Okay, so I am an intermediate oboist and am planning on majoring in the instrument during my bachelor's of music degree. In the past I have played on a selmer, linton, and god awful bundy student models. I am currently looking to buy an intermediate oboe and from my research as I understand some Yamahas, Fox, MCW, Rigoutat, Howarth, and Fossati are all brands with a good rep. Basically, my ideal oboe is one that is pretty standard, has a good tone, and is good value. I cannot afford the Laubin's, higher Buffet's, etc. but am hoping to get a decent oboe for a good price, that isn't fancy but still makes a quality sound and is standard to play. Any thoughts?

The best bang for your buck is the Fox 330 or Yamaha 441, both intermediate level horns but with low Bb and LH F keys. This is the minimum instrument that would serve you through college and into the world as a semi-professional player or a professional doubler. If the price is out of your range, check out the Fox 333, which has a mechanism very similar to the Fox 330. Generally, the Fox runs a little higher than the Yamaha, though I consider the horns comparable. There are lots of other instrument names out there, many of them good, but you could buy one of these and know you're getting a good horn. Others become choices of personal preference. For a full "professional-level" horn, I am partial to Loree, but at this level it really becomes a matter of personal taste and playing style. (Nothing beats the tone quality of a Loree with "ring" in the sound, IMHO.)

Actually, I should add that Howarth makes a nice mid price-range horn, too. Some people are really big on Howarth. The one's I've tried are very nice, but the upper end can get pricey, as can they all!