Got a Kamil Mowais Oud

Glue and clamps won't solve the problem long term, (or at all) because of the grain orientation.. if the pegbox walls are made from one kind of wood only, it's vulnerable to break along those grain lines. I've seen some shabby repairs with studs glued inside the pegbox, but that also just buys you time.

I think this break happens mostly during shifts in humidity. When the humidity is low, the pegs are driven further into the holes, if the humidity shifts quickly, this could easily split apart the grain.. which is the weakest part of the wood. Actually the pegs also become enlarged during high humidity and that can push the pegbox apart as well. Every piece of wood is different of course, different density, grain/cell structure.

This problem could also be due to poorly fitted pegs, which is a common problem with ouds unfortunately. Forcing the peg hard into the pegbox in an attempt to get it to "stay" without slipping, could help split the pegbox. Also, pegs that are too tight tend to stick too much, could also contribute to this issue.

Here's a photo of a pegbox I made that shows two different woods being used in forming the pegbox wall. In this case, walnut on the outside and maple on the inside. Many makers do it, I believe most or all Turkish makers do this. It's very smart and certainly more future proof.

Welcome aboard
Congratulations Boud. Good choice.
Age: Telling from the photos, I think you're right. It's from the late 1980's.
Rosettes ? Yes, I think you should consider putting a new set. It's available at the workshop. Just drop them a line via their e-mail.
Value ? It depends on the general condition and the sound. The more it is healthy and has the typical "Arabian" sound, the more its value would jump. I'd dare and evaluate this oud for somewhere between 1.5-2.5k$.
Pegpox: I tend to believe that any replaced part of an oud will for sure effect its whole structure and eventually its value. Never replace it even if "this is not such a simple repair" as John said. BTW, I do think it's as simple as described. Very good super glue gel, seeped down the crack, held over night in tight clamps would make the two cracked parts into one. However I'd advise to replace the pegs with a precise cone of 1:30 set of rosewood pegs, conditioned you have in hand a matching reamer of 1:30 to ream the healing pegbox with.
On the other hand, it's very recommended to consider geared planetary finetune pegs. The cheapest are available from Knilling for 210$. Pretty expensive but worth every penny. You may read more about finetune pegs here: http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=13127#pid95...

Therefore start driving to John's workshop in Beacon, NY. He's only 250 miles away.
I wish I could

Good luck and please keep this oud for your grandchildren

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

I wouldn't advise anyone to super glue anything, I've seen more instruments ruined when adhesives were used like this. I have all the adhesives under the sun. I've done what you've suggested once for someone who was on a budget, only for the pegbox to break not long later in a different spot. I ended up doing a new pegbox after that. Nothing like a pegbox with two different woods/grain structures. Fine tune pegs are expensive and so is the labor to install them. Either way, pegbox crack is a problem and expensive to repair.

I also want to argue against the idea that changing parts (especially wear and tear parts) lowers the value. Look at Simon Shaheen's Nahat. You will tell me because the soundboard, pegs, fingerboard is new that it's not incredibly valuable? In a case like this, if a new quality pegbox can be made of two different woods, identical size, well fitted pegs, surely this adds to the instrument, not diminishes.

Come on Alfaraby, you can drive here too!! or maybe take a boat!! You'll be well received here in oud heaven!!

Attached are some photos of a Khalife oud. I did a lot of "invasive" work to this instrument, including removing the white plastic fingerboard (meant to look like bone), removed the cracked pegbox with a new one made of maple and walnut, installed finetune pegs! (a request from the customer), removed the tacky plastic rosettes with elegant rosettes cut from wood (re-designed by Alfaraby!) and removed the cheesy plastic pickguard with a wooden one. If you played this oud the way it is now, you'd have no problem spending $2000 for a sound and feel like this, which is a fraction of what these normally sell for. So this is why I don't believe in the idea that changing parts out lowers the value of instruments.

John dear ! We don't have to agree upon everything.
I'd swim the ocean one day just to meet you. Don't loose hope
I made this repair myself (all thumbs in general) two years ago to an ebony pegbox and it's still there, working perfectly.
What you have done to Khalifah's oud is upgrading it from a commercial oud up to a proffessional standard.
On the other hand, if the same repairs were made to a 100 years Nahhat, that would undoubtly effect its value, not to mention its whole structure.
I think that the problem lies in the pegs rather than in the house. Softwood pegs tend to shrink and make a ring that harms the cone. Pushing the peg inside the hole to compensate that ring causes harm to the box.
Good hardwood pegs, softwood interior of the pegbox, exact cone of both the pegs & the reamer will ensure this would never happen again.
Good luck to you all
Yours indeed
Alfaraby