving me your thoughts on them. I have looked up their specifications on the Howarth's website and what I'm really interested in is the weight of them and their tone quality.

She is 11 (and quite small for her age) so I'm not sure whether to look for one this summer or wait until next summer when she might have grown a bit. She currently uses a small-hands Delphine-Rigoutat oboe and she finds my XL too heavy but she doesn't seem to mind the slightly wider key spacing.

I was thinking of the S20 as something (on the theory that it has less keywork and so is lighter) which she could maybe play for the next four years or so and then (if she's still playing) upgrade when she is a better player and has a more definite idea of what she wants from an instrument. But if it's likely to limit her playing drastically I might be better off waiting until she's grown.

[pianophrase]

Hi Kerioboe,

As a complete beginner on oboe, a few people (including my professional playing oboe teacher) recommended going to Howaths to buy one.

I could just about stretch to buying an S20 and although I have no experience of playing other oboes (yet) I am very pleased with it.

I was also very pleased with the service I received (I had made an appointment before I went). The lady in the shop (can't remember her name) showed me into a back room and played on four S20's and then helped me choose the one with the best tone. As a complete novice I was impressed with their customer service and would definitely buy one from them again.

Perhaps you could go there with your daughter and ask their advice about which one would suit her size/age (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[notmusimum]

For now I wouldn't buy an S40 for your daughter simply because they are quite heavy. I don't know what size she is or the wight of her current instrument but she is still growing and you need to be carful. We discovered this when thumb problems occured from playing Cor.



Perhaps an S20 with a 3rd octave key would be a good choice.

[Arundodonuts]

For now I wouldn't buy an S40 for your daughter simply because they are quite heavy. I don't know what size she is or the wight of her current instrument but she is still growing and you need to be carful. We discovered this when thumb problems occured from playing Cor.



Perhaps an S20 with a 3rd octave key would be a good choice.

Now I was going to recommend an S40. I think for the instrument it is (a D ring short of the full Gillet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) it's quite light (it is a thin wall model). It also has a left hand F, more comprehensive bottom end linkages and more trill keys. I think it's far better value for money that the S20 and would satisfy a player longer. That said, maybe for a young girl it would be too heavy. I can't really judge.

[MusicalNitWit]

note to self: when taking up an instrument, first check how much said instrument costs to purchase from new. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[notmusimum]

For now I wouldn't buy an S40 for your daughter simply because they are quite heavy. I don't know what size she is or the weght of her current instrument but she is still growing and you need to be carful. We discovered this when thumb problems occured from playing Cor.



Perhaps an S20 with a 3rd octave key would be a good choice.

Now I was going to recommend an S40. I think for the instrument it is (a D ring short of the full Gillet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) it's quite light (it is a thin wall model). It also has a left hand F, more comprehensive bottom end linkages and more trill keys. I think it's far better value for money that the S20 and would satisfy a player longer. That said, maybe for a young girl it would be too heavy. I can't really judge.

I'd agree with all of that but the consideration has to be the growing child. Emsoboe has very bendy fingers so that might have some bearing on her situation. It is quite scary when thumb goes all swollen and you can't put any weight on it. an S40 and a Fhred might be worth considering this is how we eventually got round the Cor problem.

[Roseau]

Thanks everyone; to sum up is the S20 considerably lighter?

As Notmusimum says, it is the weight issue I'm worried about. She doesn't have "bendy" fingers but she has small hands and is still physically very much a child. I am going to ask our teacher what he thinks she needs as far as keywork is concerned but since he is not familiar with Howarth oboes he can only comment on the techinical specifications and not what they feel like to play.

The conservatoire system ones all come with a 3rd octave key, which for me did seem to be the most essential thing that her current oboe doesn't have and that she will need in the not too distant future.

[pikkoloflautist]

I started on an S10 and upgraded to an S40 (I say "upgraded", but it's not actually mine (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)). The only problem I found was with where the keys are, and the S40 had so many more! But I didn't find the weight difference to be an issue at all, suggesting that it is probably not ridiculously heavy. Saying that, I'm not a small 11 year old...
If you did decide to go for an S40, would it not be possible for her to use a sling as some people do with the cor? You could probably get a special thumbrest that has a ring in it put on (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Arundodonuts]

I am going to ask our teacher what he thinks she needs as far as keywork is concerned but since he is not familiar with Howarth oboes he can only comment on the techinical specifications and not what they feel like to play.

