Why Oboes Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
Vložit
- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
- A specialized woodwind with a wistful yet powerful tone, the oboe is one of the most expensive instruments you can buy. Professional-grade oboes can sell for almost $14,000. That's more than four times the price of some professional flutes. So, what goes into making oboes? And why are they so expensive?
Editor's Note: The voice over at 0:21 states that a Howarth oboe is "more than four times the price of a high-end flute". This is an inaccuracy; prices of professional flutes vary widely.
MORE SO EXPENSIVE VIDEOS:
Why Chiso Kimonos Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
• Why Chiso Kimonos Are ...
Why Honma Golf Clubs Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
• Why Honma Golf Clubs A...
Why South Sea Pearls Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
• Why South Sea Pearls A...
------------------------------------------------------
#Oboes #SoExpensive #BusinessInsider
Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more.
Visit us at: www.businessinsider.com
Subscribe: / businessinsider
BI on Facebook: read.bi/2xOcEcj
BI on Instagram: read.bi/2Q2D29T
BI on Twitter: read.bi/2xCnzGF
BI on Snapchat: / 5319643143
Boot Camp on Snapchat: / 3383377771
Why Oboes Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
If you're wondering why they crack so easily and need such exclusive wood, the answer is bore diameter. The body of a clarinet has the same diameter all the way from top to bottom (excluding the bell at the bottom and the mouthpiece). This gives it great structural stability. An oboe, on the other hand, has a constantly increasing diameter as you go from top to bottom. So it's a lot more fragile. That's why they have to age it and can only use really hard and resilient wood to make it.
Thank you for taking the time to share this information.
the diameter of a clarinet is also increasing to the bottom, probably just not quite as much but still quite a bit
cone versus tube. overall. yes, they both taper outwards, but one is mostly conical, one is mostly tubular
While the bore diameter and outside diameter increase from top to bottom with around a 1 : 40 taper, the wall thickness remains pretty much the same across the majority of the length of the main joints, so they're no less fragile than any other wooden tube made with the same wall thickness along its length.
Wooden flutes made with a 19mm cylindrical bore have a much thinner wall and are far more fragile than oboes, so the shape of the bore isn't the factor here - the wall thickness and also the diameters of the toneholes and their proximities to one another is where the strength (or weakness) lies.
The bore diameter at the top end of the bore (immediately below the reed well) is just under 4mm compared to the outer diameter of around 19mm to 22mm (depending on the make and model) when measured at the same point which makes the wall thickness between 7.5mm to 9mm which is just as thick or even thicker than the wall thickness of a Buffet clarinet.
yeah. they said that.
The smirk after "one tap?!" Is classic. That's the smirk of a worker who has immense knowledge and experience.
Also a little bit of "glad we got a one-tapper for the camera" in there i think.
This is a perfect example of the "I charged you $1 for the tap, but $99 for knowing how to do it."
Craftsman: "That'll be $100."
Purchaser: "But it was only 1 tap!!!"
Craftsman: "Took me 20 years to perfect it too."
It's the smirk of a soon to be obsolete skill.
anybody can tap. knowing how hard and where to tap takes years of training
Now I understand why my stepmother was so angry and heartbroken when hers was stolen. I always wondered why out of all the other instruments that were stolen why she was only concerned about her oboe, now I know.
How many instruments did she have
it sounds like she had a habit to get her instruments stolen
@@nyaanekonya it was all at one time, she was loaded up for a gig.
@@yamiyo6050 she had only a few stolen from what I remember. She has over a hundred instruments
You mean when you pawned it.
Student oboe here! Started when I first joined band in middle school and I remember my middle school band director tightening something on my school owned oboe and hearing something pop. From what I was told that was a $6000-$8000 oboe that had be sent to shop and that was the best one we had.
I was lucky that my Aunt played the oboe and gave me her spare Howarth when I started. Going to the shop when I was 10 with her is a memory I will always remember. I played it for years until I was able to buy a more advanced one. I completed all my grades with that oboe and still have them 20 years later.
Very cool
Tbh i might buy that just to keep it as a souvenir lol cus its like a collectors item for me.
White privilege
Jesus, they get more expensive than these?
🇬🇧If You're Over 25 and Own a Computer, This Game Is a Must-Have
🇩🇪*Wenn du über 25 bist und einen computer besitzt, dann ist dieses Spiel ein Must-Have*
🇦🇱*Nëse jeni mbi 25 vjeç dhe zotëroni një kompjuter, kjo lojë është e domosdoshme*
🇷🇺*Если вам больше 25 лет и у вас есть компьютер, эта игра просто необходима*
🇨🇵*Si vous avez plus de 25 ans et possédez un ordinateur, ce jeu est indispensable*
We saw a purple heartwood Oboe at an auction made by this same maker. The keys were made of silver, which obsidian inlays. It was a custom order and the owner had a stroke so the family sold it. It took 16 years for that Oboe to be made from harvest to completion. It sold for $62,000!
