In moments of flute crisis I flee to the Clarinet section...

Or have you noticed after you click the flute forum and you click Navigation:"8notes.com Forums" in the upper left there are some special hidden forums such as the Bassoon or French Horn (new).

The oboe forum is rather vacant we can go there

It`s perfect time to explore other instruments!

Oh... I usually flee to the woodwind.org Clarinet section which is actually quite nice. (it even has a hidden Oboe forum if you click around).

I just happen to be posting in the Clarinet section here as I forget which forum I was at didn`t want anyone to think I was active THERE. lol.

I tried a Linton Oboe the other day at is was horrible!

The brand or the fact that you let an oboe touch your lips? lol

I am clueless when it comes to Oboes. I heard they were a bad brand. A friend of mine is trying to pawn one off on me. It is in horrible shape. I would really love to get an Oboe, but they are so dang expensive! What would be a good brand to start off with? Is a Linton like a Bundy flute in comparison?

Linton is not a well regarded brand. However if it`s cheap enough it could be good to learn with. You don`t want to break the bank on the road that many quit. Renting is a pretty safe way to start and at least the oboe SHOULD be in good adjustment.

I do NOT recommend Ebay for oboes unless you`re willing to really fix something up. However you can find some major brands that WOULD be worth fixing up.

Here`s a good site with comments on various makers:
http://www.oboes.us/resources/makers.html

The one big thing you want on an oboe that you buy for yourself is the left-hand F key. In the spot where you would expect the Ab key is a cluster of 3 keys together and one on top in the middle of those three... that is the left F. It should be the main F fingering, but many student instruments don`t come with it.

Now with that said if you rent and become good enough to upgrade to your own. There is a $700 Barrington oboe that is probably the best thing you can get till you can get into the $2500 range oboes. A bandmate of mine picked one up as a backup for his Loree and he loves it. His review is on wwandbw under "Gerard".

...oh and there ARE Bundy oboes too

If I could play another instrument, it would be every single one.

One of my friends plays the Alto Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, and Clarinet.

Are the Barrington oboes any good? I`ve read the reviews on WWBW and they sound decent, but I`ve never actually tried one. But if ya`ll think fluters are bad with who plays what brand, just try talking to a bunch of oboists... it`s Loree or the highway around here I`m pretty happy with my Yamaha, though I do think it`s time to haul it for a COA.

Pearl flutes are good, I don`t know if they make an oboe or not.

What are Pearl Flutes anyhow?

I`ve never had the occasion to play a Barrington myself and can only share that I know someone who has one, lol. I couldn`t fathom asking to try it out. I`ve thought about trying out myself at least after I sell a couple of my oboes. I believe the Barrington oboe is made by the LA Sax company.

I have had a resin Yahama oboe and it has an atrociously shrill high rage (D+) and rather restrictive bore, at least in the *11 series and since I came from a resin Selmer... I know it wasn`t the plastic. The *41 series is supposed to be an improvement using the same bore as their professional instruments.

Yamaha oboe: Sells for $1800, bought for $400 in NEW condition... PRICELESS
Re-sold for $600 on Ebay though
(it was in impeccable condition for what it was)

Though there is a lot of professional oboe competition with such makers as Loree, Patricola, Bulgheroni, Marigaux, Rigoutat, Howarth, Covey, Fox etc etc. There are more professional oboe makers than you can shake a licorice stick at. Which makes it hard to compete. However certain brands are favored by region as the myth goes... USA = Loree, Japan = Marigaux, France = Rigoutat, England = Howarth or Marigaux.

Professional flute makers really are mass producers in comparison.

Piko, if you so decide to ever sell one of your oboes, please let me know, I may be interested. Thanks for the information too.

Certainly. Will let you know when I decide to start selling things.

Piko, your sirname looks Maori, or at least Polynesian?
Is it?

Yeah Piko if you want to sell an oboe I night be interested in you.