Post 60: 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.

 

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

Post 59: 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.

Post 56: Why we recommend oiling…

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The oboe oiling debate will never cease.  I’ve been a member of the double reed community for nearly 30 years at this point, and I have always seen the conversation around whether you should oil or not.  I’m sure there’s some scientific data out there to support or not support oiling, however, the variables involved are so inconsistent that it’s hard to say with certainty one way or the other.  Therefore, most people talk about oiling or not oiling from a personal experience perspective.  This post will be no different, it’s just a conversation with my thoughts on why I do believe in oiling oboes, and clarinets for that matter.

Let’s face facts!  Most of us do certain things and believe in certain methods because our primary teachers believe in them.  We love our teachers!  So, just like I believe in swabbing, I believe in oiling.  My primary teacher, Dr. Dan Ross, believes in oiling and I watched him oil his oboe many times through the years.  I, in turn, oiled my oboe many times through the years while I was a student and then afterward as I moved into being a professional.

The basic reasons I believe in oiling are very simple.  Oiling conditions the wood to help keep it hydrated which, in turn, helps prevent cracking under some circumstances and retains the amazing qualities of the wood for a longer period of time.

I personally played a K series Loree oboe for just over 20 years. I believe, due to the oiling, I never had a crack and the amazing dark timbre of the oboe was retained through the years.  (NOTE:  I oiled the oboe when it was new almost every day for a month.  Every morning I would check it and the oil was gone, “soaked up.”  I continued oiling frequently until the oboe stopped soaking up the oil as much, then I slowed down the frequency even more, etc.  Eventually, I only oiled that oboe a couple of times a year.  I believe the wood will tell you when it needs to be oiled.)

I once heard a story which I believe to be true.  A repairer wanted to dispel the “need to oil” myth.  He took a piece of Grenadilla wood and completely submerged it for two years.  At the end of the two years, he removed the wood and cut it in half.  What did he find?  Those of us that believe in oiling would like for the wood to be soaked, but that was not the case.  He cut the piece of Grenadilla in half and found no oil penetration.  This repairer concluded that oiling is not necessary because the oil does not penetrate deep into the wood.

In my mind, this previous story does not conclude anything, except that Grenadilla will not soak through.  If anything this study helps show that we do need to oil or moisturize our wooden wind instruments.  Imagine if oil cannot penetrate deep into the wood, how fast the wood will dry out without protection.  This is one reason I think we should oil because we need to keep the wood conditioned. Look at any piece of wood that has been cut down from originally being a living tree.  Over time it drys out and breaks down, especially when it is introduced to different temperatures and moisture.  When wood drys out it becomes less dense, therefore losing all its beautiful original “wood” characteristics that you purchased it for in the first place.  Manufacturers know this all too well as they are making instruments with more wood, which makes them heavier, to appeal to players who want a deep dark sound!  More weight or more denseness makes deeper darker sounds.  So to conclude this paragraph, I have found that oiling a wooden wind instrument consistently over time will extend its life regarding tone and potential damage to cracking.

(Side note to oiling and saturation.  If you oiled your oboe and the wood became saturated, the oboe would be unplayable at that point.  Why?  Because we cannot be playing our instruments with oil oozing out all over us, it would also ruin all pads and corks over time.  The only thing we need oozing out of our oboes is beautiful music!  Lol.)

There are a few other ideas I have that I feel are more common sense taken from my observations over the years.  Have you ever “oiled”  furniture?  I grew up seeing my mother and grandmothers oiling their furniture, especially antique furniture.  Why?  Did the oil penetrate deep into the wood fibers?  I can’t say for sure, but I would guess that it did not.  What it did do was add a protective layer of moisture to help prevent the wood from completely drying out.  By not drying out, the wood joints would remain tight over the years, the wood would have minimal shrinkage and/or warpage, and the wood surface would not crack.  This process is done in various ways on all types of woods, really hard dense woods and softer less dense woods, all to achieve the same results of having a beautiful piece of furniture for generations to come.

This next thought has nothing to do with wood, so is probably irrelevant, but I’m gonna mention it anyway.  When our hands become dry, we most likely apply lotion to our hands.  We don’t do this for the lotion to penetrate deep into our tissue then into our bloodstream, but only to condition and moisturize the exterior layer of our skin.  We are conditioning our skin so that it doesn’t dry out, crack or peel.  I find this example to be similar to oiling wood in many ways.  Again it’s not exactly the same as wood, but carries with it the same thought process, application, and results.