Do you have a picture of it?
I knew a guy that spent $62,000 on crack. Funny guy.
Wait, is this the same guy from breaking bad in the video?
@@castorchua LMAOOOOO, I knew a guy who spent 60k on crack over the course of like 5 weeks. He was also a funny guy
the owner died when they saw the invoice.
I’m a trumpet player. Playing an oboe is like walking on a high wire without a net! Beautiful instrument!
So true; nowhere to hide in the orchestra.
I'm a clarinetist. Playing a trumpet is like driving a mack truck... anywhere.
My oboe professor used to have a saying, it would be translated something like: "The oboe is a beautiful instrument, but it is full of bullshit"
i played an oboe for 4ish years. looking at and knowing what each little piece does gives you an understanding of the craft. its crazy how intricate they can get.
Have you heard... the device, you are using right now... has millions of much more important components per each millimeter... and costs few dozens times less.
Does this fact trigger your ability to think critically? Maybe it rises some questions?
@@alsto8298 its different when its assembled by a machine.
@@cerb1221 Ye, it is different when it is plastic instead of rare wood, despite it will be better in every possible way. It is different when modern production methodology is used instead of old-style hand-picking. It is different when you do need the polishing works due to poor production process. It is all different - in every single case, price goes higher and quality goes lower. Am I wrong in any statement?
@@alsto8298 stop trying to start shit im not gonna do this.
@@cerb1221 You are mistaken, It was not me who said "looking at and knowing what each little piece does gives you an understanding of the craft. its crazy how intricate they can get".
Love the Oboe (married to an oboist), and LOVE the info from the maker in this video, but will point out that “High end professional flutes” have a starting price around $15,000. Depending on the gold/platinum content, flutes can easily extend beyond $50,000. Most orchestral flutists play flutes with a replacement value of ~$20,000 - $40,000.
yeah, as a flute player that made my blood boil lmao
@@matebagi3892 As a professional flute repair tech, I also agree with you. A few hours ago I have just finished the overhaul of Powell 18K flute with 14k mechanism, which costs like more than 60000-70000$ brand new.
Exactly! I wrote a similar comment just now (before scrolling down and seeing yours). My blood boiled at that!!! Crazy talk. What professional flutist is playing on a $3k flute??? WTF. Try adding a zero to that and then we're getting warmer.
I also wrote a bristling comment about this. The funny thing is that $14k is just about the range for high end Grenadilla wood flutes like the Yamaha at $10k, Sankyo at $16k, or Powell at $17k. So it's really quite comparable.
Yeah, the only professional flutes available for affordable prices are simple-system flutes, and you'd never play one of those in an orchestra. Simple-system flutes are mostly diatonic and with a strong low end, being made for traditional music.
I love how the repairman looks right at you without saying a word, the absolute confidence.
Sir, make no mistake. No repairman was he, but a craftsman.
@@truebluekit artisan?
@@IamShanee artisan is good, too, but we gotta leave something for the people who actually make the entire stuff from scratch to finish. I think so, anyway.
@@truebluekit thats fair
@@truebluekit Correct!
I love the idea that, if there were more oboe players, oboe construction would be more industrialized but there aren't, so we require skilled artisans to produce them. That's fascinating.
There are many oboe players around the world,since every orchestra requires at least two. Industrialization just kills this insane precision and quality that is needed here
From the perspective of a machinist with lots of experience in turning metal and plastic it was pretty wild seeing African Blackwood cut with indexable inserts on a CNC lathe.
they are truly pieces of "functional" art, i don't think i'll ever look at an oboe the same way again.
Same with all these baroque type instruments and their complex keys. Clarinet and bassoon is also another good one, I prefer the original style from the medieval periods before they added keys to them. They look beautiful and more woody.
Back then i used to watch shows showing that instument but i never know what the name of it was until now and see how even more complicated it is then i ever knew.
As with clarinets
It’s very beautiful, but I think violin family instruments are more impressive.
@@kishascape Without metal keys the instruments will look woodier!
The instrument is made so well that she can relax and just be the artist she wants to be. That has to be the greatest thing a manufacturer can hear!
Thanks for sharing this. I played oboe for two years, in middle school, because we didn't have an orchestra. The notes for the oboe are similar to those of the violin, which I had played for several years.I had no IDEA how much time and dedication went into making oboes. My parents spent a small fortune on my oboe mouthpieces! They were $10 a piece back in the early 80s.
