REVIEW: Amazon Oboe ~ what does an oboe under $1000 sound like? 

Nice video, I think the best thing about these kinds of oboes (singers day, prestini, etc) is that these makers are making the oboe that much more accessible to anyone who is afraid of getting into oboe-ing because of the price tag of the instruments, reeds, reed making materials, etc. Gorgeous playing as always!

Videos like this are very encouraging as it helps with conversations of 'entry point' options. Your playing is so expressive!

Great to see you again! I'm watching and thinking, "He looks even more handsome than usual." I just realized it's the eye shadow! (I think that's what it is. I don't understand a lot about makeup.) You look GREAT!!!! LOVE your videos! Thanks for the hints! Just saw the nails! LOVE IT!

Thank you so much! I'm a beginner with the violin, but my hope is to learn both the oboe and the clarinet as well. I've seen a few stores that offer the rent to own deal on instruments. I really enjoyed your playing it. The oboe is a beautiful sounding instrument and I really hope to get one soon.

Hi Ron! I just wanted to say that i play the oboe for 3 years, and i watch very often, and i appreciate what you are doing. next year i am going to a music school for 6 years! sometimes there are bad times with the oboe perfomances and sometimes there are good times, keep up the good job! my dream is to be a professinal oboist like you! from Jonathan

WOW!!! I am so impressed. Who would ever have thought that an oboe in this price range could sound so good?

Very impressive showing by the beginner oboe, and very nicely played on both instruments!I've played a number of beginner oboes back-to-back, comparing them to my Loree. (Used to work at a music store.) I think one of the big issues is the feel, especially when shaping dynamics. Some beginner oboes feel stiff, sometimes diminishing the positive color changes that can accompany a crescendo or diminuendo. Would love to hear, on a comparison, an excerpt that highlights dynamic transitions. Also, a report on if the oboe feels stiffer or looser or however it might be different. Can you add any comments on that? Nice work, looking forward to checking out your other videos!

Really encouraging to see this instrument for this price and hear it sounding so good. It's been 9 years since I last played oboe and this makes buying one for myself so I can play again much more reachable. I played on 8 years with most of those best years being on low-end student ones without a low Bb or left F, so I've had the image of me spending $10k for a professional one to treat myself but for under a thousand I'm kind of tempted to buy this right now lol. Plus if I buy this, it'll take the sting out of it if I fall out of habit and end up not playing it super often.

Hi there Ari, thank you for your extremely helpful video. I took up the oboe just over five months ago, and I'm renting one from a music shop which is fairly local to us for six months. The rental expires in just three weeks time, and my hubby and I will be looking to buy a brand new one!! A very exciting time indeed, so we are needing advice here. Very exciting times here!!! 🥰

I'm very impressed with the tuning on that oboe. I would like to see on long term tested and see how it holds adjustment and if the alloy is bending or not

I live in Brazil, and aside from students who are lucky to have access to a better oboe, most beginners here start on these kinds of instruments. I did it myself. In my experience, they can sound decent, in spite of some of them having tuning issues. The biggest issue is durability. They're obviously made of low quality metal, and their keys bend in less than a year, causing adjustment issues. They even break sometimes. Ergonomics are not the finest either. But for someone without other options, I'd say go for it, provided there is a teacher to help as these mechanism problems can result in bad habits. And be aware they're pretty much discardable, resale value is non-existent. Thanks for the channel, love your videos 😉

It’s ridiculous how good that sounds (complements to you, as well). Another interesting thing will be to see how well it stays In adjustment over time.

I took up the oboe on my birthday on 13th May, so I'm a beginner here!! I'm getting on ok, but I still have so much to learn!! I have struggled to co-ordinate the side and back octave keys, but I'm gradually getting the hang of it. Lots of challenges along the way, but having a wonderful time learning!! Such a fabulous birthday present from my lovely hubby!! 🥰

Thank you for this excellent review. My son and I have been looking into this model as a possible option for him, but I am a bit worried about durability. How is the construction? Does it seem well built or too fragile compared to more expensive oboes? Thank you.

Super helpful channel! Could you make a video about how to start learning Oboe on a budget?

You did an Awesome job with this video. Any chance for a Thore oboe demo?

You know, there are some legitimately decent instruments coming out of Taiwan and mainland China these days…I’d venture you get 70% of the performance for 10% of the price. As a music educator, anything that makes music making more accessible to young people is fine by me. There is the moral quandary of whether you’re willing to buy an approximate copy of an instrument from a company that did not pay to do the development on the instrument, but that’s something everyone will need to answer for him or herself.

I had to play the oboe once in college and it sounded like a duck being strangled! I contacted an oboe player and she told me not to use the same breathing force like I was playing the flute. It worked out pretty good until the next semester when three oboe players entered the band, so it was back to the flute/piccolo!

Wow! So I totally want to buy one of these now. We play a lot of outdoor concerts in The USAF Band...

What were the excerpts you played? I particularly liked the last one.

While these oboes may indeed play well and the same features as an intermediate level oboe from the big name makers for the price, that doesn't necessarily mean they're built well. I had someone bring a Chinese oboe to me and the top joint bore was 2mm wider at the base of the reed well compared to what it should be, so that made the low notes below low E bubble like anything. These oboes only meet the factory's minimum quality control standards before they're shipped out, but some things like poorly made and fitted screws, loose or tight adjusting screws, natural cork used under adjusting screws, adjusting screw tips that have been ground at a funny angle, keywork that binds up when the rod screws are tightened are all too common problems with cheap Chinese oboes. If you do want a reliable oboe, then buy a used Fox 300 (full Gillet conservatoire) or Renard 330 (same spec as this Chinese one) and have it fully serviced - I'm not affiliated with Fox (I worked for Howarth for 12 years as an oboe finisher), only I suspect most of the people in this comments section are from the US and Fox have more presence there than elsewhere as far as good quality plastic oboes go. Many repairers and especially double reed specialists won't want to work on Chinese oboes on account they will have far too many problems with them from when they were made to make it uneconomical to repair them. From an owner's point of view, they could end up paying near on the cost of a Chinese oboe to have all the problems fixed, but still left with a Chinese oboe with little to no resale value. If you buy Chinese off brand oboes, you'll only end up spending far more in the long term.

My upper register sounded very squeaky today in practice, so need to work harder to make them sound clearer. I warm up with scales and arpeggios, need to do more with long notes. I'm working hard on good posture, which is difficult for me as I have scoliosis. The oboe is absolutely gorgeous though, so I'm absolutely determined to carry on. 🥰

Do you have the Philadelphia d key on your Howarth? Because my low c key is not connected to my split ring..my split ring only affords an in tune D# to E trill..

The highest note that I'm able to play at the moment is very top C, it would be lovely to go higher, but need help with the fingerings! 🥰

Why should you put the bell on first?

would this be good for my son who is in middle school, he just started playing and is in 6th grade. he currently is renting to own a selmer but by the time it is paid off, it will have gone well over the price tag assuming my math is correct. Also not sure of the selmer model but it is missing some of the keys so probably a beginner model which they priced at around 2200 in my paperwork. I'll stick with the rent to own if advised to, but if this oboe is just as good and will last him through until high school then I'd rather save the money P.S.- he is a careful kid so not too concerned with mistreatment of the instrument, which is something the rent to own does cover to some extent

Wow, that’s surprising!

Nails on point.

Is there an oboe which costs $980 or less which is a better oboe?

After 3 years, you did an video idea from a guy. Now bro can truly think about Amazon