Jim Phelan seeks to revive A. Laubin oboe maker in Holmes, N.Y.

Jim Phelan, who owns the A. Laubin oboe company, is attempting to revive the nearly century-old American oboe maker at a small workshop in Holmes, N.Y. Phelan bought the essentially bankrupt firm in 2022, paid the Laubin family $250,000, cleared its debts and has since invested about $750,000 more, including a new workshop and a nearby house.

Laubin, founded in 1931, produced roughly 2,050 oboes over 90 years and long had a reputation for a dark, covered sound; professional Laubin instruments start at about $13,200. Making oboes remains difficult and costly — one expert called the instrument mechanically among the most complicated in the orchestra — and sales in 2024 totaled about $380,000, leaving the company about $100,000 short of breaking even.

To find new revenue, Phelan has introduced a new injection-moldable composite top joint called Laubinite, which he texted on Dec. 23 might "could be a game changer." Prototypes have arrived and Laubinite top joints are planned to be sold at $4,700, with the possibility of fully composite instruments later.

He also hopes to reintroduce an older mid-market Laubin model, the Barre, within a year or two at roughly half the price of a professional oboe. The company still relies on long traditional steps — Laubin ages wooden billets outdoors for years before machining — even as it adds modern tooling.

Key Topics

Culture, A. Laubin, Holmes Ny, Jim Phelan, Laubinite, Oboe