$10 cheap! Most professional oboists make their own from pieces of raw reeds, because it is not possible to buy one that meets their personal requirements.
I remember back in middle school we were required to pick 2 instruments we would like to play for music class. A first pick, and a second pick. I picked the saxophone and trumpet. I didn't get either of my picks, and instead got stuck with a trombone. My music teacher used to get so mad at me for being terrible at the trombone, since I never practiced and finally asked me why. I was like, "Because I could care less about the trombone. Why would I practice something I didn't want to learn?" I mean, I know not everyone can get what they want, because then the orchestra would sound awful. But, don't expect anyone to be enthusiastic about playing an instrument they didn't want. A buddy of mine picked the drums and oboe, but got stuck with the tuba. He didn't practice either, lol.
i've played an oboe for 4 years, but up until now i've found the true answer as to why oboes are expensive. they're truly underrated and under-appreciated instruments
They may be under-rated, but not under-appreciated. I am a sax player, primarily the soprano. My goal has always been to mimick the sound of the oboe. With reed choice, custom mouthpiece, neck adjustments, etc. I have come very close. Why would I do this? Simply because I don't play the oboe and can't afford a good one. So I do the best that I am able to. But please, don't believe that it is under-appreciated. I feel that a well played oboe is one of the most beautiful sounds that can be heard.
@@chribm ayyyy a fellow saxist
I'm a tenor player who transitioned to oboe not long ago. It's soooooo much easier on the hands, though it has a less convenient fingerings system and mouthwork but it's still similar.
With experience on the actual instrument, I'm sure it'll aid your efforts to get your soprano closer.
@@chribm Ah nice! As a oboe player, I actually like the classical soprano saxophone sound. Yes, in the higher register it sounds like an oboe, but for me, it sounds In the lower register more like an English horn (alto oboe). Just one remark: yes, oboes are expensive, but you can get a good one for far less the price they mentioned. I also think the reed is even more important: if you have an acceptable oboe problems are more occurring with the reed than with the oboe.
I don't have any musical talent nor an ear for music, but after hearing the lady in the vid playing it, would I be wrong in thinking it was the key instrument playing the "tones" in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"??
@@MAGGOT_VOMIT That was an ARP 500 Synthesizer.
My howarth's oboe is over 60 years old, and still works perfectly with a great sound!
It belonged to my grandmother, who played professionally and was the oboist playing Gabriel's Oboe on the original soundtrack, using my oboe!
I thought that had been recorded by Gordon Hunt? But then looked up and couldn't find an answer about who recorded the original soundtrack
@@ericoschmitt That was a cover, my grandmother was on the soundtrack of the film :)
Wasn’t Gabriel’s Oboe written for English horn, not oboe? Also, I think I heard about your grandmother somewhat recently! Did she retire from the London Symphony Orchestra a few months ago?
@@andrewfortmusic I suppose it was for baroque oboe but was played on a modern one. She retired from the London Philharmonic in 1995
@@emryswalton1802 Was your grandmother Joan Whiting?
Fascinating. Along with the bassoon, the oboe has long been one of my favourite instruments. It's haunting quality never fails to impart atmosphere to a musical passage.
I love this video. I have an Incagnoli oboe made out of black hardwood. It was manufactured sometime during the 1950s. I love not only playing it but also taking care of it.
The sub-millimeter precision of these instruments is amazing. They are built to incredibly exacting standards... You're not paying for the materials of the instrument. You're paying for the countless hours and precise craftsman skills required to meet such a standard. Quite the work of art.
well, not JUST the materials at least. they definitely play a part in the price lol.
and now imagine what it used to take like a century or two ago, without all that high-precision CNC machining and stuff.
Well and the use of a cnc machine ;)
Well put
Skills akin to swiss watch making.
I absolutely adore my Howarth and the care they put into it is very apparent compared to other professional oboes I have played. I will note there is one fact that is incorrect: the pads under the keys are not paper-thin themselves - they require a surface that can perfectly seal, which is tested with paper.
The silencer corks under the adjusting screws could be described as approaching paper thinness (or fully paper thinness, depending on what paper we're talking about). But the pads (defined as the component that creates a seal on the openings of the tone holes), no.
I think the guy that makes them for a living knows what he’s talking about
@@chups4790 so do oboe players. People who put videos together and people who narrate them may get the finer details wrong on something as complex as this, though.
