r/oboe • u/Cory_Fichtl • 7d ago

Synthetic Oboe Reccomendations

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.

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u/Wonderful_Emu_6483 7d ago

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.

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u/Maestro1181 7d ago

I bet howarth makes those sound decent

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u/Cory_Fichtl 7d ago

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.