Okay,
I found a Buffet Oboe I might be intrested in buying for my son, however I need help finding more information. I did a search of the seriel number and found it was made in 1995 (the same year my son was born)so its 9 years old. How do I find out what model this is? Here are the specs on the oboe...

Full System (no Ab/Bb or split E key), grenadilla wood body, silver plated keys, C# trill lever, D trill bridge, alternate D lever, F resonance, left hand F, new pads, range to low Bb, completely cleaned and adjusted. It is priced at $1302.00 strictly because the shop doese not typically carry Buffet oboes and it was brought in as a straight sale by someone who had gotten a new oboe.

We can test drive it first before we commit to buying. I still need to check a little more on any past repairs (Iwas not told of any, but you never know unless you ask). And of course we will have it looked at by and oboist and repair man here. Now that your bored what do you think?

Ohhhhhh...
I forgot to ask is taking care of a wooden oboe too much responsibility for a beginner? Also what about the fact that its coming from a region with high humidity into a region with very low humidity, will that cause problems like cracking?

My 12 year old daughter plays the oboe in her school band and takes private lessons. I deliberately purchased an inexpensive Selmer (it sounds fine...her teacher plays it...no problem).

A wood oboe is a lot of work. My daughter`s teacher, who is a fanatic looking after her wooden oboe (it has it`s own room with a humidfier!)...has had cracks that needed extensive and expensive repairs despite all the caution she takes with it.

My daughter is reasonably cautious for a 12 year old...but her band-mates aren`t necessarily so...and when I see the kids running around knocking into stands, knocking stuff off stands and chairs, and stepping on stuff during rehearsals I just cringe. So far we`ve been lucky and the only break we`ve had was to a brand new reed ($20) that was whacked - and completely broken by the neigbouring (and totally unconcerned) clarinet.

My advice as an oboe mom, Band Executive member and amatuer string player...is to get your son a decent, plastic oboe to start with. If you think the deal on the wood oboe is too good to pass up...buy it as well and keep it for him - either to use at home where it`s not likely to experience problems - or to keep it until he`s ready to look after it. Use the plastic oboe for band or orchestra.

If you find he`s not into the oboe down the road, both instruments should roughly hold their value and you shouldn`t be out any money all told.

If my daughter sticks it out with the oboe we`re planning on getting her a Buffet Greenline (sp?). It`s a composite instrument but sounds like wood with all the benefits of plastic...but I think they run around $3000.

Hope that helps!

Hi

I have just purchased the buffet semi automatic oboe (4151)
i am really impressed if you are worried about the wood cracking check with who is sellin the oboe wheather it is plastic lined. i know mine is and some others are.

hope this helps
matt

good luck

We already have a plastic selmer in like new condition for him, and although the buffet is a really really good deal, i think well stick with the selmer. I know my son is very responsible for his age, but I hadnt considered the fact that his band mates may not be. Thank you so much for pointing this out. If he sticks with it perhaps in high school well get him a really nice wood oboe then. Thank you both for your help and replies!!!

I, also, would recommend sticking to something fairly basic for now. As he is only 9, he will probably not have all his adult teeth in yet. When he does get them in it will be a significant change.
Also, wood does not guarantee quality. I do like the smoother tone that my Greenline gives me, seeing as it is a wood composite, but the reason it sounds so nice is because of the refinement of the bore, not because of the wood. In fact, many professional instruments are made of plastic now (or at least the top joint is) to ease the worries of cracking, and these instruments sound impeccable. Sometimes I`d even go so far as to say they sound better because the top joint has absolutely no change due to weather or the slightest warping.
I would recommend Yamaha as the beginner plastic instrument of choice: they are very sturdy and are made to very exacting standards. Selmer is ok...that`s what I started out on, but I wouldn`t recommend it.
In short, stick to something very simple for now, to see if he really does like the oboe.
(By the way the running price for a Greenline pro is 8000$ Can. so about 6200$ US given the exchange)

D-oboe

I have a Buffet 4152 and it has the same keywork you mentioned in the Buffet for sale at the shop. If it`s the same model oboe, then it does have a plastic lining and shouldn`t crack.

I`ve been very pleased with my Buffet oboe. I`ve been only playing for 3 years, and I think it`s a great beginner to intermediate oboe. I rented a plastic selmer before I bought my Buffet, and there was no comparison.

Also, I`ve found that the safest place for my reed when I`m not playing is in my mouth. I sometimes get teased about smoking a joint, but really, it is a safe place.