People are always looking for inexpensive oboes. Inexpensive oboes are … well … CHEAP. Meaning cheaply made. And they sound cheap. And you won’t be able to sell them for anything but cheapER. Don’t do it.
I just ran across this very sad little post (I’ll not link so as to save any embarrassment to the poster):
hi, my name is Kristen and i’m looking for an oboe for no more than $100.00. i can’t spen any more than that, i don’t care if the oboe needs repair..i just wan’t to know if anyone can help….
If you find an oboe for $100 or less just make a lamp out of it. Really.
Decent oboes are expensive. But decent oboes are cheaper, from what I’ve heard, than most flutes, bassoons and any fine string instrument. (Brass instruments — contrary to what I wrote before — are usually less expensive. That’s what I get for trying to write before I’m fully awake!) So look on the bright side. We aren’t the most expensive thing out there. And still we’re the best. 😉
Two trumpetists in my orchestra recently got new trumpets, and pretty good ones too, apparantly, for 500 euros. My dad got a pretty good new flute for about 1000 euros. I have a really good but used oboe, which cost me 3600. How are flutes and brass instruments cheaper? :p
(I do agree oboes are cheaper than bassoons, though. And string instruments… I don’t know. They just have a wider range. I think you can get a good violin for 1000 euros, but they go up to above a million…)
I don’t know any flutists here who have spent less than I have, and professional string instruments are extremely expensive here. But I’m not going to argue with you! 🙂
OH! But I just saw that I wrote brass instruments were more expensive … didn’t mean to do that! I meant to say they were LESS expensive! I’ll correct that now. Ack!