@@tkat6442 he was narrating his own work live? He literally touched on the subject in his own words at 5:49
@@chups4790 the OP was correct in saying that the pads are not paper thin, but listening to that excerpt, that wasn't what he was saying. He was "fitting them to the thinness of paper", as he put it. That means he uses a piece of paper, cigarette paper to be specific, as a feeler guage to feel all the way around to see that it touches the tone hole edge evenly for a good seal (notice, he draws suction on the instrument after testing with the cigarette paper).
I played in a Victorian building once with millions of stone steps. After my instrument bounced down all the way to the bottom my instrument was FINE- well done Howarths ❤ M M
I am absolutely in love with these types of videos. Things that are so exclusive and expensive and they are things I’ve seen my whole life and never knew or even really thought about.
I think you should make this a series with different instruments
Yeah because let’s face it, all professional instruments are expensive like the $30,000 tubax saxophones made Benedikt Eppelsheim.
Yes and like Gola accordions which go for 58000 to 65000 dollars.
@@venM9 and then there are violins where the sky is the limit. Most professional violinists have instruments that are $10,000-$100,000, but that’s honestly at the low end of the spectrum when they can cost so much more.
@@Violamanben I was thinking about violins, too. $14k would be about as cheap as you can go for a professional grade violin. And of course, the top ones go for millions.
they do. did you look at their page?
It's not just an instrument for producing musical art; it's a piece of art in and of itself.
I bet you my entire 401k you couldn't tell the difference between one of these and a cheap piece of plastic. You might as well pay 1000% in shipping for your postman to do a lap around the country before delivering your package.
@@razpootis5802 tbf all professional instrumentalists will tell you indeed that the musician is 80+% of the sound, the instrument makes up 20% or less
This was a great watch. More Business Insider, more!
These fine instruments sound wonderful ! Worth every penny. Hats off to the fine craftsmen involved. The engineer in me rejoices at the entire production process. From quality (and rare!) raw materials to excellent engineering 👌 processes. 👏 👏
I’m sorry but you are very incorrect abt this oboe costing more than a high end professional flute. You said this oboe costs 14,000$. A high end professional flute depending on whether it’s gold, silver, or platinum can run from 20,000$ to 80,000$. I’m a professional flutist and my flute was abt 40,000$.
I just made this comment! I was so confused when I heard that, flutes are so expensive!
Thank you for posting this! Professional flutes almost never cost less than $14,000 anymore
The narrator said $40,000, not $14,000.
@@procarpenter1788 still doesn’t compare to a flute 😒
@@procarpenter1788 If the narrator said a professional oboe goes for $40,000, they were mistaken for sure. That's more like a bassoon price.
The rabbit hole of top quality instruments.
There is a whole series there on all instruments...
Well Done you've just left the starting blocks.
Love this series. A joy to see.
I love the flute shade being thrown around
Mike the finisher needs his own show, seems like a good bloke.
Oboe is in fact one of the hardest instruments to master, not only do you need to work out all the complexity of the fingerings, breath pressure, articulation -to really play Oboe you need to be a proficient reed maker. Making reeds is integral, so the player is not at the whim of the reeds. Some of the reed making equipment can be very costly (40g+ for some set ups depending on how percise you want to be). It's a labour intensive project, to produce a reed from start to finish can also take years, from growing a plant to harvest, and curing. When reduced to the simplest- Oboe is an instrument that is really a refinement of blowing on a blade of grass. It is a labour of love, to build the instruments, reeds, and the 1000s of hours it takes to learn to play. Oboe is analogous to the best parts of man, when we take raw materials, and make such incomprehensible beauty from that. I'm so lucky to have even scratched a surface of playing this wonderful instrument. Thank you, on behalf of all the Oboe players, to all the instrument builders and techs that take on producing these instruments. Thank you for the joy these things can bring the soul.
ha haha yeah 🤣 it took me over ten years to make a decent reed, but I had a great teacher in Ronald Roseman who helped take the mystery out of reed making ¡¡!!
breathe pressure, articulation [redacted] Oboe
40,000 for an oboe reed making set up? I wouldn’t pay more than 30,000
@@chopsonyou2007 tbh 30,000 is too much already in my opinion, I can't imagine the price going over 10,000 unless you are a top player and buys extra templates for different reed shape..
Not only that… but Oboists as well as other Double Reed Instrumentalists make their own Reeds!
6:36 now that's a man rightfully proud of his skill acquired over decades..
Truly amazing! So many gifted artists, on BOTH ends of the oboe!
Wonderful video. I was a professional clarinetist at high level and alway marveled at the complexity of the oboe, and bassoon, and scarcity of good players. I was also an aprentice at an instrument repair shop. The one instument I wasn't allowed to work on was the oboe. Incredible instrument.
