On November 9, 2026, Thomann had 35 oboes and English horns in stock, from $1,003 to $11,051, with a median of $4,464. Its 19 bassoons cost $2,231 to $22,328, with a median of $8,037. Compare that with a flute or a clarinet, where good student instruments cost a few hundred dollars: oboes and bassoons are made in small numbers, with complex keywork, and there is no cheap mass market.
| Price | Oboes | Bassoons |
|---|---|---|
| Under $2,000 | 3 | 0 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 5 | 1 |
| $3,000 to $5,000 | 12 | 4 |
| $5,000 to $10,000 | 13 | 9 |
| $10,000 and more | 2 | 5 |
Oboes: plastic or wood
Plastic. Nine oboes have bodies of ABS or resin, at a median of $2,230. They are lighter, don't crack when a cold instrument meets warm breath, and need less care, which is why schools and beginners use them.
Grenadilla. 28 are made of grenadilla, the dense African blackwood of most clarinets, at a median of $5,022. Wood gives the darker, rounder sound that orchestras expect.
Keywork. 31 of the 35 have a semi-automatic octave system, where the player works two octave keys; four are fully automatic, which handles the change for you and costs more. Simplified student keywork leaves out a few keys, such as the third octave key and the low B flat.
Yamaha YOB-241, $1,968
A plastic student oboe with silver-plated keys and a simplified conservatory system: no third octave key, no forked F, no low B flat. It comes with a case and ranks first of 32 oboes. #1 of 32 oboes.
Buffet Crampon BC4131 Prodige, $2,223
A grenadilla oboe with a synthetic resin bore, which protects against cracks, a conservatory system with two octave keys and a case, for not much more than the Yamaha. #4 of 32 oboes.
Yamaha's YOB-432, with a fully automatic octave system and a design taken from its Custom series, costs $4,464, right at the median. Thomann's own TOB-100 is the cheapest oboe at $1,003, but it ranks last of 32.
At the top, Gebrüder Mönnig's 155 AM-B, an orchestra oboe of selected grenadilla, costs $11,051. Six of the 35 listings are English horns and other members of the family; the English horn is the lower, longer oboe with a bulb bell, and Thore's costs $10,939.
Bassoons: maple, and a smaller size for children
16 of the 19 bassoons are made of maple. A full bassoon is too big for most children's hands, so makers build smaller ones that sound a fourth or a fifth higher. Seven listings are children's instruments.
Guntram Wolf Fg 5 Plus Quint Bassoon, $4,395
A bassoon in G, a fifth above the standard instrument, with modern keywork made for children. It ranks first of 17 bassoons. #1 of 17 bassoons.
Thomann's own BS-100 children's bassoon, with fewer keys and a lighter body, is the cheapest at $2,231. Professional bassoons start around $8,000; Gebrüder Mönnig's 214 Topas, with 26 keys and long-seasoned flamed maple, costs $22,104, and Amati's contrabassoon $22,328.
What else you need
Reeds, which wear out in weeks and are often made or adjusted by the player, a swab and cork grease. Many schools and teachers lend or rent oboes and bassoons for the first year, which is worth asking about before you spend $2,000.
Where the numbers come from. Every oboe, English horn and bassoon Thomann had in stock on November 9, 2026, from its partner feed. Materials and keywork are read from Thomann's descriptions. Places are from our oboe and bassoon rankings. Prices are Thomann's US prices.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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