Read our Oboe Oiling Procedure here: https://www.onksws.com/2018/10/15/oboe-oiling-procedure/

Click here https://youtu.be/mz4zFshuaB8 to view a video of Jason demonstrating the oiling procedure.

Post 54: Why do I keep getting water in my octave vents?

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Over the years at Onks Woodwind, we have found two reasons that consistently cause water buildup in oboe/EH octave vents.

The first reason is that dust builds up inside the octave tone holes.  This buildup happens over time during normal playing and swabbing of the instrument.   I think everyone agrees that if any tone hole gets clogged with any foreign material, the foreign material will attract moisture.  Tone holes, especially small ones like octave vents, must remain as clean as possible to help prevent water buildup.

The second reason is related to temperature.  Most oboists are aware that they must warm up their oboes before playing them to help prevent cracking, but did you know this is also important to prevent water buildup?  Octave vents in oboes and English horns, are typically made out of metal, and this metal takes a little longer to warm up.  Have you ever blown your breath on a cold window or mirror?  If you have, you know this causes condensation instantly.  The metal octave vents are the exact same scenario.  Because of this, we recommend warming up the upper joint of your oboe/EH for much longer than you think it needs.  By warming up the joint for a longer period, you allow the warmth from your body to radiate through the wood/plastic and completely warm up the metal vents which will eliminate the possibility of condensation buildup in the vents.  Over the years we have recommended this procedure to many clients and it has solved their water issues just about every time.

There are, of course, many other issues that can cause water buildup in octave vents, but we feel these two reasons are the most common.  Clean up and warm up are our suggestions!  -Jason Onks

Post 49: Dr. Dan Ross

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Recently Arkansas State University produced the video below about my former oboe professor Dr. Dan Ross.  This video reminded me of what a huge impact Dr. Ross has had on my life and has prompted me to share a few thoughts with you.

Sometimes in your life you get to encounter some extremely unique and inspirational people.  For me one of those people happened to be my first collegiate oboe teacher, Dr. Dan Ross.  When I entered college at Arkansas State University as an oboe performance major, I had only been playing oboe for approximately 2 years, some would say “holding an oboe” for 2 years.  Most oboists that declare oboe performance as their major have been playing 6, 7 or more years by the time they get to college.  Most oboists have had significant playing experience through oboe lessons, school band/orchestra, county honors, all-state, summer music camps, etc., but not me!  I was raw!  Although I did have very supportive parents that signed me up for oboe lessons right away during my junior year of high school, I ultimately didn’t have any experience playing oboe compared to my freshman counterparts.  So needless to say, my abilities as an oboist auditioning for college were not spectacular.  My options for college with regards to oboe were limited.  But just as my parents and high school band director supported me and thought I had promise pursuing the oboe, so did Dr. Ross!

The rest is history!  Not only did Dr. Ross sculpt me into an oboist by playing G. Parès Scales and Barrett Method with a metronome for 2 years solid, Dr. Ross was the catalyst for what I do today as an oboe repair specialist.  Dr. Ross is not only an oboe professor but the inventor/designer/builder of the Ross gouging machine.  The gouging machine is an integral part of an oboists life when it comes to making their own reeds.  The gouging machine in concept is fairly simple.  However, the gouging machine in conceptualization is a whole different beast!  Dr. Ross loves the oboe!  Dr. Ross loves playing the oboe, and Dr. Ross loves making oboe playing easier for whomever he can help. Through Dr. Ross’s love of the oboe and his passion for excellence, I was inspired over and over while studying with him and continue to be all these years later.

There are so many things that I learned from Dr. Ross like how to play with a metronome, how to drink my coffee black, how to be diligent in my day to day studies/practice and the KISS principle, Keep It Simple Stupid!  One of the most important things I learned, although I didn’t think so at the time, was how to shut up and do something without actually knowing how to do it, aka, figure things out on your own!  Now as an oboe repair specialist, I have to figure things out every day.  No repair is exactly alike, and you cannot read a manual to help you figure it out!

During the video, Dr. Ross described the conversation when his oncologist told him he had only 1-2 years left to live.  Dr. Ross says, “Boy, it’s been a quick trip!  But my next thought was ‘that’s OK I’m still the luckiest person in the world ’cause I’ve got to do in life exactly what I love to do the most.’  Not many people can say that.”

I have to say that I am also the luckiest person in the world to have had the opportunity to study with and come to know Dr. Dan Ross.  He is always upbeat and the passion that he exudes is hard to shake off.  If you don’t know Dr. Ross or if you have had the same honor that I have, I know you will be inspired as you watch and listen to him in the video below.