My son use to play Oboe through middle school and he loved it, I remember he'd always have to remind people that "it's not a clarinet" lol
I wish to thank all these craftsmanship personally. I played oboe my freshman year of high school, but had no one to teach me to properly play so I gave it up for guitar instead. I miss it now and wish to play one again.
My son played alto saxophone for awhile. I was in the music store buying him reeds right before school began. The woman beside me was buying oboe reeds. My son's reeds were about $2.25 each; the thinner and more fragile oboe reeds were $18.00 each! (I believe that most oboists make their own reeds and I understand why.)
I have a pretty good oboe, not conservatory standard but just below it. I was lucky to meet an older lady who quit playing because of her health and wanted to sell it to someone who would use it well. Another person was in for the bid, but he was a dealer who wouldn't use it for personal use, so the woman sold it to me for 1100 euros.
That is the absolute best thing when you can meet someone that wants to sell you an instrument at a great price BECAUSE they want it to find a good home where it will be enjoyed to the fullest. The same thing is happening fir me too. But in my case a small Raffin hand cranked organ. !
Idk where you got the price of a professional flute from, but they start at $10K and can go up to $50K
Right? Especially if we're talking wooden flutes! Those are extra pricey!
@@sg_dan or gold!
yeah plz send me where they're getting high end pro flutes for 3.5k 😭
And this is why I panicked whenever my school bassoon fell over. If it was my flute, I wouldn’t care so much because I own it. If it was my rental bassoon, I immediately went into full blown panic mode.
Fascinating. Very interesting. How amazing is the process of and creators of the oboe! Thanks for the insight.
The oboe is such a beautiful instrument. Both in its sound and its overall look. It’s not easy to make an instrument by hand. That’s one of the reasons why it takes Howarth 5 years to make a single oboe.
It's called a HAUT BOIS not a Oboe stupid english retards, haut means HIGH, bois means WOOD, if you called it a HIGH WOOD it would be closer than that french MASSACRE of OBOE what a stupid guy wrote that that's why we killed you so much you english bastards you're so stupid that's baffling. Also if you think that's expensive try and buy a Selmer Sax which is a paris born instrument.
The sound at the beginning of the video is so satisfying.
As someone whose least favourite instrument is the oboe, I must say this: I actually had no idea the complexity and craftsmanship involved in producing a ‘proper’ wood oboe! New respect! 🙏🏻 This video alone will make me listen out and appreciate more the sounds of the oboe in the music I listen to.
as someone who played the oboe in 5th grade, then switched to saxophone throughout the rest of his school years... an untalented person playing the oboe is like strangling a goose. A talented artist playing the oboe is heavenly.
@@heiseheise It's not about talent but about practice.
I used to hate the oboe until I discovered Ravel. His oboe writing in Le Tombeau de Couperin and Ma Mere l'lye (and of course Daphnis et Chloe) is incredible. The Menuet from the orchestrated version of Le Tombeau de Couperin is the piece that sent me over the edge in regard to the oboe.
Now, I not only feature the oboe in most of my orchestral music, I also play oboe (at a low level, of course; mine is student-grade).
@@tamasfoldesi2358 Both. That is like saying literally everyone could be a world-class musician, just practice a lot!!!
Which as anyone who has actually practiced a lot, would know. Genetics plays a part
@@ckmoore101 It's also about the quality not just the quantity of the practice sessions. The genetic part is not the determining factor. Just look at Derek Brown. He admits that he's a slow learner, but he puts a ton of effort in that's why he's a pretty fuckin' good sax player.
This video was fascinating to watch. Especially as an oboist myself. Every individual instrument truly is a work of art.
Ennio Morricone made me love this instrument. Great vid as usual.
That look when he fixed the Bend with one tap at 6:38 is Gold.
I love the oboe but it make me appreciate my violin which is just a sound box and 4 strings strung across two posts. The differences in the number parts and the amount of workmanship and time are staggering. That is some beautiful wood too. Those oboes, a piece of fine art.
Hey there! I’m a violinist and oboist, and I have to say that there is just as much craftsmanship and artistry in a violin as in an oboe. They require very different processes, but they are both beautiful instruments :)
@@andrewfortmusic I know that. I'm just pointing out the difference in simplicity of producing notes on a box with 4 strings, to something that needs hundreds of intricate parts.
06:27
This is a perfect example of the "I charged you $1 for the tap, but $99 for knowing how to do it." 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
That was very interesting, thanks.
Waaw what utter skill and craftsmanship. The music produced is sublime.
You should do one on bassoon next! Especially the Heckel bassoons, they cost upwards of 50-70k!
Agreed!
Agreed! A friend of mine who I go to school with is currently trialing a Heckel 6K series that’s only priced at about $31K and that’s a good deal for that horn!
