Buying oboe reeds: Here’s everything you should know

The reed is the most important part of the oboe instrument, and you ought to consider taking care of the parts while investing in the instrument or the insurance. You need to understand that the reeds are the most temperamental part of the instrument. However, the choice of the reed depends on a lot of other things. Here are a few things that you might want to consider when investing in the reeds.

Buying the perfect reeds

·         The choice between commercial and professional reeds is an important factor, one to be considered before investing in the reeds.  Reeds have a short life-span, typically two weeks of daily use. Replacing these reeds can be quite expensive and cumbersome. There are the commercial and professional reeds. The commercial ones are adequate for beginners and are available in the range $8-$12 and the professional reeds cost anywhere between $13 and $18. The professional reeds last longer and are better compared to the commercial reeds, and are used by most professionals.

·         The reeds can be classified according to the strength- soft, medium and hard. The soft ones require less air and the opening collapses under pressure. The other two strengths need to be scraped before using, and can be used in a more professional setting. They tend to vibrate more freely as compared to the soft reed. Try to start with soft reeds before you move on to medium reeds

·         The wire wrapped around the base of the reed can also tell you how good or bad the reed is. The long narrow shape of the reed allows you to keep the blades open. The wires make the reed soft for playing, which allows the opening to collapse. So the wire needs to hold the opening in a tight form for you to make sure the reed works. This means you need to consider the wire wrapping when buying the reed

·         The blades tend to overlap along the reed. If there is a tape along the base, there is a leak in the reed. So look for reeds that exist with an asymmetrical opening

These are the basic factors, from strength to the type of reeds that you need to keep in mind when choosing the reeds for your instrument. You obviously need to invest in good Oboe insurance if you want your oboe and the reeds to live a long and healthy life.

Need for an oboe insurance

It helps you ensure any cracks in the reed do not cause you to empty the pockets. You simply need to use the insurance and get someone who can repair it for you. The idea is to buy insurance that covers both the oboe and the reeds. Instead of spending a lot of money in replacing the reeds, the insurance will help you get the reeds repaired or repaired well within the budget.

Before planning the oboe insurance, you need to have a planning in place as to what you need from the insurance, and how to get the best solution for the same. You should also research for the options available in your budget.