el-esseily - 2-1-2016 at 01:12 PM
First of all a quick thanks, I've been lurking these boards for a long time and have really learnt a lot from you guys - thank you!
I'm a oud beginner and I'm trying to practice every day to get better. My problem is that I have to travel quite a lot for work these days - I don't
want to take my nice real oud with me, and even my 'toilet seat' electric oud is still pretty bulky to fit in a suitcase...
So I've started thinking about building a cigar box oud with the goal of building something cheap and easy to fit in a suitcase or overhead
compartment. Has anyone had any experience building anything like this, or have any designs, or even just ideas or recommendations? Thank you!
ALAMI - 2-1-2016 at 03:47 PM
DRAWER
https://youtu.be/UhN1vI0eZxQ
Hibari-San - 2-2-2016 at 12:47 AM
Hey,
the very first thing that came in my mind was a mandolin without frets. It is possible to convert a mandolin into a mini oud I think.
Though the scale length isn't the same and u have to build in 3 or 4 additional pegs.
Oh and I mean the italian style not the flatback mandolins, u can get a old one for a few dollars on ebay.
el-esseily - 2-2-2016 at 05:32 AM
Alami that's hilarious! Thank you, it sounds pretty damn good for what it is. It might still be a bit bulky though (unless you fill it with socks and
underwear when it goes in the suitcase...?)
Hibari-san, that sounds really interesting - there are a few beautiful Italian mandolins going cheap on eBay. 35cm scale length might mean a big
change in left hand technique though, it would be ideal to work out something with full oud scale length but perhaps a very small body.
I'll try to sketch up something similar to the sylent oud (http://sylentoud.canalblog.com/) but with a budget of 50 euros rather than 1590!!
jdowning - 2-2-2016 at 03:34 PM
You could indeed adapt a small bodied lute (like a Neapolitan mandolin) by fitting an extended length neck to provide a vibrating string length
equivalent to that of your oud. One practice to make full sized lutes and guitars easier to transport is to make a folding neck. The neck is hinged so
that when a locking device is released the neck folds forward over the bowl reducing overall length to half for transportation. This means that
retuning of the instrument when set up for playing is minimal.
See attached video for the device applied to a theorbo lute - instruments that can measure over 2 metres in length. You will find other examples if
you Google search for folding neck lute, theorbo or guitar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_pC3TYpmzk
If using a mandolin body the longer folding neck version would look rather like the colascione in this project but with 5 or 6 courses and a somewhat
shorter neck length without the frets. If you go this route I would suggest sticking to single (rather than double) courses. The air resonance
acoustic response of the bowl might be adjusted for maximum loudness (dependent upon string tuning) by adjusting sound hole diameter to bowl air
volume. Due to the relatively small bowl dimension you will also need to use a shoulder strap to support the instrument while playing.
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=15437
jdowning - 2-3-2016 at 06:22 AM
With a hinged neck it might also be possible to engineer the design of the hinge so that string action is adjustable.
el-esseily - 2-4-2016 at 04:38 PM
Thank you very much Jdowning, I really like that idea! Adapting an existing mandolin with a full-size foldable neck sounds like a manageable project
for a novice to woodwork like me. I'll take a look into the folding mechanism - perhaps I could even do this with a relatively simple door hinge (!)
and locking clasp...
Thanks again all, I have some work to do and I'll let you know how it goes!
jdowning - 2-4-2016 at 05:46 PM
Here are two styles of hinge (sold by Lee Valley of Ottawa) that might be worth considering.
The SOSS type is completely hidden if it can be accommodated within the small cross section of the neck.
The Card Table/Butler Tray type is fully exposed but much easier to instal, possibly a stronger hinge for this application and might even be made a
decorative feature of the fingerboard?
[file]38064[/file]
majnuunNavid - 2-4-2016 at 07:58 PM
When I went travelling for 7 months straight my first stop was Turkey, so I bought a Cumbus. They are inexpensive, big sound, and can take a beating.
It was my travel companion for the whole journey through South East Asia and Japan.
Also have you seen my fretless mandolin video? The result is really nothing like an Oud, playability wise and sound. I'm not sure it's an ideal
option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9St-A36mes
I also really like the Sylud.
jdowning - 2-5-2016 at 04:44 AM
Correction!
Note that the Butler Tray type of hinge (S, T or U) is not suitable as it only closes to a 90° angle whereas the Card Table type hinge (Q or R) folds
back completely upon itself 180° so will do the job.
My colascione project on this forum is an experimental instrument so I may look into modifying the long neck to be folding - using the Lee Valley Q
type Card Table hinge previously posted.
Overall length of the colascione is 102 cm so would give a length folded for travelling of between about 53 cm to 60 cm - dependent upon the most
convenient hinge position on the neck. A provision for adjusting string action at the hinge would also be a bonus feature. Having only 3 single
strings will also simplify matters.
Had the colascione been built with an oud like string length of say 60 cm (instead of 79cm) then folded length would only be around 43 cm. The lute
(or mandolin) like bowl measures about 22 cm wide by about 11 cm deep.
Such an instrument might add some theater to a performance - a touch of magic - the player walking on stage with a small case underarm from which the
unfolded instrument emerges ready to play!
el-esseily - 4-18-2016 at 01:21 PM
Sorry for the delay jdowning and Naveed - thank you so much! I actually did buy an Italian mandolin, but I couldn't bring myself to contemplate
chopping the neck off!!
I've decided I want to build something resembling this 'stick quintar': http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4015
But with a small soundbox instead of being just a stick: http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3999
I think this should be small enough to fit in a suitcase, or slim enough to throw in an overhead compartment without fear of injury. I'm trying to
sort out access to a woodworking space with tools - I'll keep you posted...