Hi,

I m taking up oboe as my second instrument and i need to buy myself one. I don't have a limit on how much to spend but i am only a beginner so i ll need a student oboe that doesnt cost the earth! lol

Which oboe would you recomend?

Hi Fluty tute

Delighted to hear you're planning to take up the Oboe . There have been several other threads on the subject of what to buy.

I would warmly recommend getting in touch with Howarth in London (THE Oboe shop) or John Myatt in Hitchin and see what they have available. Student Buffet Oboes are good value these days but a Howarth would be even better. Some people like Ward and Winterbourn others don't. The best thing is to see what your new oboe teacher recommends (we all have our preferences ) and get their help to choose. As you don't yet play yourself, you'll need someone to blow the instrument for you who is an oboist to make sure it's ok.

If finance isn't a problem, get the best you can afford that's still reasonable as a starting instrument. A fully professional oboe probably certainly won't do you any harm now (other than financially!) but it won't enhance your playing greatly initially. Long-term, however, it may pay you to buy something a bit more expensive now and have it last longer. On the whole oboes hold their value, so you won't waste your money if you do so and then decide in the future it's not for you.

Final thought: unless I've confused the names, did I read somewhere else that you're thinking of doing a Diploma on the Flute? Just take care that you don't mess up your flautist's embouchure playing the oboe at a critical stage in your flute playing. It's perfectly possible to play both (and do so well - I've taught people who have done so) but they are very different instruments to blow in lots of ways so take care with your teachers that all is still going well on the flute once you've got an oboe in your hand.

Good Luck with the oboe - I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

^^ I agree with the embouchure part, I started clarinet (self-teaching) and when I phoned around for teachers of flute, piano, clarinet and theory I was told it wasn't a good idea to start clarinet and flute at the same time due to the embouchure difference, but i'm still teaching myself clarinet, and it's going well, my friend who is diploma clarinet standard often checks how i'm doing, so I know i'm not going massively wrong! lol, I'd say go for it, but make sure you have a decent teacher/friend who knows the instrument well, or even better find a teacher who teaches both oboe and flute!

Good Luck, hope this helped a little (even if the whole post was irrelevent ) - I'm blonde!

Laura x

Enough advice already.

Just to add that if you go to Howarths, is a second-hand one worth thinking about? I bought a new S40 last August and as Howarth warned, the wood has shifted a little so I have had to take it back for adjustments. They give a list of second-hand instruments on their site. They say there is less chance of the wood shifting with a second-hand one.

Don't forget to ask about reeds for a beginner and the rest of the kit.

Good luck.

Kai

Another thing to consider is budget; a 2nd hand oboe which will work will be nearly a thousand anyway.
Also, I reckon it would be better to find a teacher ... what if you bought an oboe and never got a teacher?! nightmare!

Another place worth checking out is www.johnpacker.co.uk
They sell loads of new and second hand instruments, of every different level.. also, having dealt with them in the past i know they take decent care of their customers, which is definitely a bonus considering the cost and character of oboes!
The other thing is that Packer's offer a student discount.. you can get the instrument minus the cost of VAT, which makes a huge difference! (many county's run this assisted purchase scheme anyway, but in case yours doesn't, it's well worth taking into account!).. and you can buy almost all types of oboes here.. JP, Warde & Wintebourne, Buffet, Loree, Howarth, Yamaha, you name it!

Sorry, i sound like i'm making a sales pitch there! But meh.. they're honestly worth checking out!

Hope thats some help,
s xx

Try www.netmusicalinstruments.co.uk - I got one for my daughter for £630(ish) ex VAT - a Buffet Artist model. I have to say that I thought the quality of the instrument was excellent - and indeed still is. The reed was totally useless though, so get one before the oboe comes, otherwise you will be disappointed!!

If you are at school/college, make sure that you use the School Purchase scheme, as this ensures that you don't pay VAT on your instrument.

I have been very happy with my Buffet 4121 (or Artiste, as they used to be called). These oboes are made of grenadilla (hardwood) so they have a nice tone, but they are also lined with resin which stops them from cracking as wooden oboes are prone to do.

Now I have my new professional-model Marigaux oboe, I need to find somewhere to sell my Buffet....I had it checked and valued at Howarths, and it's in perfect condition, but they would want to take 20% commission if they sold it for me - ouch!