Do you think a Renard Fox 333 or 330 would be good for a beginner? Should one start with a full conservatory-sytem model or a modified one? Very confused here, please help!

it depends what kind of music are you going to be playing because those are intermeidete instruments

Hmm, then may I ask if the thumbplate system or the conservatoire system is better (not sure what it is, I saw it on Howarth website)? And what`s the difference?

Thumbplate and conservatory systems are not mutually exclusive--conservatory system refers to an overall fingering system, thumbplate to a more specific feature that can be added to a conservatory system.

Oboes have special keys that you use as you move up the octave into the higher notes. Semi-automatic octave systems are the most common. You can recognize these because the top joint has a long, flat oval key on the back and a similar key sticking off to the left side of the keywork on the front.

Automatic octave systems are a little fancier lack the left-hand octave key in the front. It`s a nice bonus, but I personally think a student would benefit from learning semi-automatic before moving up to an automatic octave oboe. Once you can play semi-automatic, it`s very easy to switch to automatic. Less so going the other direction!

Semi-automatic is completely fine and common, unless you`re going to a conservatory or you`re a professional. You`ll find that many of even the highest-level oboes can still be bought with semi-automatic systems for those who prefer them.

Some oboes have a third octave key (yes, even if they`re semi-automatic!), which helps the notes sound clearer in the higher register, especially at softer volumes. Again, it`s optional. You`ll recognize it on a conservatory oboe because rather than having one big oval key on the back of the top joint, there`s two overlapping ones. If it comes down to getting an automatic octave system or a third octave key, get the third octave key. But again, you don`t REALLY need either one.

Howarth is a British company and they sell thumbplate oboes, which are popular in Britain but a little less so in the US. Buffet makes them too. These oboes also have an oval key (or two oval keys, if it`s an automatic octave system oboe) in the back just like the conservatory oboes. However, thumplate oboes also have a flat oval thumbplate just beneath the usual doohickeys back there.

Thumbplate fingerings can improve the quality of the B flat, C and C sharp on and above the staff. The thumbplate system changes the fingerings for those two notes as a result. Again, a nice bonus, but thousands of players do without it and you don`t hear anyone going crazy without it. Especially not in the US where it`s not very common.

Buying thumbplate or conservatory is basically personal preference. My advice is that if you`ve got a new student, buy a conservatory model with a semi-automatic octave system. You can`t go wrong playing the fingering system that`s most common in the country where you`re learning to play.

My daughter will be entering high school this fall. She has been playing for 4 years on a Selmer 1492B model. She wants to upgrade to a wood oboe. I`ve heard that the Loree is the best but pricy. What about the Fox Pro 400? How does this differ from the other Fox oboes?

Oh sorry, forgot something--the Fox 400 is all-grenadilla, unlike the other Foxes which are either high-impact resin (of high quality, I might add--there`s nothing wrong with playing one of those, like the Fox 450). It has a full conservatory key system and very solid silver (vs. nickel-silver) key work. Think of the difference between the 400 and 450 as the difference between two available designs of the same car model.

For a beginner the Fox 330 is great. If you want to move up to a wood oboe, don`t just limit yourself to Fox and Loree. Other good brands include MCW, Fossati, and even Yamaha. I haven`t actually heard people play all of these other brands, but I have heard that they are great oboes. I have heard a Fox 450 and a Loree side by side, and the Loree sounds much better. Also, my fried plays on an intermediate MCW oboe and she sounds incredible. Right now, I`m a senior in high school playing on a 15-year-old Fox 400 that I bought on ebay. When I save up enough money, I would like to test several different brands and buy the one that I like best.

I have 2 choices.Linton ZRL $1800, or Fox 330 $2000. Given both in top notch shape, which would you choose?

Thanks

The Fox 330. The Linton doesn`t even come close to it in quality.

SOrry I didn`t read all of the previous posts, but I have a Fox 330 and I am happy with it. My only complaint is that it`s not wooden :`( I began on a Selmer student model and after three years on that I switched to my Fox. It will last a long time and it should be good for a beginner, but just keep in mind that the intermediate models will have more keys for alternate fingerings and such, so if you don`t have a private teahcer or another Oboe player that is more advanced than you, you may have a lot of keys that you don`t end up using because you don`t know what they are for.....

wat iz the differance? i have a king i think itz the schools

Other excellent instruments are made by Rigoutat and Marigaux in France. I play a Rigoutat, and it is a beautiful instrument to play, solid grenadilla, third octave key etc... I`ve had it from new since 1986, and it still plays perfectly, so age is not a problem for oboes. They have a graduate-level instrument called a RIEC (RIgoutat EduCationale) which is excellent, and not as expensive as the pro models (http://www.rigoutat.com/). My cor anglais, a Howarth, dates from 1979, and plays very nicely also. Interestingly, as I live in Ireland, most people here play conservatoire system instruments, mostly made in France, unlike the English just across the water who love thumbplate instruments (Howarth, Ward & Winterbourn, and so on). Mind you, Howarth make very nice conservatoire/dual-system oboes as well! If I hear someone plays a Loree oboe, I generally assume they must be from the U.S., as we don`t see many of them over here.

My daughter has been playing for three years and I believe she has made a full commitment to oboe. I`ve been researching on Ebay and found great deals on Renard Fox oboes, but they`re wood. Would you recommend a wooden oboe. Is wood hard to maintain vs. plastic? Also, would recommend a Renard Fox? thanx

I currently have a fox 330, but I`m getting a new oboe for my birthday. My fox is an excellent oboe, and it still sounds as great as it did when I first got it(4 years ago). I have not had experience with any other fox models, but the 330 is a very good student oboe. I`m moving up to a wooden oboe-either a new covey or a used loree most likely. Wooden oboes have much more personality and feeling which is why I`m switching. However, it takes a lot to look after them. Whichever oboe you decide to get, be sure to play it first! You could play 5 oboes of the same model and they would all be different. Don`t pick an oboe that someone else tells you is the best, pick one that sounds the best when you play it.