Double reed of double reeds for the oboe family of instruments is similar in principle: like the bassoon's reeds, they consist of two pieces of "Arundo donax" cane fastened together with an opening at the tip. However, because the oboe does not have a bocal, the cane must be fastened to a metal tube (the staple), the lower half of which is normally surrounded by a piece of cork. The staple is then inserted into the farrow at the upper end of the oboe. There are many different methods of making reeds and many variations of design have been developed. Players can
Oboe solos exist for the regular oboe in chamber, symphonic, and operatic compositions from the Classical era. The Wiener oboe is a type of modern oboe that retains the essential bore and tonal characteristics of the historical oboe. The Akademiemodel Wiener Oboe, first developed in the late 19th century by Josef Hajek from earlier instruments by C. T. Golde of Dresden (1803–73), is now made by several makers such as André Constantinides, Karl Rado, Guntram Wolf, Christian Rauch and Yamaha. It has a wider internal bore, a shorter and broader reed and the fingering-system is very different than the conservatoire oboe.