MKK448 - 10-8-2014 at 12:18 AM
Hey Guys! I'm new here and recently bought a GK-10 Sandi Oud from ebay! Although it's just $250 without shipping, it's my entry to a new realm of
music. I also play the viola and the double bass.
Unfortunately the feedback page expired, so I felt bad for not being able to leave feedback for the exceptional service I received.
To make a long story short, the Oud was busted open during the shipping process from Turkey to Canada. It came to me by surprise because it was so
tightly packed in a wood casing.
Here is an album of how it looked. It must have taken a bad hit.
http://imgur.com/a/YB8MS
Basically, the bottom is busted open and there are small cracks throughout the soundboard.
Anyways, Mr. Sandi offered to pay for the Oud to get repaired locally. The only instrument repair shop that was able to fix the oud was a Violin Shop.
Their predicted rate was $226 to clamp the crack shut and fill in the cracks. ($100 per hour :S ) Although this price was near the selling price of
the Oud itself, Mr. Sandi still offered to pay it. 
The actual repair cost came out to be $190 in total and I had the Oud after a week!
Here are the pictures after it was repaired
http://imgur.com/a/6QwhR
Anyways, it sounds awesome now, no more buzzing! I would really like to thank the luthiers Saadettin Sandi & Bahadir Sandi for this awesome
service and awesome oud.
I had a friend come over and he said he is amazed at the quality of the Oud for it's price. I can try to upload a sound file it you guys want, as I
read a forum post in the past about someone wanting to hear it. Just wanna warn you- I'm not too great yet 
muhssin - 10-8-2014 at 08:16 PM
well, the violin shop did a very good job. Congratiolations.