Antique French Musette Simple Oboe c. 1780 HISTORIC COLLECTION

18th-Century French Musette: Historic Collector's Piece

This exquisite musette, crafted circa 1780, is hypothesized to be of French origin, noted commonly in the pastoral music of the educated classes during the 18th century. Known for its delicate, reedy timbre, the musette holds a significant place within the evolution of woodwind instruments.

Design and Construction

This antique woodwind features a body meticulously crafted from boxwood, revered for its fine grain and robust acoustic properties. A testament to period craftsmanship, this musette is further distinguished by its key mounts fashioned from ivory, showcasing the luxurious materials favored in French instrument-making of the era.

The musette presents a simple oboe design, an early iteration characterized by its unadorned elegance and the subtle complexities of its construction. Each component has been assembled with precision, indicative of the skilled artisans of the time.

Historical Context

During the late 18th century, the musette was a symbol of rustic charm married to sophisticated court life. Instruments such as this were integral to courtly entertainments and are reflective of the nuanced, lyrical styles popular among 18th-century composers and musicians.

Condition Report

The musette retains its historical essence, though signs of age are evident. It should be noted that this instrument is not guaranteed to be playable and is preserved for its historical and academic value only. It presents an invaluable opportunity for collectors, museums, and academicians, providing a tangible link to the musical practices of the past. This musette is offered purely as a historical artifact and is not intended for modern performance use.

As this instrument is historically interesting, we have chosen to not do restoration work on it and leave that to the eventual owner. Instrument will need pad and keywork to be playable.

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We want you to be happy and satisfied with your purchase, and we offer an unconditional 30 day return policy. If you are unhappy with your item for any reason, just return it for a full refund or full credit towards an exchange. (Reeds and other consumables are non-returnable once opened.)

We warranty every item we sell to be free of mechanical defects. If you find an issue with your purchase, please contact us. We will either reimburse you to have any minor repairs completed by your local repair shop, or we will send you a label to cover all return postage charges so that we can either repair your instrument, exchange your instrument, or issue you a refund for your instrument. We stand behind our products, and we truly want you to be happy.

Please note that if you simply change your mind about the purchase of an item - if you find that it's just not the one for you - you are still entitled to a full refund. We do not routinely charge a restocking fee; however, you will be responsible for the expense involved in shipping the item back to us if you have not purchased free returns through Redo at checkout. (Redo is available for domestic sales in the US only - international customers will be responsible for return shipping). Upon receipt of your return, our technicians will go over the instrument to ensure everything is in the same condition in which it was sold. Damage to the instrument, missing accessories, or unauthorized alterations/repairs may affect your refund. Your refund will be processed within 5 business days of our receipt of your return.

If more than five returns are requested within a calendar year, a 20% restocking fee will be assessed for every return moving forward for that calendar year.

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