The Hiniker clear Acrylic oboe is without peer in the realm of oboes entirely of synthetic, and impossible to distinguish the sound from an all Hiniker oboe made of African Blackwood. Hiniker oboes made after 2008 all have P.E.T polymer sleeve liners in the upper joint. The Snakewood Hiniker oboe is THE single finest (and most appealing) oboe I have ever played.

HINIKER - MINNESOTA - In my estimation, the best of the best. It is not uncommon to find Chauvet oboe still playing well even after 40 years of school/university use. Warren Sutherland used Chauvet BW oboes throughout most of his career as princpal oboe of the Indianopolis Symphony and Tucson Symphony. The BW series Chauvet oboe is darker in timbre than almost any of the other French oboes, comparable to the 'thick wall' late 'B' series Loree oboes model, or the present day Loree 'Royale' model. Usually the 'AC' oboes seem brighter in timbre. The AC Chauvet oboes- not as desirable as the BW oboes, though at times very good. I played on a sublime Chauvet 'BW' as a primary instrument for some years, until I discovered Hiniker oboes. Some of the Ben Storch 'BW' series Chauvet oboes may be described as first class, especially from about serial number BW100 to about BW330. The pre- Storch Chauvet oboes - not memorable. 1964 to the mid 1970s the Chauvet line was imported by Linx and Long in Manhattan - serial numbers: 'AC' followed by numbers. Ben re-voiced the 'BW' oboes to his own specifications. Ben Storch took over the importation of Chauvet instruments from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s- serial numbers: 'BW' followed by numbers. Imported and sold by Laubin in the 1950s- serial numbers: numbers only. Same as the 'King-Marigaux' oboes.ĬHAUVET - Excellent maker. AVOID any of the Buffet 'student' model and 'modified Conservatory' oboes - dreadful! The 'Buffet' oboes from the 1960s and 1970s were in fact made by Marigaux- even having the Marigaux serial numbers- some good- some excellent oboes. The 'Greenline' oboes can (and do) crack! Not possible to repair if cracked, except to have a new joint made at great expense if not still under warranty. However, I did find one example at the 2011 IDRS convention that I liked. The 'composite' Buffet Greenline 3613 is, in my estimation, an unabashed 'reed trumpet,' extremely 'brassy' sounding, lacking subtlety altogether. Lacking in the complexity, 'character' department. Also, the 'natural C' touch seems far too tiny to be of much use.The most recent wood professional model 3613 oboes tend to be excellent. Different bore from the 'Orfeo' Lacking left C# - in my estimation an oboe with this level of mechanical sophistication should truly have a left C# key. Has solid metal tenon on upper joint composite material- cracking (rare) still possible 'Virtuoso' Composite or wood.

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