Mike's Oud Forums

Ostrich quill Rishas or Mzraps

jlmsika - 10-13-2014 at 04:01 AM

News on the « Risha », or « Mzrap » front:

A great, natural and organic sound with Ostrich quill Rishas, hand made and available now from Paris, France!

I understand that eagle quill Rishas are forbidden in the US and Canada. Therefore, US and Canada's Oud players who want to avoid the use of artificial materials like plastic in favor of the original traditional sound, particularly if they use natural gut strings for the G and the C treble strings (and sometimes for the D string too...) there has been so far the only option of horn Rishas. However, horm Rishas are not ideal because horn is not a flexible material, unless it is sliced very thin (...much less than a millimeter...) . With such a thin risha, and a razor thin edge, you can't possibly avoid a « slapping » sound on the string.
Now, with Ostrich quill, you have a flexible Risha, for tremolos and fast ornaments, etc... and in the same time, the tip of the Risha remains 2 to 3 mms thick, which allows for a soft rounded edge which glides gently on the string without the slapping noise.
Therefore, with an Ostrich quill Risha, or Mzrap, you can play oud fast, in the US and Canada, and keep a sweet and full oud sound similar to the traditional eagle quill sound heard in the 1930's records of musicians like Azzuri Harun Al Awwad and others, by “Baïdaphone”, “Odeon”, etc....
I “sculpt” carefully each Ostrich quill by hand, using finer and finer sand papers and polishing paste, until I get two soft and rounded tips on each Risha, which can be both used for great oud music.
For those interested to try, I can send an Ostrish Risha, ready to play, for $ 65 (via Western Union...), including packing and postage.

With best wishes for great Oud music,

Jean-Loup Msika

hans - 11-2-2014 at 02:35 AM

Interesting. If the thickness is not to your liking, can you easily work on it yourself? And is the price the same for sending it to amsterdam?

Alfaraby - 11-3-2014 at 02:17 AM

Thank you very much Mr. Msika for the risha you've sent me. It has a marvellous touch, yet a bit hard. I tried to soften it in one tip while keeping the other untouched. They both feel great, though I fear it's a bit fragile on the softer edge. It might be worn down during intensive use, unless you have any precaution advices. I didn't tried it in continuous playing, so I can't testify as to its durability and/or strength. Only time and experience would tell.
I have a 50 years old eagle quill risha, so I could compare between the two "birds". The ostrich quill is wider than the eagle and produces round warm sort of sound I personally prefer, while the eagle gives the sharp touch many players seek . Therefore I'll vote for your risha, hoping it's longevity turns to be satisfying.
Thank again friend

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Ostrich Quill Rishas

jlmsika - 11-4-2014 at 03:02 PM

Dear Alfaraby,
I'm glad you like my Ostrich quill risha! I think that it's as durable as eagle because I use it constantly and it doesn't wear out. I too love the warm sound on the strings!

Dear Hans,
Yes, it is possible to retouch carefully the Ostrich risha with fine sanding paper (500 and then 2000 to get it really smooth...) however, I would recommend playing for a while and trying first to adapt to a risha that is a little bit stiffer than a plastic risha, but gives such a warm and powerful sound!
Yes, the price is the same for Amsterdam: 50 euros, including shipment.

Marcus - 11-5-2014 at 12:15 AM

Hi Jean-Loup:wavey:

I`d like to try to make a ostrich-risha myself.
Can I use any feather or should it be from a special part of the bird?

Cheers

Marcus

jlmsika - 11-5-2014 at 04:52 AM

Hello Marcus,
The Ostrich feather should be one of the thickest available. The important thing is to find a feather which is thick and wide enough to carve a good risha out of it, which is quite tricky! One's got to negotiate with the thickness and wideness available in the feather so as to get the right balance between flexibility (tremolos, etc..) and resistance (quality of sound, etc..). You need to experiment... Good luck!
All the best,
Jean-Loup

Marcus - 11-5-2014 at 04:57 AM

Hi Jean-Loup:wavey:

Thanks for the reply.
Do you soak the feathers in oil or something after sanding + polishing?

Can you post a pic of a Ostrichrisha?

All the best for you too,
Marcus

jlmsika - 11-5-2014 at 07:52 AM

Yes Marcus,
You soak the risha in olive oil for as long as possible, when finished and polished.
You can see some photos of my Ostrich rishas on this site, on this very forum.
(as far as I know, there was no previous experiment before with Ostrich feathers..)
Please let me know how you experiment,
All the best,
Jean-Loup

rojaros - 12-17-2014 at 06:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by jlmsika  
Yes Marcus,
You soak the risha in olive oil for as long as possible, when finished and polished.
You can see some photos of my Ostrich rishas on this site, on this very forum.
(as far as I know, there was no previous experiment before with Ostrich feathers..)
Please let me know how you experiment,
All the best,
Jean-Loup

Could you please post a link to the pics...

abc123xyz - 12-17-2014 at 06:50 PM

Quote: Originally posted by rojaros  

Could you please post a link to the pics...

They're at http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=15256

:·)

David