I strongly recommend trying an oboe before you buy it. Don't use ebay.

yeah, don't ever trust ebay on buying instrument .. they could say it's brand new, and it could be totally used and needs a ton of work done on it.

I had a Buffet 4052 oboe without third octave key and no Double Ring D key...it was actually quite good! and it was bout $2500 for a full grenadilla with Low Bb resonance key and left hand F and those Double Trill keys...But I do like the way Loree's bells look.

wwbw.com has a great selection!

you don't need to spend 4K to buy a good oboe. also beside
a Loree or Fox there are some pretty good other french and german made oboes out there.
I play a vintage wooden LaMarque Oboe with left Hand F# we bought at http://www.music-oldtimer.com
This Oboe plays beautilful and I did not even spend close this much. My Oboe was made in the 1960s,
the golden age of the Grenadilla wood – much better sounding than the later made or new wooden Oboes regardless of the maker.

bb-jazz

I play a few french made oboes. they all very well crafted and have a beautiful tone. recommended http://www.music-oldtimer.com/en/instruments/oboes . bought a couple of oboes from muisc-oldtimer in the last few years. very satisfied with price and the quality you get.

Well, I ended up going with a used Fox Renard. It had a little bit of dirt in the keys, and there was come cork that needed replaced, but other than that (which has already been fixed) it is in PERFECT condition. Just under 2.5k, too!

Ah, that's great =]! I hope you enjoy your oboe.

Well to what i know yamahas are suppose to be good and so a fox but your not going to get that great of an oboe if you want to spend half of 4k but i think you could find atleast one out there. But thats from a student anyway i was looking for some help because i use to have a an oboe but my brother broke my octive key and i cant get it fixed so i was going to buy a new oboe and i found this weird brand that ive never heard about called Barrington 801 and i was kind of worried about it because the price was only $900 have any of u guys evr heard of this brand and should i buy it.

Oh and to my oppinion i think plastic is better because its less likely to break and its easyer to get fixed or tuned and i say the tone is a little clearer with aq plastic

try http://www.wwbw.com/ they have some good oboes at an okay price.

Alright. First off, I'd really suggest go with an oboe teacher to your LOCAL music store to try out some oboes. Not only should you try out the oboe, but also the teacher/professional. Yamaha's are really good student models. Also with wood vs. plastic: There is quite a bit of a sound difference between wooden oboes and plastic oboes. If your just a beginner playing oboe for fun there's really no point in getting a wooden oboe, but if you are truly dedicated to your oboe and willing to practice lots then a wooden oboe will suffice.

are u trying to call me not dedicated to my oboe

No, I am not. All I'm saying is: If you really are serious about the oboe, then get wood, if not get plastic.

k, so i have a fassati oboe, and its being really inconsistent... im not very happy with it and looking to buy a new one. it drives me crazy because the octave key is slow at opening and sometimes wont open at all. same with the left hand e flat. maybe its me, but my high a and a flat are also iffy, but my high b and c, etc are fine...

I want full conservatory and wood, and something consistent.

What brand? I really want to find a used loree, but ive heard foxes are great too.

Have you taken your oboe to a tech yet? It can really help...