jph87 - 2-16-2010 at 06:22 AM
Hi all,
I recently bought an oud which appears to be identical to this (http://www.arabinstruments.com/112730/Mother-Of-Pearl-Oud-CAT-1152), but I have a problem in that whilst the open strings sound great, they
resonate very poorly or almost not at all if I play any notes in about a 3-inch section in the middle of the fingerboard. The oud was played for me in
the shop, and it sounded fine there.
Instead of a ringing note, all I get is a dull twang. I've looked at the nut and fingerboard and can't see anything obvious - does anyone have any
ideas? Could there possibly be a flaw in the fingerboard? I can post photos of the oud if necessary.
Thanks!
Dr. Oud - 2-16-2010 at 10:16 AM
The neck may be warped. Often these cheap ouds are made with green wood, so as they dry out they warp. Hold a string down near the top nut and at the
neck block joint and look toward a light or window at the side of the fingerboard. If you see light under the string, the neck is warped. It may be
corrected if the fingerboard is thick enough to sand flat, Otherwise the fingerboard must be removed to flatten the neck. Another option is to add a
fingerboard on top of the old one, then flatten that.