... and was paying too much attention to the CD I had put in while I was cleaning my oboe, and pulled the swab too far into the upper joint. It's stuck.

How should I get it out?

...welcome to the club!

Take it to a good technician (Get ideas from other players & teachers if you don't know one)- he should have the tools. Don't try it yourself - it is very easy to do irreparable damage to the bore.

I got it out... the oboe repairman didn't have the tool to get it out (he's here from England), so he was going to unravel it until it came out, which was the same thing I had been doing, so we brought it home and I did it.

Whereabouts in England are you?

I'm not actually in England, that's the catch. I live in the MIddle East, and we don't exactly have a resident oboe repairman here.

glad you got it out.

...& I was at a meeting today with the repairman who omitted to take that tool with from England!

I recently got my oboe swab stuck in my oboe. And it was such a horrible experience. I took it to my tech as soon as I could though and he got it out with a giant screwdriver mounted on a vice and pure force.

and this is why my teacher likes us too use turkey feathers:D