Whether you are renting or buying, there are some definite guidelines to selecting an oboe. The first suggestion is to definitely consult with your child's music teacher: He or she may have brands they prefer their students to use.

There is really only one consideration for selecting a beginner oboe and that is the key system and that is discussed below. Almost all beginner oboes are plastic, and that's great for kids anyway!

Full Conservatory
The most important thing is that an oboe be a full conservatory oboe. What does this mean? There are several keys that are very important such as the left F, resonance key, and low Bb key that a non-full conservatory oboe would not have that are vital to making your child's oboe playing easy from the start. If the local music store does not have one, ask that they get one or find it elsewhere.

Wood vs. Plastic
While wood oboes do get a better sound quality than plastic, the quality of plastic instruments has gone up considerably and for a beginner a plastic oboe is fine. A wood oboe will be more susceptible to environmental damage and require more care.

Brands
Fox and Loree are two great brands of oboes.
The Fox 330 is a great and versatile oboe. The Fox 333 is a few hundred dollars less expensive than the 330 and still a good oboe. The Loree oboes are great as well, though they are more expensive. The Fossati Tiery J10 oboe is also a great instrument and comparable in price to the Foxs.

When buying an oboe it is important to realize that most repair specialists see these instruments much less than the standard band instruments. If you purchase a beautiful, great sounding oboe that is of a rare manufacture for the US you will have a lot of trouble getting someone to agree to even look at it to repair.

New vs. Used
There are many great resources for getting used instruments in great shape for a discount price. If you're buying an oboe, consider getting a used instrument. As long as you get it from a reputable source you can save a lot of money and still get a good instrument.

Some sources to get you started (New and Used):
WoodwindBrasswind.com
UsedOboes.com
ForrestsMusic.com
CarlosOboe.com
Jeanne-inc.com

Lets go on to Reed Selection