Comparable French oboes which he probably will be familiar with are the Rigoutat RIEC and Cabart 74.

[Hardying]

I have an S6 which is the lightweight version of the S5, which | bought as I suffer from tennis elbow. It is the next level up, but if weight is a major issue it might be considering?

[Roseau]

Comparable French oboes which he probably will be familiar with are the Rigoutat RIEC and Cabart 74.

I think the Riec and the Cabart are more similar to the S40 though. (They have a left-hand F and all the trill keys). I can't think of a French equivalent of the S20.

I have an S6 which is the lightweight version of the S5, which | bought as I suffer from tennis elbow. It is the next level up, but if weight is a major issue it might be considering?

I'm not prepared to spend that much money on her just yet - the instrument goes into school twice a week. I also think that by the time she gets good enough to need a professional level oboe, she will have her own ideas about what she wants and may like a completely different brand. As I said in the first post, I want something that will last her until she's about sixteen by which time it ought to be clear whether she is taking the oboe seriously or not and she ought to be good enough to try out instruments herself in a rational way. (I will obviously take her with me if I decide to buy one and let her try but she is still likely to be influenced by secondary considerations (like what the case looks like, if we try several different brands) if I ask her to choose).

[katica]

I dug out an old thread on Chinese oboes started by estonia... music margaret actually said that for a conservatoire system she thought there might be better options than Howarths for students ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) ), though I know she's a Howarth owner herself.

She doesn't post much but with luck might appear to help out... ????

I very much liked the S20 I tried a couple of years ago. I remember music margaret rooting for her old S10, though it doesn't have a third octave key. I'm not sure how really really essential a third octave key is anyway except on some oboes at a professional level. I don't always use the third octave key on the XL, even for high E/F. The Patricola doesn't have a 3rd octave key and I had no problem with the high notes (not related to octave vents anyway...).

[Arundodonuts]

I have an S6 which is the lightweight version of the S5, which | bought as I suffer from tennis elbow. It is the next level up, but if weight is a major issue it might be considering?

I can't be sure but I think the S40 will be lighter than the S6. Both are "thin wall" versions - of the S45 and S5 respectively.

Comparable French oboes which he probably will be familiar with are the Rigoutat RIEC and Cabart 74.

I think the Riec and the Cabart are more similar to the S40 though. (They have a left-hand F and all the trill keys). I can't think of a French equivalent of the S20.

Yes you are right.

Actually I've just had a look at the webpage for the Delphine http://www.rigoutat.com/student/delphine/?...6c0f6744fd7a8b8 and I would say the S20 would NOT be a step up. The Delphine looks more advanced.

[Roseau]

Actually I've just had a look at the webpage for the Delphine http://www.rigoutat.com/student/delphine/?...6c0f6744fd7a8b8 and I would say the S20 would NOT be a step up. The Delphine looks more advanced.

The S20 would be a step up as the conservatoire version of it has all the same keys as the Delphine + a 3rd octave key and a couple of extra trill keys.

The thumbplate version (which I don't want and doesn't have a 3rd octave key but does have more of a description) describes it as suitable to grade 8 and as being light weight.

[Arundodonuts]

Actually I've just had a look at the webpage for the Delphine http://www.rigoutat.com/student/delphine/?...6c0f6744fd7a8b8 and I would say the S20 would NOT be a step up. The Delphine looks more advanced.

The S20 would be a step up as the conservatoire version of it has all the same keys as the Delphine + a 3rd octave key and a couple of extra trill keys.

The thumbplate version (which I don't want and doesn't have a 3rd octave key but does have more of a description) describes it as suitable to grade 8 and as being light weight.

Ooh I stand corrected - having looked more closely at the conservatoire version. Odd that it has a LH F when the thumbplate model doesn't (though the tech specs don't mention it). It also appears from the photo to have a bottom B-C# link which the thumbplate model doesn't. All very odd considering the prices are identical.