@@hunteralexander9791 that’s new car worth
@@darklombax2580 it sure is. He doesn’t have a car but thought that since cars depreciate and bassoons appreciate, it’d be more worth it to get a horn that will outlive him earlier on
I first heard this instrument in 2008, and has imprinted a lasting memory.
You can tell that Mike knows that Mike is very good at his job
And it doesn't bother me at all! Seems like a legend in the company!
My grandfather, on my mother's side, owned a bazooka. They also used to cost a pretty penny, but he always used to say that watching the spectators' eyes as they were blown away was worth every Reichsmark ...
Hello, flute and oboe player here. Professional flutes are on average 10,000 to 12,000 dollars. Starting as low as around 6,000 to as much as 20,000, even 50,000 in some cases. It all depends on brand and model. I heard the 4x more than a professional flute and giggled. My professional flute is roughly $13,800. Brannen, a very well known professional only brand starts as low as 10,000 if I remember correctly.
4x more than a pro flute is hilarious, I’m sure there are 15k oboes out there. The most expensive a flute can get is around 130k for a full 24k Muramatsu.
Wow, I had no idea!...I've always loved the oboe sound. It's great to see how they're made...Thanks for the upload...
Would be cool to see modern makers give timbers that have historically been used to make woodwinds a chance (ie pear, cherry, etc.) If there is any way that we can use less species that are endangered, I feel it is always good to at least give it a try
I think the video implies that this very unique African Wood is so dense etc. that it can be machine more precisely than other woods, more like metals. Under a microscope try looking at the structure (pores) very thin slices of different types of wood and then metals such as brass (a common material for brass instruments) and you will get a feel for why this happens to be true.
@@DrDaab This is pure uneducated guesswork but it might also have to do with the sound produced. An oboe has a very distinct sound and that exotic wood likely plays a part.
The various woods that were available to historical makers, even the hardest, most dense European boxwood, have absolutely nothing on the tropical hardwoods modern makers can use like rosewoods and ebonies, and grenadilla is the cream of the crop of woods, being almost literally rock hard. Pear or olive or box flutes, oboes, clarinets would have noticeably poor projection and tone, because the less dense material doesn't reflect sound waves as well. Structural integrity also becomes a serious concern with softer woods, which explains why oboes and clarinets have always been made from the hardest woods makers can get their hands on.
Of course, in the other direction instruments can also be made from metal - modern flutes are mostly all metal. The essential problem is, once again, tone quality; different instruments have different upper limits for material hardness before the tone starts deteriorating. Metal clarinets have been tried out, but they sounded poor in concert; I don't believe a metal oboe has been significantly considered. Bassoons are of course still made from the very soft maple, and recorders tend to get awful ringing resonances when made from grenadilla.
This isn't to say that nobody makes flutes, oboes, clarinets from boxwood anymore. However, these instruments are typically speaking copies of historical models that would've been played 2, 3 centuries ago, not instruments intended for or capable of fitting with conventional modern instruments.
I loved playing the oboe. Making the reeds was a pain. Had no idea making the oboe was this hard. Cool story.
I played the Oboe for 7 years before giving it up. At the time (1980s), I coveted a Loree Oboe. I believe the price then was around $2,500 - too much for my family. To prevent cracking, I used some kind of rubber coated insert dipped in distilled water as a humidifier when the Oboe was in its case. I never mastered reed making, so I used reeds made for me by my teacher.
Played oboe in hs and college on my way to being a music ed major. For the life of me I could never perfect reed making.
I actually think the reed is even more important than the oboe: I only started to like the oboe again after I found a good reed maker. BTW: Lorees oboes are cheaper nowadays than it was.
@@Blokfluitgroep The oboist is only as good as the reed they play! Few other instruments require split practice time between instrument proficiency and reed making.
@@danielwow12 Bassoonists are with you on that boat!
I have a humidifier like this for my acoustic guitar.
I love oboes!! Although I play trumpet, woodwinds are so harmonious.
I originally chose oboe but got placed on trumpet and studied on it in college. I still love oboe though
Black wood is a rare rose wood. The saw logs grow slowly and the grain varies. It is extremely hard. As rose woods age, the lumber stability increases. This is why I have used it to make infill planes. The largest consumer of black wood is the musical industry. Turning black wood is risky. It’s not uncommon to have a billet explode as internal stresses are relieved. Many have mistaken black wood as ebony. It is not an ebony. It is way harder than rock maple making hand tools difficult to work it. But when you have a good blank, it machines like plastic and can hold tight tolerances. Hats off to these craftsmen!
As a flute player myself, I wish I could’ve played more instruments. Especially the oboe.
