Why your oboe is more resistant and resonate after repair.

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Over the years, we have had many clients comment that their oboe is now much more resistant and/or resonate than when they sent it into the shop for repair.  Some of these clients comment how different their oboes are after repair and are unsure if they like the change, but most clients are very happy with the outcome.  When your oboe is in pristine mechanical condition, the oboe should be really easy to play in all registers, but because it is fully resonate, it will also be fully and naturally resistant which will give you “the good something” to blow against.  Let’s take a look at why this is and what it means to the team at Onks Woodwind.

When it comes to the word resistant, there is a positive and a negative connotation with regard to wind musical instruments.  The negative connotation would revolve around the idea that your oboe is resistant to being played, i.e., is not responsive and hard to play.  For oboes, this happens over time with normal wear and tear as pads get deep indentions and leak, as keys get loose on the rods/pivot screws, and as adjustment and bumper corks deteriorate.  This would also mean since it is not responding well, that the oboe is not fully resonate.  A fully resonate oboe is one that has a solid column of air that is vibrating through the whole length of the oboe to produce a big, full sound.

The positive connotation comes into play, pun intended, when the oboe is in pristine condition and plays effortlessly from top to bottom.  When you have a cone that is sealed from top to bottom it will be fully and naturally resistant as the air column pushes down the cone.  There are several analogies to describe resistance, but for now let’s take a wire mesh strainer from your kitchen.  If you place the strainer up to your mouth and blow, there is no resistance because all of the air goes right through the holes of the wire strainer.  If you take the same strainer and add a layer of plastic wrap and perform the same trick, it is now very resistant due to the plastic wrap sealing all of the holes of the wire strainer.  In a similar way, when you have your oboe fully serviced at Onks Woodwind, we are removing all leaks by surfacing/leveling all pads, solidifying the mechanism so the pads are consistent and renewing old corks.  Once this process is completed, your oboe goes from leaking like a strainer to being airtight, thus allowing the instrument to be fully and naturally resistant.  The oboe at this point is also fully resonate as the air column can fully vibrate through the whole length of the instrument.

For some oboists, this change in resistance can change many aspects about their oboe and their oboe playing.  When we play our oboes, day in and day out for months and then years, the oboe mechanism changes very slowly over that time period.  These changes include items listed above, leaky pads, loose mechanism causing keys to not be consistent and adjustment corks deteriorating causing adjustments to not be consistent.  There is one more major issue that happens slowly over time as you play your oboe, and that is residue build-up.  Every time we play our oboe the moisture that fills the bore and tone holes collects tiny dust/dirt particles.  We can also introduce foreign matter directly from our mouths, but the biggest catch twenty-two is the swab/feather that we so greatly need to use.  These swabs/feathers also bring small dust, dirt, lint particles into the bore and tone holes of our oboe every time we use them, so even though swabbing is essential, there is a negative by-product from that process.  All of this foreign matter, dust/dirt, and lint particles slowly build up coating the bore and tone holes of your oboe which will cause tuning issues over a long period of time.

Between tuning issues, leaky pads and loose mechanisms, the oboe that you originally bought for its amazing sound and feel, is now an oboe that has tuning inaccuracies (not resonant) and is hard to play in the low register (no resistance.)  For those more advanced and/or professional oboists, they will be able to play through the issues or subconsciously accommodate for these issues by changing the way they play and/or make reeds.  Because of their proficiency, when they receive their oboe back from Onks Woodwind after a full cleaning, the oboe can and does feel drastically different.

Here at Onks Woodwind, we don’t do magical bore or tone hole work, but we do take care of all the small details that make or break an oboe.  Your oboe, when in its peak condition, will be as fully resistant and resonate as it naturally can be from the materials it is made from.  As we have told many clients, we don’t do anything magical, we just allow the oboe to play to its real, full potential.

Can the weighted end of your oboe swab damage your oboe?

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One of our clients recently asked, “Do you think non-pull through swabs have a higher chance of the metal-weighted piece scratching the inside of an oboe on its way back out, or is it not something to be too concerned about as long as you’re careful?”

In general, we feel that the metal-weighted ends of swabs are very safe and will not damage your oboe if you take care and use slow smooth movements. However if you are in a rush, the weighted end of the swab can potentially damage your oboe.

In the video below, we demonstrate ways to safely swab and show how the swab could potentially damage the oboe.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_jnWT2l3jk&height=450&width=800&rel=0[/embedyt]

 

Don’t hesitate to contact us for all your oboe repair needs!

High Acidic Skin Levels And Your Oboe

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We get asked all the time about keeping oboes clean and shiny. A lot of the “cleaning” aspects revolve around dust, reed shavings and potential food particles that can make their way into and onto the oboe. All of these aspects can easily be addressed by having an annual cleaning at Onks Woodwind.  See our annual cleaning post here.

