The Complete Handbook of Oboe Straps & Supports

Finally, a book that treats the oboe strap as the piece of precision equipment it actually is. I've been teaching for twenty years and I've never seen the mechanics of weight distribution and the differences in hardware explained so clearly. The chapter on installation alone is worth the price; I've already corrected a bad habit I've had since music school. This is the reference I'll recommend to all my students.

The information is solid and I appreciate the no-nonsense approach, but I felt the book spent a bit too much time on the business side of things (chapters 6 and 7). I just wanted to pick the right strap for myself. The comparisons and specs are very thorough, which is great, but for a single player, parts of the book felt like they were written for a shop owner. Still, the maintenance guide is practical and easy to follow.

It does what it says on the cover: a complete handbook. I bought it because I was having persistent neck pain after switching to a heavier English horn setup. The chapter on ergonomics and adjusting the strap length was very useful. My only complaint is that the book is so dense in places; the exhaustive specifications on materials and threading were more than I personally needed, and I found myself skimming those sections.

A useful reference, but I wish there had been more photos or diagrams. The text descriptions of different hook types and how they attach to the oboe are accurate, but a visual learner like me struggled a little in chapter 4. The troubleshooting section, however, is fantastic. I diagnosed a weird sliding issue on my harness in two minutes by using the chart. A solid resource, just a bit text-heavy.

I bought this for my repair shop's reference shelf, and it's already proven its value. A customer came in with a vintage oboe and a proprietary support hook, and the specifications in chapter 2 helped me identify the thread pitch and find a compatible part. I dock one star only because the brand landscape in chapter 6 is changing so fast that some of the details are already a bit dated. The core principles, though, are rock solid.

As someone who's been playing professionally for thirty years, I thought I knew everything there was to know about my neck strap. I was wrong. This book is meticulously researched and clearly written. The explanations of why one type of pad distributes pressure better than another, and the long-term wear and tear on the instrument's ring from different hooks, are things I'd never even considered. It's now the only guide I trust on this subject.

This is the definitive guide, plain and simple. I'm a hobbyist who plays in a community orchestra, and I'd always just used the cheap strap that came with my instrument. Chapter 3 helped me realize I needed a harness because of a pre-existing back issue, and the installation instructions were foolproof. The book is comprehensive without being boring. It's not a quick read, but it's an essential one for anyone serious about the oboe.