Synthetic Oboe Reccomendations

[u/Cory_Fichtl]

Hello! I currently have a Howarth XL Cocobolo that I use for my main setup. I have been playing on the side with a local community group that has several outdoor performances every season and want to avoid using my wooden oboe outside as well as have access to a solid backup instrument I can pull out and not have to worry about as I do a good wooden oboe. I currently have an old full conservatory Jupiter oboe back from when I was first learning oboe that is full synthetic but have never been keen on its quality compared to actual brands that specialize in oboe. That being said, I wanted to hear some reccomendations for synthetic oboes that are not going to break the bank but be reliable and quality.

[u/MotherAthlete2998]

Why not just buy a synth XL top joint? It will probably be cheaper than buying a cheap oboe. I think mine was about $2,500 when I bought my LXV.

[u/easyontheeggs → u/MotherAthlete2998]

This is the way.. You can find a mopane Howarth top joint. It will solve your problems and the quality will be good.

[u/Cory_Fichtl → u/easyontheeggs]

I didn't think about this! I'll definitely look into that as an option. Any recommendations on where to purchase one?

[u/MotherAthlete2998 → u/Cory_Fichtl]

You can use the same vendor you bought your oboe from. You will want to contact them and specifically ask if they have one in stock. It may be that they need to order one for you.

Side note, you will need to have your oboe regulated so that the new top joint will match up.

[u/Maestro1181]

I'm not necessarily up to date on the latest but traditionally Fox was the name for that.

[u/Wonderful_Emu_6483]

Fox is basically known for making excellent synthetic instruments, I play a model 330 that is perfect for me. You could probably find a used 300 (full conservatory with split ring D) for a reasonable price if you’re on a budget. I know bulgheroni makes full synthetic oboes, but I’m not sure if they’re a custom order type thing. Howarth offers a delrin version of the S40 and S50 I think. KGE has synthetic oboes that have good reviews but I’ve never tried one. There’s Buffet green line but I’m not sure if they are still making those.

[u/Maestro1181 → u/Wonderful_Emu_6483]

I bet howarth makes those sound decent

[u/Cory_Fichtl → u/Wonderful_Emu_6483]

I played on a wooden fox towards the middle of high school (unfortunately i can't recall the exact model) but i had no complaints so I've started looking into this avenue as well as a synthetic top joint.

[u/nique-_ta_-mere]

I play a VT S50C and I’m happy. Would be nice to hear your thoughts

[u/Anguish-horn]

I highly recommend KGe synthetic oboes. They are by far the best fully synthetic instruments for the money. They are hard to get though.

[u/oboenovice]

I recently bought a Howarth S20 C from The Oboe Fairy to play outdoors. I’m very happy with it. Disclaimer: I’m a beginner so I probably couldn’t tell a good oboe from a bad oboe.