Howarth S10 oboe

If you are purchasing a beginner's instrument for the first time and would like further advice, our showroom staff will be pleased to give all the guidance you need.

A popular choice of student oboe from an English company with a worldwide reputation, the Howarth S10 model is specifically designed to make the oboe accessible from a young age. The S10 will take players up to Grade 6 standard, and is a favourite with education authorities and music services throughout the UK.

Developed to be as light as possible, it is manufactured from the same traditional grenadilla wood used for professional instruments. The use of close finger-spacing and covered keys allow smaller hands to easily navigate the full range of the instrument.

• Grenadilla wood body (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
• Silver-plated keywork
• Thumb-plate (English) system
• Covered keys
• Simple octave keys
• Full chromatic range to low B-flat
• C/D trill key
• Forked-F vent
• Low B-C connection
• Weight: 0.54 kg approx.

Unlike the standardized mechanisms of other woodwind instruments, the keywork on oboes is quite varied. The 'thumb-plate' system is used most widely in the UK and most student oboes purchased here are of this type. The alternative is the 'conservatoire' system. 'Dual' systems have characteristics of both. Starter instruments generally have fewer keys to reduce weight and simplify fingering. Instruments for more advanced players have additional keys offering versatility through a wider choice of fingerings.

Also available in the Howarth oboe range:

Manufacturer’s website: howarthlondon.com