There is another aspect to keeping your oboe clean that is sometimes very difficult to keep under control and that is tarnish! Tarnish is a chemical reaction between a metal and nonmetal compound. When talking about oboes, the main compounds involved are typically the plated metal on keys and posts, oxygen and moisture. With these basic, most common compounds, normally it isn’t too difficult to keep your oboe clean and shiny. Simply having a plain, non-abrasive cloth to occasionally wipe down the oboe keys should do the trick. (Note: You can also use an actual silver polish cloth, but it’s not 100% necessary.)

Occasionally, we have clients that have severe tarnish build-up on their keys and posts, and in these cases we have to take a little closer look. There are many factors related to the development of tarnish and these factors can change from person to person. One of the factors revolves around the pH or acidic level of our skin. The normal acidic level on human skin is between 4.1-5.8*, which is somewhat acidic. A level of 7 is neutral. Our skin wants to be acidic to help fight off unwanted germs which is a good thing, but a bad thing for our oboes.

The pH levels will vary from person to person and these variances can be attributed to our race, medicines, medical conditions, soaps and topical leave-on products like cosmetics and lotions. Understanding our bodies physiology, all the products we come in contact with and the effects this has on our oboe is, to say the least, complicated!

So what are we to do with this information? We will keep it simple! We have always suggested to our clients to wash their hands right before playing to help keep their oboes clean in general. This will reduce food particles/residue and will also reduce the amount of natural acid, oils and perspiration from getting on the oboe. In turn, this will help reduce the chemical reaction of tarnish forming on your oboe keys and posts. If you use cosmetics, lotions, hair products, etc. and apply these products with your hands, wash your hands thoroughly before assembling your oboe.

Sometimes this is not enough. Many musicians performing in highly stressful conditions or in hot venues will tend to perspire continuously throughout their performance. Some musicians simply perspire a lot, no matter the performance conditions. In these circumstances, we recommend the musician keep an extra towel handy so they can wipe off their hands during a performance to keep their hands and oboe as clean as possible. If you are performing in a concert that has an intermission, make sure you go out and wash your hands again.
(Note: If you perform regularly with different dress codes, we recommend you go out and purchase different colored hand towels so they blend in with the environment better. Standard bathroom hand towels are usually available in multiple colors and are not too big or small to handle the task.)

Once you are finished playing, wash your hands again, if possible, before putting your oboe away. As you’re swabbing or feathering out your oboe, wipe it down again with a non-abrasive, lint free cloth to get any remaining fingerprints and perspiration off of the oboe.

If you do get tarnish, what can be done about it? In the pictures below, you will see a couple of different levels of tarnish. The light brown tarnish is fairly mild and can be hand polished off with a silver polish cloth. This can be done in part just by wiping the keys while they are on the oboe, but to have a complete polish, the oboe will need to be disassembled. Onks Woodwind can do this as part of an annual cleaning to make your oboe look and play better than new.

The dark black tarnish is very heavy tarnish and cannot be hand polished off. In these instances the oboe would have to be disassembled and the keys would have to be buffed with a powered motor. The keys on the oboe in this picture could mostly be buffed and shined up without replacing the pads since the heavy tarnish is not around the pad cups. Many oboes, however, get heavy tarnish all over the keys after years of usage and in that scenario, the oboe would require a full mechanical overhaul to remove the tarnish as a buffing machine would destroy the pads and corks.

In closing, your oboe will thank you if you take care to wash your hands and lightly wipe down the oboe after you play it.  Also take stock of the cosmetics and lotions you use as they can help promote tarnish as much as your natural physiology.  As always, if you have questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact us.

 

*Please note we are not scientists.  We did refer to a physician who helped explain pH and provided the accompanying dermatological article.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59FvoTN28fM&height=450&width=800&rel=0[/embedyt]

Maintenance starts with your Mouth

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We get the opportunity to speak to oboists all the time about preventive maintenance.  There are several aspects of preventive maintenance that every oboist can do to prolong the life of their instruments.  Things like proper assembly, not squeezing keys, swabbing, proper storage, etc. are all good things to do when trying to minimize trips to the repair shop.

There is one more item that we feel is crucial to practice with regards to preventive maintenance and that item is cleaning your mouth before you play your oboe.

In today’s fast paced world, we have every conceivable convenience food and beverage available at our fingertips.  We typically consume these items on the go, between classes, lessons or even concerts.  If we take a moment to read the ingredients list for these convenience foods, we will find that many of the listed items are different variations of sugar and color die.

When we blow into our oboes, or any musical instrument for that matter, warm air and moisture from our mouths are blown into the instrument.  Anything that we have recently consumed before playing has the potential to also be blown into the instrument, most notably, SUGAR!

