• AMATI (Czech)
• ADLER (Germany)
• *A. BARRE' (Paris)
• *J. BARRE' (Paris)
• BUFFET (Paris)
• BULGHERONI (Como, Italy))
• *CABART (Paris)
• *CHAUVET (Paris)
• COVEY (Atlanta, GA)
• **DECKER (Billings, MT)
• DUPIN (Luxembourg)
• FOSSATI (Paris)
• FOX (S. Whitley, IN)
• *GUASTI (Firenze)
• *GOUBET (Paris)
• HINKER (Rochester, MN)
• **HECKEL (Germany)
• HOWARTH (London)
• *HULLER (Germany)
• *JARDE' (Paris)
• JOSEF (Japan)
• *KHOLERT (Germany)
• *H. KREUL (Tubingen, Germany)
• *INCAGNOLI (Italy)
• LAUBIN (Peekskill, NY)
• LARILEE (S. Bend, IN)
• **Le BLANC (Paris)
• *LESHER (Elkhart, IN)
• LINTON (Elkhart, IN)
• *LOUIS (London)
• *LYM (Los Angeles, CA)

• *M. LOREE (Paris)
• F. LOREE (Paris)
• *MALERNE (Paris)
• MARIGAUX (Paris)
• *T. MARKARDT (Germany)
• *MIGNOT (Paris)
• MOENNIG (Germany)
• MOLLENHAUER (Germany)
• **ORSI (Italy)
• PATRICOLA (Italy)
• PLATZ (Elkhart, Indiana)
• *PRESTINI (Italy)
• PUCHNER (Germany)
• RIGOUTAT (Paris)
• *A. ROBERT (Paris)
• T. SPARKES (Sydney, Australia)
• *SCHULLER (Germany)
• SELMER (Paris)
• *THIBAUD (Paris)
• *UEBEL (Germany)
• G. WOLF (Germany)
• YAMAHA (Japan)

Commentary

Please know that the following is simply offered as my opinion based on experience.

Subject to change!

AMATI - Simply avoid instruments by this "alleged" maker!

ADLER - The new model 6000 is exceptional! A sublime French style oboe...

A. BARRE' - A. Laubin's "second line" of instruments. Made to Laubin specifications, finished by Bill Glover, voiced by A. Laubin. Excellent instruments, well crafted, somewhat bright ("sprightly") tone.

J. BARRE' - No information available at present

BUFFET - The professional models from the 1960s - 1980s -"OK" The most recent professional model oboes tend to be "sweet" toned, and beautifully voiced- the artisanship is absolutely first class.

BULGHERONI - Exquisite oboes and oboes d'amore. Beautifully crafted and "ergonomically correct" keywork. The voicing on the instruments made in the last few years is outstanding. Easily on a par with Loree, Rigoutat and Covey in the new instrument category. The English horns (so far), although beautifully made, seem to lack resonance and projection.

CABART - Prolific maker from the early 20^th century until 1974 (bought out by Loree). I like some of the ring system oboes and English horns from the 1920 and 1930s. Some of the pre WWII English horns can only be described as "dreadful." Some (not all!) of the post war oboes and English horns can be "sublime", although the Cabart keywork is not as well crafted as (say) Loree. I especially like some of Cabart oboes made in the 1960s until the Loree buyout: haunting, penetrating tone. Avoid the Cabart baritone (bass) oboes!

CABART/LOREE - Top of the line student instrument- no "split ring D"

CHAUVET - Excellent maker, especially the oboes and English horns of the "BW" series voiced by the legendary Ben Storch. Somewhat darker in tone than Loree oboes. The Chauvet English horns in the main tend to be instruments of exceptional merit, whether "BW" or "AC" series. Out of business circa 1974.

COVEY - Excellent maker. Exquisite keywork, although I find the spacing between the low D key and low C key to be too close and thus ergonomically uncomfortable. The Covey sound is beautiful, though I have found that the Covey oboes I have owned have a scale I would characterize as excessively "flexible"- the pitch centers do not seem to "lock in." A friend of mine however has a Covey oboe from 2004 and it does have a scale that "locks in" to the pitch centers- phenomenal oboe!

DECKER - Rare, only 25 oboes made to date. A first class maker, though not presently producing oboes

DUPIN - I have never played a Dupin. Legend has it that Dupin is a first class maker

FOSSATI - I tried many Fossati instruments at the IDRS convention, Banff, 2004. Well crafted, though "so-so" acoustically...

FOX - A fine maker. The professional oboe model 400 is outstanding. The Fox professional English horn model 500 should be considered in comparison to the Loree English horn...

GUASTI - Guasti made some excellent instruments, though overall a somewhat inconsistent maker.

GOUBET - Rare. Excellent oboe. 1930s-1940s.

HINKER - The best of the best. In my opinion THE finest maker of all. The ULTIMATE professional oboe. Plans to make oboes d'amore, English horns, and bass oboes as well.

HECKEL - Made oboes, oboes d'amore, and English horns until the mid 1960s. Excellent maker. Not used much outside of Germany...

HOWARTH - Excellent maker, beautiful instruments in every respect. The new Howarth XL model oboe is sensational. The Howarth oboe d'amore is also sensational.

HULLER - No information available at present

JARDE' - Excellent maker. The "quintessential" French oboe...

JOSEF - See Josef website. I have not yet tried the Josef instruments...

