Mike's Oud Forums

Hand made Oud pick/reeshe

Yaron Naor - 8-19-2013 at 12:55 AM

Hi all
As an oud builder I have started to make Oud Reeshe/picks by hand, from Nylon strips,
Polished with very fine sand paper
I get very good feedback from my customers and oud payers
I prepared a new batch,

Cost is 17us$ per one, by paypal and the shipping is internationally FREE

If you want to try it?
Tell me
ibisyn@gmail.com

Regards
Yaron.

luan - 8-19-2013 at 10:31 AM

A little expensive IMO...

suz_i_dil - 8-19-2013 at 12:32 PM

i weighted my risha. 2 gramms.. For 17 dollars, rishas can be a better investement than gold (rather unsteady those days)

Alfaraby - 8-20-2013 at 06:16 AM

I weighed my oud. It's 1000 gm & it worth 10,000 $.
1 gm=10 $. 2 gm = 20 $; so Yaron's made a 15 % discount = 17 $ :)
Now seriously, it's not the raw material, it's the work. Such pick would probably take more than an hour to prepare (it takes me two hours and more since I'm not equipped like Yaron is), so 10-15 or so $ an hour is a fairly low cost item.

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Dr. Oud - 8-20-2013 at 08:23 AM

Alfaraby - Just out of curiosity, what is your oud that's worth $10,000 USD?

luan - 8-20-2013 at 08:52 AM

John does cow horn rishas (which as you know, are difficult to make) and charges $15.

Alfaraby - 8-20-2013 at 11:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Dr. Oud  
Alfaraby - Just out of curiosity, what is your oud that's worth $10,000 USD?
This's the cheapest oud I have ! :)
Won't sell it; not even for triple as much

:wavey:Cheers Richard

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Luttgutt - 8-21-2013 at 01:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Alfaraby  
Quote: Originally posted by Dr. Oud  
Alfaraby - Just out of curiosity, what is your oud that's worth $10,000 USD?
This's the cheapest oud I have ! :)
Won't sell it; not even for triple as much

:wavey:Cheers Richard

Yours indeed
Alfaraby


You see Rechard, Alfaraby's ouds are worth a lot, independent of who the maker is, ect...

Alfaraby - 8-21-2013 at 02:50 AM

All was done with humor :) to demonstrate the idea, then I wrote "now seriously" but it didn't work ...
I'm normally quite, maybe even over serious, but sometimes I try jokes.
Seems they don't really work or sound funny.
Sorry :mad:

Seriously yours
Alfaraby

hama - 8-21-2013 at 03:58 AM

very expensive Risha's , some st of strings are cheaper than this .

Jody Stecher - 8-21-2013 at 09:00 AM

Quote: Originally posted by luan  
John does cow horn rishas (which as you know, are difficult to make) and charges $15.



$17 and no shipping cost is the same price as $15 plus $2 international postage.

oudistcamp - 8-21-2013 at 05:52 PM

If you can make your own rishas, $15 may be more than you need spend.
If you do not have the skill or time to make a decent risha, than $15 is worth spending to play the oud better......
The maker is free to name his price, and the buyer is free to choose.

Marcus - 8-21-2013 at 09:39 PM
Code:
very expensive Risha's , some st of strings are cheaper than this .



But this strings last 3-6 month. A good risha last a lifetime.

majnuunNavid - 8-22-2013 at 12:56 AM

I have not tried nylon plectrums before but nevertheless I pay good money for decent picks...

I pay $10 each for my 'wegen picks' I use for playing mandolin which are also hand made. There are also guitar and mandolin picks which cost between $40 to $75 a piece called 'blue chip picks'. I would love to invest in these one day. Believe me, I use high quality picks in actual performance 3 hours a day and good quality picks make a big difference.

I have also made my own oud plectrums out of thick cable ties, which take many hours of sanding, but are the best Oud plectrums I have, so it is really time vs money. You decide.

See for yourself.

http://www.wegenpicks.com/

http://bluechippick.net/

Alfaraby - 8-22-2013 at 11:37 AM

I have heard, but am not sure, that a famous luthier sells turtle shell oud pick for 40$. (Hushshshsh ... it's not quite legal this turtle thing). I have tried one in the past and realized it worth even more. A bit stiff at the beginning, but gets lithe afterwards.
I think a good pick/plectrum (Native speakers: is there any difference between the two words ?) is as important as the strings are in the process of producing sound , so it worth "investing" 10-40 $ (and skip one night out). It's going to last forever if you don't loose it.