I remember learning to play oboe at only 8 y/o and everyone was Proud, while I was dissapointed to be assigned the oboe Cause I wanted to learn clarinet. Ended up playing it for 9 years and got 2 dutch musician degrees with it while being so young. Afther that I learned to play the flute and guitar but never to a level like I did with the oboe. J miss it sometimes
I played clarinet from 3rd grade to 8th grade and took up oboe because there was too many clarinets , lok
buy one and start again.
The Oboe is my favorite orchestral instrument. Way out of my league to play, but I LOVE the sound of it.
When I was a little always crying child ,the only thing that could end my cry , as my mother says was the sound of the oboe played by my father . I love its magic sound till now and to the end of my life .
Wow that one tap repair is one of the coolest things I ever saw.
I would take issue with the statement that one oboe is equivalent to the price of four high end flutes. There are multiple brands of flutes that cost well over $10,000.
I play on a gold flute that costs over 40,000$
I’d even say most professional flutes can easily exceed 10,000 and a high end one can go up to 90,000$
True. But let's compare even student Yamaha model pricing. Hundreds for a flute, thousands for an oboe. Then, there's the English Horn, of which no Alto flute can compare... and let's not get into bassoon territory.
I'm lucky enough to play on a used Loreé I purchased through my college instructor. It has a pedigree lol, stories of it's former players in philharmonic orchestras and such. But hey, it was a steal at $3000 and definitely improved my tone from the old student Yamaha I had been on and my chair mate who borrowed it for recitals sounded angelic compared to her usual Bundy. Now if only I could get reeds to last as long as this horn has X'D
Yes, but this isn't a video about student model oboes or English horns or bassoons. They made a direct comparison between flutes and oboes that was inaccurate. They are talking about handmade oboes, of which Howarth's cost about $10-13,000. Go look at the top of the line flutes by Powell or Brannen or Altus or any one of a number of brands -- it's not even close.
@@asc7147 yes exactly. I play on a Brannen all gold. Not even close.
I enjoyed my time playing oboe in Junior & High School 😊 The price of the instrument never allowed me to own one of my own. It’s still my favorite instrument 🥰
I’m really impressed with your comment, if you don’t mind can we be friends, where are you from?
@@jamespatrick20906 get a load of this dude's oboe fetish
💀
@@jamespatrick20906 AHAHAHAHA
thats what im thinking. like who the f actually starts this instrument and keeps at it if even the shittiest ones cost you thousands of bucks. also, why is nobody planting these trees on a larger scale?
I wonder if Backun Musical will ever make oboes using their patented carbon fiber integrated exterior. Backun is an amazing Clarinet manufacturer and only recently started making saxophone mouthpieces as an extension of their product line. The CG carbon cost between $13k and 14k depending on the key and wood configuration, and the wood contraction and expansion factor is practically 100% eliminated because of this. I absolutely love Backun Musical because they experiment with the best solutions to basically every problem the clarinet has had in its history. I repair clarinets as loved hobby as mine and though never worked on an oboe, felt the pain to hear 40 keys were what those repair techs deal with!
Exquisite and remarkable craftsmanship!
Can you do one on why bassoons are so expensive??? Bassoons are amazing!
My teacher had a Heckle bassoon and a heckle contrabassoon. I think even back then he said they were over 40,000 dollars.
@@mattmccallum2007 today you get a Heckel for 90k and 13years waiting time
I had the pleasure of learning on a Fox Artist Model in high school. It was a functional work of art! Handcrafting reeds was like meditation.
Yes! An entry level bassoon starts at around 7,000 dollars, while professional bassoons start at around 30,000 dollars.
Of all the woodwinds, oboes have the funniest sounding squeak for a learning player.
So Amazing to see!
I loved playing the oboe so much I played in every band my school had I even learned to play jazz which is not usually an oboe type music after my sophomore year of college though covid hit and my I don't own my own oboe of quality I borrowed PSU's very sad to not be in band now lol
Bassoon next please!
Wow, i had never considered the labor and complexity that goes into the crafting of this instrument.
My grandfather, Dr. Milo M. Sorenson, a concert oboist worked with Florida Atlantic University in the creation of videos in which he made his own reeds. It is in the archives of the music department.
I used too play the oboe .good times
Small correction. Hand made professional flutes on average cost from $10-50k. Which exceeds the price of a professional oboe.
Exactly. Craftsmanship quality is similar plus the added cost of raw materials (solid silver, gold, and/or platinum).
Bassoonist: Expensive? Hold my reed.
Yeah I weep for y’all. 😂 My car cost less than a Fox 680.
And I should add, I bought my car brand new several years ago!
