Hi im looking for some advice, son plays the oboe, and he is very keen and enjoys playing, I could possibly have the opportunity to buy him a second hand oboe. Unfortunately I know very little about what I should be looking for, any cracks and damaged padding are the obvious things to look for but apart form that I have no idea what to look for. The oboe in question is the pride and joy of an old gentleman I know, he has had this oboe from new I believe and has had it for 60years plus, he used it to play in a army band in WW2 he says it is a professional oboe, and had been regularly serviced and looked after. As of yet I have not seen it but will on Friday, he believes it is an Austrian make (possibly German or Italian, narrows it down a bit ) and begins with a C. Any one got any ideas? Sons music teacher is away so cannot ask her advice, I know the gentleman has someone else coming to look at both this oboe and his clarinet he has for sale, I think they are someone who trades in instruments, if they are a specialist or not I have no idea.

So any advice on what I should look out for?

Sounds like a Senora to me hence you think it starts with a C, lovely instruments, east german, possibly it will be open holed/ring system due to its age and this is not standard but equally as good..I have professional friends who use the open holed system very happily..Not as easy as the Gillet or covrered system...does it have a thumplate or is it conservatiore, the reason I ask is that your son will probably be most likely to play a thumbplate system if you are in England and the Senora may not have on but one can usually be fitted afterwards so dont discount it..

As for cracks get it checked but a woodwind shop or someone who knows how..As for advicve take your son and see if he can get a sound out of it...It may need adjusting, they all do from time to time..it may need some re padding and tinkering with, but an Old friend of mine plays a Senora and loves it dearly..

Good luck,

any other questions PM me

Andrew

Well I'm no expert, so these are just one person's opinions based on what I have observed and read.

I wouldn't buy a 60 year old oboe for playing (if it's a collectable that's another issue). Oboes don't improve with age and in fact are often considered to be "blown out" after some years use. Note that this assertion has been refuted however (e.g. Leon Goosens played his entire professional career on the same oboe) and 1920-1930s oboes are still sought by some for playing (though I think that tends to be particular Lorees). However, purely on the grounds of getting a 60 year old mechanism, I don't think I would want it.

Given its age, this will probably be an "open ring" oboe and these days closed or "plateau" models are the norm. That said, some players profess to prefer open ring type, though they are increasingly rare. If your son has been playing a plateau model I think he should stick with that.

If it's old and Austrian, it may have "Viennese" fingering which is different to the fingering of modern oboes - then again it may not. However, I think it will lack some of the fancy bits and bobs we get on the mechanism of modern oboes which make life easier - the various alternative keys, trill keys, etc. OK you can live without them, but why suffer?

If it was played in an army band 60 years ago, it may not be at modern pitch (A=440). I believe army wind bands used to tune higher than that.

So without someone with some expertise (e.g. teacher) to look at it, I would pass it up.

Pushpull raises some excellent points but I was working on the assumption its a Senora and presuming your friend has been playing it here I again presumed its tuned to A @ 440..

Get it checked out and see what that reveals and dont pay big money for it..it wont be worth a lot other than as a collectors item if it proves to be rare..

Emsoboe has never played on a ring system but when we were upgrading her Flute a few years ago. There were concerns from people in the know that her fingers might be too small to seal the holes. I've no idea if this is the same on ring system Oboes.

. You have to have chubby fingers or the right hand position to play on a open hole oboe. I can just about play on an open hole but it is a bit harder.

Hi thank you for the advice I had done some research and found that it may have alternative fingering i.e. "Viennese". I had no idea oboes could be considered “‘blown out’ and did not improve with age. I’m glad I asked now and didn’t go running off to the bank.

we will still be off for a look, but I now have an idea what to look out for and of course will try and get it looked at by someone who knows a bit more than myself and son.

I would not buy anything that required alternative fingerings. I can just imagine the mess the teaching would get in. If you wait I'm sure a good student Oboe will come along eventually. Pushpull and myself both bought from Ebay, perhaps not the wisest idea but you could take your time and watch for something local. Have you looked on Howarths second hand list there might be something more suitable there or talk to Emma. You will be looking at travelling to stoke if you want an Oboe specialists opinion.

Shhh. They'll all be looking now and the prices will rocket.

Actually my current Howarth S40 (which appears to be standard issue in the Eccles scratch band) is my 3rd Ebay oboe (damn what a great user name that would have been - Ebayoboe) and my umpteenth instrument off Ebay. If you have a good idea what you are after and can convince yourself of the quality of both instrument and seller (check the feedback), there are good deals to be had.

My first oboe was a cheap, plastic Selmer which I bought just to check the sense of really having a go at the oboe. It was followed shortly afterwards by a Buffet Artiste (a good choice for beginners). That one was a local sale so I was able to go and pick it up at the end of the auction. The advantage to that is that if the item isn't "as described" you are under no obligation to buy. So that's a route worth contemplating. The Buffet was £400.

My S40 was altogether more "heart in mouth" as it wasn't a local sale and was considerably more expensive than anything I had ever bought on Ebay (£1350). However, by getting the serial number I was able to check the age and service history of the oboe to see it matched the description and by a bit of internet sleuthing I found that the seller was an amateur musician playing in two student bands in London. I even found his address and telephone number. The price also meant there was plenty in hand should a service be required (a secondhand S40 from Howarth would be about £1800 - £2000). I admit to holding my breath for the 3 days between paying up and receiving the oboe, but it really was immaculate and had just been serviced.

Apart from oboes I've had several accordions, a classical guitar and a hatful of recorders from Ebay. I can only think of one item which was a disappointment.

I agree with Pushpull about ebay instruments. You need to be careful but there's always the chance to grab a bargain. So long as you know what you are buying. Our S40 was the princely sum of £780 including postage. I went through all the same emotions as Pushpull during the waiting period but I'd built up a good relationship with the seller behind the scenes.

I've bought a fair few instruments from ebay too and only had one disappointment. But it is a case of buyer beware.


Take your time and keep looking something will turn up.

Blimey. I was robbed.

Suspect ours may be older and not in as good condition.

780 for a S40 That is very lucky.

Wish we could have the same luck wiht a Cor

Then I would have to say Cor Blimey. Ahem, I'll get me coat.