Yet, remember the famous saying: the best pick ever made won't make you a better player.
So play and play, with this pick or any other.

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Brian Prunka - 8-22-2013 at 11:48 AM

pick and plectrum mean the same thing, except that a plectrum isn't necessarily hand-held. A harpsichord, for example, uses plectra (plural of plectrum) but no one would call them "picks".

So "pick" could be a sub-category of "plectrum" if you like.

Jody Stecher - 8-22-2013 at 02:07 PM

"Plectrum" is an old fashioned word. It's still current in the UK but in the USA the word has been "pick" for many decades.

Chris_Rum - 8-23-2013 at 04:02 AM

Very good analysis.
Allow me to add a small piece.
The word "plectrum" its Greek (I am native speaker:) ) and the greek verb is «πλήττω», it means "hit" or "strike" someone or something. So, the noun «πλῆκτρο» means the instrument that someone uses in order to "hit" or "strike".
Specially, in ancient Greek music the word "plectro" (transliteration) had been used the same way the contemporary musicians use it.

Finally, another (different) use of this word in Greek is to define the "keyboard", its "πληκτρολόγιο", (transliteration=) plectrologio".
Its beautiful when people from all over the world discovering so many common things, thanks to... music!:)
Be well. :)


P.S.: "reeshe" what is the meaning, and in which language? Does anybody know? Thank you in advance.

Alfaraby - 8-23-2013 at 02:12 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Chris_Rum  
P.S.: "reeshe" what is the meaning, and in which language? Does anybody know?
In Arabic, "Reeshe" ( ريشة ) means feather and that's because oud players used to play the oud with an eagle feather.
See here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vedTAilbT8M

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

luan - 8-23-2013 at 09:26 PM

I think my dad payed $20 for a turtle shell risha he got for me (it sounds amazing, like no other material does). Paying 15 for one made of regular nylon doesn't looks convicing to me..

Antoine - 8-25-2013 at 04:21 AM

Hello friends,

Happy to discover this forum.
I would like to share the subject, thanks to Alfaraby to clarify for those that don't know why it's called Risha.
But in the same time today I am against to use the Eagle feather or the turtle shell. they are protected internationally!

I don't like the plastic material as well but it's a better than to play with fingers:)

Antoine

Brian Prunka - 8-25-2013 at 05:17 AM

It's possible to get eagle feathers without harm to the eagle. Not so with the turtle and its shell.

Jody Stecher - 8-25-2013 at 06:19 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  
It's possible to get eagle feathers without harm to the eagle. Not so with the turtle and its shell.



Right. Captive eagles in zoos shed feathers from time to time. But also turtles die of natural causes. Ten years ago I saw guitar plectra made from empty turtle shell that had been washed up on a south american beach. I am quite certain this wasn't a fabricated story to cover up the killing of a sea turtle. Such picks are illegal but not immoral. I have also seen new shell picks made in Yorkshire from re-cycled 19th century hair brushes and mirror backs.

reminore - 8-25-2013 at 07:20 AM

sharp eyes at either antique shops or auctions will provide one with all the 19th c. tortoise shell one needs...

suz_i_dil - 8-25-2013 at 09:10 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Alfaraby  
I weighed my oud. It's 1000 gm & it worth 10,000 $.
1 gm=10 $. 2 gm = 20 $; so Yaron's made a 15 % discount = 17 $ :)
Now seriously, it's not the raw material, it's the work. Such pick would probably take more than an hour to prepare (it takes me two hours and more since I'm not equipped like Yaron is), so 10-15 or so $ an hour is a fairly low cost item.

Yours indeed
Alfaraby


Sure, I was just making it with humor because I never put such an amount for a risha and been surprise with the asking price. But indeed when I work on one, it may take all included an hour.
Anyway, if it is the good one for a player, 17 is ok for smthg which can last years

BTW do you sell your oud if I send you a 1000 rishas...? Please tell me quickly so that I begin the job :)

Alfaraby - 8-25-2013 at 10:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by suz_i_dil  
do you sell your oud if I send you a 1000 rishas...? Please tell me quickly so that I begin the job :)

Usually, I think it's easier to find a good reesheh rather than a good oud. Sometimes I think vise versa. With one pick you can play 1000 ouds, while with 1000 pick you might end counting them, with or without an oud around !
I think it was Mark Twain who said: "it's very easy to quit smoking. I've tried it 1000 times ..." :)
NO, thanks.

Yours indeed
Alfaraby