Ok, so I've been playing for a little less than half a year now (I'm actually impressed by my progression so far) and I think it's time to get an oud
that suits my style. My oud is Turkish but I want an Arabic one. Given all the things to take into consideration I'd be happy to get some advice from
those of you who are more knowledgeable.
The thing is, I never really wanted a Turkish oud since I play Arabic music. Thus I have tuned the oud as follows: D-G-A-D-G-C. This tuning suits me
well but the strings are Turkish so, naturally, the tension is very loose.
I've gathered that it is possible to string a Turkish oud with Arabic strings, but I think I would prefer a greater scale length, say around 24"/610
mm, anyway.
I play a lot of really fast tremolo, handling it very well on guitars, but with these loose strings and the soft, plastic risha it's kind of
challenging. I play with a very thick jazz pick on the guitar and have always disliked soft picks, so any suggestion as to what risha to get would
also be appreciated.
I find that resting the hand on the bridge is most comfortable when I play really fast so an oud that produces a nice timbre when played like this
would be optimal.
I think an Egyptian or Syrian oud would be the reasonable choice for me but I can only find Turkish ouds in Sweden. This pretty much leaves me with
the options of either ordering one or trying to find a private seller (I've not had much success with this).
I'm not sure whether I should get one with a floating bridge but I like the idea of just keeping it traditional (oh, and I really love ornamental
stuff - but this won't be central to my decision).
So, to summarize, I need an 11-stringed Arabic oud with a good clear timbre, not too expensive (no more than $500 with shipping) and normal scale
length.
Any suggestions?Greg - 4-5-2011 at 05:57 AM
Welcome to the forums Adifla.
You have asked several questions that have been answered many many times on these forums.
So my suggestion for a good place to start would be HERE
Regards,
Gregadifla - 4-5-2011 at 06:30 AM
Thank you Greg.
I'm sorry, I probably should have done some proper searches before posting (I'll get to it now then). Feel free to remove this thread if it is
superfluous.
I've read threads on at least some of these subjects but I was hoping to get specific suggestions.Greg - 4-7-2011 at 05:15 AM
I suspect that your best bet for an Arabic oud around that price may be a Sukar. Some folks on these forums have written good things about Sukar's
ouds and others have been disappointed. A lot seems to depend on which dealer you choose to buy from.
Perhaps you should consider stringing your current oud with Arabic strings while you save for a better quality instrument, including some of the more
expensive ones from Sukar or one of the other master oud makers mentioned on these forums.
The standard tension Aquila Arabic string sets work very well on a 58cm scale length.
Whilst it is tempting to maintain a technique mastered on another instrument, I think you will find that oud requires a quite different technique and
you may need to develop a right hand that does not involve anchoring it on the bridge.
Good luck and enjoy your playing.
Regards,
Gregadifla - 4-7-2011 at 05:42 AM
Yes, I've been looking at a few Sukar ouds on ebay after having read good reviews. As it happens I might find a Syrian oud (no clue as to what
manufacturer, yet) from a private seller living nearby, thanks to a new acquaintance.
Yes, I thought about that too.
I'm just worried that it will be harder to adapt to a new scale length if I get very used to this Turkish one (what with muscle memory) and
that's why I'm a little eager. Do you have any experience with that?
You are probably right and the truth of the matter is that I have already replaced my guitar techniques with spontaneously developed ones for the oud
- save the bridge anchoring when playing fast tremolos (of course possibly a lot of other techniques that I utilize inadvertently).
Yes, I thought about that too.
I'm just worried that it will be harder to adapt to a new scale length if I get very used to this Turkish one (what with muscle memory) and
that's why I'm a little eager. Do you have any experience with that?
All my current ouds are 58 cm scale length, but I did have a 60 cm at one stage and I didn't have any particular problem alternating between.
