Mike's Oud Forums

oud buying advice

misterjoe - 6-23-2015 at 01:09 AM

Hi, total noob looking to buy my first oud, wondering if anyone could give insight if this is an ok deal?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/msg/5084579158.html

thank you!

Brian Prunka - 6-23-2015 at 04:54 AM

Yes, that's a decent price for that instrument. It's not a great oud, it is a cheap factory oud. They vary a lot in terms of sound and playability. If you can check it out first I'd recommend it.

Personally, I would recommend trying to get a better instrument, but those can be OK for beginners if you happen to get a decent one. They typically have a lot of tuning issues so I would plan on replacing the tuning pegs or suffering needlessly.

If you are handy, you can replace the pegs yourself with about $50 worth of tools and $30 worth of pegs.
If you are not, a full peg replacement by a luthier is usually $200-$250.

I happen to live near the seller, actually.