@@skylargurnett8483 well, by the time you get a backup, an English horn, an oboe d'more, a bass oboe, a heckelphone, and gougers and shapers and cane for all of them...trust me, I know!
Okay, convinced! I'm going to aim not just for a highly complex Patek Philippe, but also for an oboe.
Here's an idea: 3D print them using black wood shavings plus lacquer and or glue. Is that possible?
Hooray, an oboe video!! In addition to everything said here, a lot of (but not all) oboes ‘blow out’ and lose their precise intonation after five or so years of heavy playing due to consistent changes in moisture in the narrowest part of the bore- the width and evenness can change ever so slightly here over time in a way you only find with conical bores. So buying a whole new instrument is a must at a certain point in time. And that’s not even mentioning the multiple machines and technology required to make and sustain a proper reed-making set up. (A follow up ‘why are oboe reeds so expensive’ would be hugely educational to those interested in why it’s cheaper, but still costly, to make your own reeds as opposed to buying them retail from specialist makers. Profilers, gougers, shapers, oh my!) Oboe playing can be such a privileged person’s game and really inaccessible without money at hand. I was so lucky to get my Dupin oboe second hand- it’s a game changer. The damn instrument is also immensely rewarding, to the point where it’s almost an addiction. Ah well. Onwards we go!
Indeed. A Marigaux comes with 2 heads, not sure if that solves all or part of the problem, way too expensive for me.
@@GhtPTR ahhh the gorgeous M2, certainly a great choice for those with $$ !
Amen.
does the wood actually affect the sound at all?
Oboe in mainstream media! Also why is so much of this news to me...
This makes me want to take care of my instrument so much more
Same, I clean out my instrument in the shower every morning.
I didn't even know what an Oboe was! Amazing ...who knew!
regarding flutes. High end flute costs depend on what they are made of: Wood/silver: $10-15K. gold: $20-50K, depending on the amount of gold. Platinum: $70K+. Of course, a flute can remain in first class shape for 100 years.
Everything is Expensive according to Business Insider
May be they show only expensive thing
They are 👍 always.
@@akashbavishi6615 that's the joke
@@kapa8514 I am cheap.
Well. the price on these professional obos is very high, it doesnt take 5 years to make ONE the company makes a bunch of other instruments too according to their web site. Some of that 5 year claim is no doubt for seasoning the blackwood turnings and blanks. If one oboe was worked on 40 hours a week for 5 years and you do the payroll math, even at a nominal $15 an hour that's $30,000 a year, x 5 years the labor cost alone would run $150,000, so clearly the 5 years it takes to make an oboe includes a lot of time where the wood is just sitting in rows on the shelves exposed to heat, cold, dry, moisture etc like the narrator detailed.
It would be interesting to learn how many actual man hours goes into the turning and construction, fitting and adjusting processes- the actual making and finishing.
In pipe organs we know how long each component and process takes, I often make wood organ pipes, a set of pipes used in a 16 foot rank of pipes numbering 32 pipes takes hundreds of board feet of poplar, and several weeks to contruct, and a few days to voice. A pedal board takes about one work week, it all adds up to fill the $2 or $3 million price tag or whatever the final contract price is depending on the size of the instrument.
Please do bassoons, they are even more expensive!
I have watched this video about four times now, and it is a testament to the advancement of human civilisation and culture.
Awesome. As a cue maker, the similarities is very interesting. Business Insider should do a piece on high end pool cues next.
I studied and got pretty good at the oboe a few decades back, and one of my three oboe teachers was a John Mack student. Everything about being an oboist is expensive and time-consuming. As much as I love and miss the oboe, I think I'll stick with my trusty $150 EWI!!
It's especially depressing when you break a good reed
If you want expensive, look to the oboe's larger brother the bassoon with a price tag of 35,000 and more US dollars for a professional instrument!!
Or if it's a Heckel, double that!
This makes me appreciate my Bach Strad model 37 even more.
Funny you say that, I had to sell my oboe due to arthritis and got me a Bach Strad Vindabona a couple of days ago.
@@Android_Warrior Sorry to hear that about your hand. Oboe players are a rare and special group 🙏😃🎶
@@ephraimpinckney2925 : Thank you my friend. I really missed the Oboe😢
Oboe is great! (My girlfriend plays it) I always loved it whenever they would get a solo, sounds amazing! My percussionist self could never 😅
3:22 I program cnc machines for metal and yeah, hitting those tolerances in wood is insane
Good to see such craftsmanship may it live long!
it wont tho if nobody can start learning it with reasonable beginner instruments. its only possible with a significant financial incentive that will come years if not decades down the line. last time i checked there arent too many opening for "professional oboe player"