Through the years of repairing various woodwind musical instruments, we have noticed that sticky pads are a constant threat to the player.  There are many reasons this may happen, but the primary reason is build-up of sticky residues on the surface of the pad, which then sticks to the tone hole.  Oboe players have enough problems with sticky octaves, G#’s and C#’s without any self-inflicted help!

So what can we do to help prevent pads from sticking?  Clean out your mouth before playing! Maintenance starts with your mouth!  The first thing we recommend is to brush your teeth before playing.  We know this is not ideal in many situations like high school and middle school daily schedules.  However, with a little planning, it may be possible to duck into a bathroom and brush your teeth for 30 seconds plus a good rinse.  For those of us that are not on a super tight schedule, brushing your teeth should be an easy goal to accomplish with some planning.  We recommend carrying a travel toothbrush and toothpaste with you in your oboe bag so you are always prepared.  To assist our customers, we are including a complimentary toothbrush and toothpaste when you have your oboe serviced at Onks Woodwind Specialists!

If you truly cannot brush your teeth before you play, the next best thing is to thoroughly rinse out your mouth with water.  We recommend you carry a reusable water bottle with you for regular healthy hydration, but also to be ready at all times to rinse out your mouth.  Take a mouthful of water and swish around for several seconds.  Repeat this procedure several times to maximize its effectiveness.

Choosing one of these two options for cleaning your mouth will significantly help to prevent pad sticking and help prevent excessive build-up in the bore and tone holes.  Of course there is nothing that is 100%, so even with the best preventive measures we recommend a full service cleaning annually.

So, as you can see now, you do not have to have experience adjusting your oboe or disassembling your oboe to have great preventive maintenance habits.  You have the power and it starts with your mouth!

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

What is a Complete Mechanical Overhaul at Onks Woodwind?

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Previously in Post 48 we described why oboe mechanisms are complicated and how the mechanisms wear over time.  We also went on to describe why it’s important to have annual maintenance and the type of service your instrument would receive from our annual cleaning/set-up.

Sometimes, however, it is necessary to overhaul an instrument to bring it back into good playing condition.  The term overhaul can mean different things to different people.  Here is an outline of what your instrument will get with a complete mechanical overhaul at Onks Woodwind.

  • Completely disassemble instrument so we can remove all springs.
  • Clean all posts, rods and hinge tubes so we can fit keys.
  • Mechanically fit all keys on the instrument individually.
    • Fitting keys involves swaging keys tighter onto the rods.
    • Countersinking pivot screws in posts to fit keys that are on pivots.
    • Many times keys/rods are too loose to swag.  When this happens we make new oversized rods to stabilize keys.
    • Postholes themselves can be too large from years of usage.  When this happens we have to rebuild the insides of posts to secure the rod that secures the keys.
    • Post threads can sometimes become loose in the instrument.  When this happens we must re-secure the post into the instrument.
    • Over time braze joints on keys can become weak and split apart.  When this happens we must prep and re-braze the key so it will remain stable and not break in the near future.
  • Remove all corks from the instrument and keys.
  • Remove all pads from pad cups.
  • Clean excess glue from all pad cups.
  • Secure loose metal tenon rings.
  • Ultrasonically clean all keys to prep for buffing.
  • Wash instrument body and posts to prep for buffing.
  • If plating is intact all posts, keys, metal tenon rings, bell ring, reed well, and metal sockets are buffed to a high shine.
  • If plating is not intact keys and posts must be prepped for plating.
    • Plating prep includes filing/sanding keys and posts so all surfaces are smooth.  Many times this includes building up worn away base metal and sanding down layers of plating to be even with the base metal.
    • Once keys have been re-built, all keys and posts are ultrasonically cleaned and buffed to a high shine.
    • Keys and posts are ultrasonically cleaned again after buffing, hand inspected to make sure no buffing compound remains and packaged for shipping to the plating company.
  • Instrument bodywork.   Clean up scratches or previous crack work that need to be touched up.
  • Plug all holes in instrument body to confirm body is airtight.
  • Polish octave vent wells and octave vents.
  • Replace reed well if necessary.
  • Rebuild tenon connections if necessary.
  • All new tenon corks.
  • All new key corks, adjustment, and bumper.
  • Re-install posts. (If they were sent off for plating.)
  • Re-install springs. (We typically only replace springs when they are broken or do not work properly.)
  • Replace all pads during the re-assembly process.
    • As one might imagine, pad replacement is a crucial process.  Pads have to cover tone holes perfectly, but they must also work in harmony with all other pads.  Pad thicknesses are just as important as the pads covering with regards to the mechanisms regulation, pad angles and venting.

All of the procedures above, and more are completed and/or considered while overhauling an oboe or English horn at Onks Woodwind.  Overhauls can take between 20 and 30 hours depending on how much the mechanism, keys and body have deteriorated.

We would be honored to bring your oboe or English horn back to life.   Whether it is your day to day work horse or family heirloom, Onks Woodwind is here for you.  Contact us today!

 

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