Lysander
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Arabic strings for Turkish oud
It must be time for new strings, these have been on since Oct and it's not sounding good. I have a Turkish oud tuned to Arabic CGADGC. I normally use
the MusiCaravan Necati Celik from Out String.com but was wondering if there's something better to use for this Arabic tuning?
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franck leriche
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Try Pyramid lute, they worth every penny.....
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Brian Prunka
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I like the Pyramid lute, and since they last a long time the expense isn't as big a deal as people think.
If a set lasts 6 months, then you are spending about $10/month to have better strings, compared to $3/month if the set is $18. An extra $7 a month is
like getting a few coffees a month, or one beer at a bar . . . to me that is worth 6 months of better sound. But of course it is different if you are
not sure if you will like them.
For an inexpensive option, I actually like the Pyramid 650/11 set on Turkish ouds tuned Arabic, usually.
I've been putting together custom sets from LaBella lute strings that people seem to like also, these are moderately priced (around $20). They are
good strings, and you may find they suit you as well as Pyramid Lute, in which case it is a good deal.
The Necati wound strings are good but I think the plain nylon are a bit too light get the full sound from Arabic tuning on the shorter Turkish 585mm
scale length.
Every oud is different, so ultimately there is no choice but to try different things and experiment.
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Matthias
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Hello,
in most cases any standart arabic set which is calculated for mostly scales from 60 - 62 will not work. the tension will be too low.
I have put togather several sets with arabic tuning for turkish ouds with a scale of 58,5 cm. You find them here:
arabic tuning on a turkish oud
Give the Pyramid lute strings a try, they count beside the Savarez strings to the best solutions.
If any question remains, contact me through the form in the shop's website.
Best regards
Matthias
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Lysander
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Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think I will go with the Pyramid 650/11s, the Pyramid Lute look good but I am a student, this is not something I
can afford at the moment, so I will go for those.
Matthias, thanks for the idea. I am hesitant to buy from you since I bought some Aquilas from you back in 2013 which never arrived... I checked with
Deutsch Post who came up with nothing... and though you and I talked about it at the time they kind of disappeared into the ether. I am sure they were
sent out but never followed up, so that's €32 I never got anything for. I am intending to stick with Oud Strings for now.
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Lysander
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So I bought some of the Pyramid 650/11s, very nice. These feel quite different to the Necati Celik. Different tension? They feel a bit - not much, but
a bit- heavier. If I'm right [and I don't know if I am], I certainly like this heavier feel.
Are there heavier strings/tensions out there in the same way that there are for guitar?
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Brian Prunka
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With respect in particular to Arabic tuning, every maker is different and some do offer differing tensions. There are a lot of factors, but a big one
is that the tension may be calculated with differing scale lengths so the resulting tension may be different.
Pyramid calculate their tension to be average 3.70Kg at 61cm. At 58.5 cm this is about 3.37Kg. I think that 3.37 is overall a better tension for
fixed bridge than 3.7Kg anyway, so it works out well.
They do feel different. I know it seems strange, but there are actually many variables in a wound string, and size/looks/feel/tension don't
necessarily align how you might expect. A tightly wound string with a narrow core might be the same gauge as a loosely wound string with a large
core, but the feel and tension would be much different. Even if you calculated the tension to be the same, then they would be different sizes with
different feels and sounds.
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Lysander
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Thanks for the information Brian. So what would be the max tension one could exert on a Turkish oud? Or does it differ from instrument to instrument.
Lute, sure. I'll get a recording up this evening.
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Lysander
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Apologies for the delay. Here is that Munir Bashir samai with the Pyramid 650/11s.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s1O4416LdHOb
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Brian Prunka
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MusiCaravan is good on the longer Arabic ouds but is a bit light for the short scale of a Turkish oud.
Not sure about the maximum tension on a Turkish oud, a well-made modern instrument can generally handle more than an antique or a cheap instrument. I
usually suggest that people not adjust the tension drastically all at once; if you want to go up or down a little bit, that's fine—see how the oud
responds to a 0.2Kg change in tension. Also it mostly matters the total tension, so changing one or two courses is a lot different from boosting the
whole set's tension.
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