$100 eBay Oboe Review!

[@GARCKY]

Just found this video. When I was 16 and second chair clarinet, my band director handed me the school's oboe and said, "You'll play this now." He was a brass player. No clue. He did give me a fingering chart, though. There were a couple of reeds in the case. The previous oboist had graduated. So, I taught myself. The oboe, itself, was an ancient ring keyed Loree, which was a good thing, I guess. Low Bb was there, but no left F. By then end of that school year, I got the second oboe chair in the state honor band, so I guess I learned quickly. You play what you have, I guess. I stopped playing for 20 years, and started again in my 30s. After renting an oboe for a short time, I bought a used no-name conservatory oboe from someone and took off. I ended up playing with a performing quintet, many pickup orchestras, and playing in some pit orchestras. I learned reed-making from books, especially the "Oboe Reed Styles" book. I suppose I was an advanced amateur player, but I had many opportunities to play, which was wonderful. Always self-taught, but with the occasional master class and tips from other oboists I played with from time to time. Play the horn you have, the best you can. That's my advice for any amateur oboist.

[@ethanault8228]

I’ve been playing on ring system oboes for a few years now and I love them! Very lightweight, they respond very easily, and they stay in adjustment for much longer. They were rather common until the second half of the 20th century. Just some trill fingerings that are different.

[@maikel72]

It's beautiful to give a new life to this old oboe. It sounds not that bad!

[@skjumpers]

Loved that Rhapsody in Blooper at the end, Ron!

[@hhckiss2817]

Thanks for this vid! It gives bad/good memories of learning oboe in the 90's with the open holes and no left hand F or low B flat. I think some hardship makes players stronger though 🥺 lol

[@edgaraortiz]

There’s this English horn on Amazon for just under 1K and I wonder if it will have a good sound. I know how expensive English Horns can be and I’d love to play one one day (not an oboe player at all, and looking to play English horn as my new primary wind instrument). Not sure what to look for in buying an English horn and there are few videos on KZbin about it.

[@anselpierson5193]

Seems cheap but you make it sound so good! Nice work on these great videos

[@oboeari]

Thank you!!

[@therealrawlingsfamily5096]

Hi Oboeron, I actually have a $160 oboe off ebay(prob from the 1960’s) that I had oiled and fixed by a technician for $90. I am going thru the Rubank elementary book on my own and watching your videos to learn how to play. A little background, I am a very good flute player of 12 years. My challenge is the air to make a sound. I can do it but it takes so much effort. It could be the reed is too hard. I tried squeezing a little over the thread like you suggested, but that only helped a little. Is there such thing as a beginning oboe reed? Also, the technician also said there are plastic reeds? What do you think of those? Also, suggestion for an upcoming video could be an oboe embouchure workout. I find I can play two lines and then my mouth just wants to collapse because the muscle tone is not there yet. Thanks!!

[@therealrawlingsfamily5096]

P.S. once I can play the entire elementary book, I will buy myself a nice oboe. I just didn’t want to shell out a $1000 for something I hated to play. So far I am determined, but it sounds terrible.😩

[@somebody9033]

@@therealrawlingsfamily5096 if you still need help please respond to this comment and I can send you quite a few suggestions to make oboe easier for you :)

[@therealrawlingsfamily5096]

Yes please. I have four pages left of the book. I am ready to get off the cheap ‘synthetic cazoo’ reed and try a real one. Thanks!

[@somebody9033]

@@therealrawlingsfamily5096 OK, so the first thing you need to understand is psychological. The flute is an instrument where you blow all the air you have in your lungs out every second, and are gasping for air all the time because it just sucks it all out. The oboe is not like that. On the oboe, you should use as little air as you possibly can. Oboe should feel easy if you have support from your so-called diaphragm (you know what I mean) muscles and a correct embouchure. If oboe feels hard, it is likely because your reed is either too open, or too hard. Most probably the latter, given you have tried closing the opening. You will feel if a reed is too open if you can blow air through it easily without any vibration happening. Conversely, if it is too closed, it will not take any air - it will just vibrate, and it will often make you squeak. Finding the perfect opening for you is what you need to do. If your reeds are cheap and like a "kazoo", get a better reed. It is easy to dismiss many beginning oboists as being "bad", but often they are better and are capable of being better than their oboe/reed lets them be. That is probably the case for you given you are already an experienced musician.