KHOLERT - Kholert made some full Conservatory instruments. An inconsistent maker. I have had a professional model Kholert oboe with a penetrating, haunting, dark tone. It was well voiced. However, usually best to avoid...

KREUL - First class maker in every respect. The keywork of the oboes may be described as "overwrought" and the heavy physical weight of the oboes can be a drawback. Beautiful rich, dark, resonant tone. Exquisite voicing, absolutely even scale, utterly forgiving and stable. The Kreul English horns comparable to the Chauvet.

INCAGNOLI - "Prestini" system instruments.

LAUBIN - Legendary maker. I especially like the Laubin oboes from the 1960s to the mid 1970s- magical. Until 1976 "Laubin" English horns were made by Malerne and finished by Laubin- many of these excellent.

LARILEE - I began playing oboe on a "fullest Conservatory Larilee." The tone was "extra bright", and the keywork and padwork of marginal quality. However, it was well voiced and played easily. Some of the Larilee "sing", while others seem to be unbearably stuffy. The keywork is "bendy" and easily knocked out of adjustment.

Le BLANC - LeBlanc made some fullest Conservatory instruments. I have only played some LeBlanc "Noblet" student instruments so far- not recommended.

LESHER - Lesher made some "fullest Conservatory" oboes. Some of these made before Lesher was bought out by Selmer play beautifully, although the keywork is of marginal quality

LINTON - Except for the professional model, "stencil" English horns made in the 1970s for Linton by Malerne (distinguish from other "Linton" English horns by the style of keywork), best to avoid!

LYM - No information available, other than that these instruments have become sought after by collectors

M. LOREE - Marcel Loree quit the family business and set up his own oboe wind instrument atlier. The M. Loree oboes have quite thin walls (= bright tone). Marcel also made English horns. Best left to collectors...

F. LOREE - THE most famous oboe maker of all. About 80% of all professional oboists in the US play Loree instruments. My favorite Loree oboes: an "XX" series from 1927, some of the "A" series oboes from the 1930s, "C" series ("classic C"), H series, and J series. One can find both "good" and "not so good" Loree oboes from almost all vintages. My favorite Loree English horns: a "Z" series from 1910, and a BR series from 1968. I have had two all synthetic Loree oboes (a "CC" and a "GD" of astonishing quality- impossible to tell any difference between a wood Loree and an all synthetic Loree. I am not fond of some the of the Loree English horns made in the late 1970s through the 1990s- many seem "tight" and "unyielding" with little in the way of resonance. The wood Loree uses now seems in general to be of much poorer quality than (say) pre 1980s. It tends to be "open grain" (porous) and quite prone to cracking. Within the last two years Loree oboes seem to have difficulty with response in high (harmonic register). This has been documented by master repairman Alvin Swiney, and confirmed by John Mack and Jonathon Dhouley in the IDRS online list.

LOUIS - No information available

MALERNE - The Malerne English horns (see "stencil instruments") tend to be excellent in every respect, worthy of professional use. The Malerne oboes tend to be "good", though usually not outstanding.

MARIGAUX- Excellent maker overall. Favored in Germany, France, and Japan. I especially like the Marigaux oboe made of clear hard "Plexiglass"

T.MARKARDT - No information available at present

MIGNOT - I have owned a Mignot oboe. It was exceedingly well made, and it played well. As with some of the Covey oboes, it did not seem to "lock in" on the pitch centers. Rare...

MOENNIG - I have tried Moennig oboes, oboes d'amore, and English horns. They play OK, though the keywork is "so-so"...

MOLLENHAUER - Mollenhauer English horns reputed to be outstanding.

ORSI - Orsi made some beautiful instruments before the firm was bought out in the 1970s . I have had an Orsi English horn (made pre buyout) and it is easily on a par with Chauvet, Malerne, Kreul

PATRICOLA - To date, I have not been impressed with this maker...

PLATZ - Student models only - NOT recommended!

PRESTINI - Rare. Excellent maker. Comparable to the Bulgheroni oboes.

PUCHNER - no information available at present

RIGOUTAT - Excellent maker overall. Used extensively in France and throughout Europe. I especially like the oboes made just before the introduction of the "Evolution" and "Symphony" models. I have played an "Evolution"- I did not like this at all. A friend of mine has a new Rigoutat oboe from 2004- he says that "it just about plays itself." The Rigoutat English horns tend to be quite good...

A. ROBERT - Good maker. Robert was Loree's main competition in France Before WWII. The oboes play and feel a lot like Loree "A" series" oboes

T. SPARKES - I have not played (so far) a Sparkes oboe. Artisan maker, often uses exotic woods such as "Mulgawood" native to the Australia desert. Sparkes uses stainless steel extensively for the mechanical elements of his instruments.

SCHULLER - No information available at present

SELMER - Prolific maker, though not recommended.

THIBAUD - "OK" maker, previously imported by RDG.

UEBEL - No information available at present

G. WOLF - Excellent maker, though his oboes not used in the US. Famous for bassoons, contrabassoons, and the Contraforte. Wolf also make Viennese style oboes with either traditional Viennese fingerings or French (Conservatory) fingerings. Guntram plans to build a "bass oboe" with an extended (lower) range soon...

YAMAHA - Professional oboes exceedingly well crafted. The sound seems to be lacking in "personality"