I picked up an oboe this summer and all I can tell you is that it is hard to play! The horn is in good adjustment but oboe requires a lot more adjustment for intonation than even the most out of tune saxophone. Clarinet is easy by comparison. I do have to say that I find oboe easier to play than flute. Nothing I’ve found yet is harder than flute.
The Woodwind Forum
Dedicated To The Woodwind Enthusiast
Yes, we all can sympathize with you on the oboe. However, if you have to adjust the tuning all the time, I believe that you would do well to use better reeds. A good, responsive and stable reed with C crows near the thread and on the very tip should ring pretty much in tune on a fine oboe. By stable, I mean that the C crow does not vary in pitch like a siren when you blow soft or loud on it.
Yes, the flute can be challenging at first, but with good instruction and practice, it also can be played in tune. Check James Galway’s embouchure recommendations.