[@therealrawlingsfamily5096]

@@somebody9033 the one thing that I do notice is that I can play about three lines of music and suddenly I have to come off the reed and gasp because I feel like I’m going to pass out. Does this go away at some point? I suppose it’s like scuba diving, I just don’t know how to breathe and be comfortable yet:

[@nathanshepperd9234]

Wow! I’m playing oboe at WKU honor band this year! I’ll probably see Mr. Sorrels!!!

[@oboeari]

Amazing!! Say hi for me!!

[@personperson5456]

It’s like an oboe but in the style of a clarinet

[@personperson5456]

So much that you could probably do a glissando

[@ellooku]

No one plays oboe in my country and we need it in an upcoming concert. I was considering learning but to get an affordable one first. Is it possible to learn this and play in a concert the Vivaldi - Gloria in D Major, RV589 all the 12 songs within 2 months especially Domine Deus, Rex Coelestis? Honestly, I don't wish to use a keyboard instead. Although I am a classical pianist, I have ideas with saxophone and flute. Can we hire you? Concert is October 30th 2021

[@oboeari]

Hello, you can contact me via my website about any performance inquiries! :)

[@carlosmacmartin4205]

Bravo! Sounded great to my ear. 🙂

[@oboeari]

Thank you!

[@snowyplayzsso6295]

Thr BELL looks like a bell to a clarinet

[@oboeari]

yeah! It's way more flared out than a normal oboe bell!

[@thesunniestflower9899]

What brand is it? 🤨

[@diegolicata01]

from middle G upwards is all flat haha but you can bend notes!

[@oboeari]

The bends are the best!! haha

[@fryderykfranciszekchopin5716]

Cool video! 💯 Thank you! 😊

[@oboeari]

Thanks Chopin!

[@fryderykfranciszekchopin5716]

@@oboeari Haha, yes "Chopin" 😜😎

[@idk-ki8mn]

Ngl the oboe I've been playing on for a year has been $100 off facebook💀 just recently started looking into getting a new one

[@LukeIsRAndom]

If you don’t want it I will have it 😂😂haha

[@bilonggrisimmeri]

Having just spent a lot on my first instrument, this confirms my concern buying secondhand, unseen would lead to uncertainty if the bargain price oboe actually worked or not. There'a s chinese one on Amazon at a very low price. Looks like an exact copy of a F.Loree. Wonder how that compares to the genuine F.Loree?

[@oboeari]

I'm sure that it's not going to work anywhere near as well as a Loree. Congrats on your new instrument!

[@retrogamerdave362]

My oboe is a Yinfente Rosewood full conservatory model. It looks lovely, but mechanically it isn't great. The pitch also needs to be manipulated a bit. For what I paid (around $500) I think it was a pretty good deal. I play very little these days so I couldn't justify a $3000 oboe right now.

[@amyoboe1]

I mean, its not terrible! I still wouldn't recommend that any one buy a $75 oboe on ebay without having a repair technician...its like having an antique car...repair person needs to be close!

[@oboeari]

You're definitely right, Amy! I wouldn't be buying a car from the 50s, same goes for oboes haha

[@Skitdora2010]

I think buying a cheap one is good if you want to look into learning how to repair them yourself and don't want to practice on your real one.

[@oboeari]

@@Skitdora2010 absolutely. however, this one is so different from a modern oboe, I think some of the adjustments would be different!

[@RobertAllen-k4q]

Hall Joseph Walker Dorothy Hall Christopher

[@sethh1943]

So you all ordered an oboe for less than $100 and then had a professional tune and repair it. Surprise it works! ;)

[@oboeari]

glad you enjoyed the video!

[@somebody9033]

but both C's are almost a quarter tone sharp, and the G is horrible, LMAO

[@deutscherkaiserkanal7489]

Bro can I become this oboe? 🥺

[@thesunniestflower9899]

Whay 😭