The Virtuose is the result of Buffet Crampon’s 190 years of craftmanship and constant search for innovation.
Our inspiration came from a Buffet Crampon oboe from 1890 with an unusually long upper joint.
Now, almost 130 years later, you can experience the Virtuose, an exceptional instrument which combines the best of tradition and technology.
Our craftsmen and engineers worked side by side with the world’s best oboe players to completely redesign the bore and tone holes, bringing you the best of Buffet Crampon’s acoustics and intonation.
Enjoy an elegant, vibrant tone that fits perfectly with the orchestral timbre.
The unique length of the upper joint was specially designed to allow seamless blowing through the instrument. Crafting this delicate masterpiece requires the steadiest hand and a perfect knowledge of the wood, which has been specially treated and reinforced with green line inserts to prevent cracks.
As a result, oboists will experience flawless evenness from the highest to the lowest note and remarkable fluidity while playing.
By working closely with soloists, our keymakers and engineers optimized the ergonomics of the keywork. Each key is designed for the fingers to slide smoothly and find instant contact.
The perfect balance between reliability, responsiveness, and aesthetics was found by inlaying magnets into the mechanism.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Key: C
- Pitch: 440/443 Hz
- Grenadilla (Dalbergia Melanoxylon) specifically treated to avoid cracks
- Green LinE inserts (Dalbergia Melanoxylon composite) in the crack-sensitive areas until g#
- Resized upper joint to play with both hands on the same body until low d fingering (patent pending)
- 2 key-free, interchangeable Grenadilla (Dalbergia Melanoxylon) bells for two different playing sensations
- Keyworks: French conservatory system, 3 octave keys, semi-automatic, natural medium C finger plate (patent pending), indexed ferrule and inlayed magnets to connect upper and lower joints (patent pending), higly reliable, silver plated
- Adjustable thumb rest
- Pads: Cork, GT (bottom notes)