Best Intermediate Oboe Reeds For Aspiring To  Advanced Level Players. Balanced For Response, Tone And Pitch. Handmade From Scratch.

Best Intermediate Oboe Reeds-handmade from scratch and finished to order. Designed for players with developing embouchures. Balanced for tone, pitch and  response. Response is easier than pro models, and this is fairly consistent across my intermediate brands.  Aperture sizes are generally moderate which also helps with  accessibility. Players will find nuanced differences in tone quality (brightness/darkness/warmth) across brands. Experience level, playing style and personal preference will be key to final choices. They are recommended for players with at least 16 months experience, or those able to achieve a good dynamic range in their long tones (a sign that their embouchure and support system is developing). Private study with an oboe teacher is also recommended.

The materials/construction scrape section below is highly technical, and is included for the benefit of oboe instructors and those players with prior knowledge of oboe reed structure.

Materials/Construction/Scrape:

Oboe Cane: Cane is drawn from the same premium cane inventories as our pro models (Marion, Alliaud, Vic, Rouche, Feng). The diameter range is 10.5-11 to manage aperture size. Since intermediates benefit from smaller apertures than expert players (improves playability), I conduct further sorts along the way to achieve the best match. 

Gouge: Kunibert gouge @.60/.45 (small adjustments for cane density and seasonality).

Staple: Professional Chiarugi staple 47mm #2 or 2+ (In product description). 

Shape: Mack++ or similar.

Blank Tie Length: 72 - 72.5 mm.

Finished Reed Length: @ 69.5-70 mm.

Signature American long scrape.  Customized scrape. Moderately defined tip. Heart 40-.42 in thickness.  Moderate windows, defined heart/back with catch. Moderate spine, modified at base of reed to reduce internal dimensions and bring up pitch. Professional level response. Every reed gets dozens of micro adjustments and quality tests prior to certification and shipment. Individual results vary.