Mike's Oud Forums

Nazih Ghadban oud for sale!

animalwithin - 8-8-2020 at 12:09 PM

Selling my Nazih Ghadban oud.

Oud is roughly 10 years old and I am the second owner. The oud is in excellent condition save for two issues:

-Some risha scratches from the previous owner are evident on the oud face/soundboard. I tried to capture these in the photos but they are hard to see if you don't have the right angle/lighting.

-Some of the strings buzz. This occurs almost exclusively in the lower (wound/metal) strings. They buzz when pressed to the fingerboard but not when struck open string.

Aside from that, the oud is a beauty. Cedar top with alternating rosewood & walnut bowl with small strips of flamed maple between the two. This extends through the neck. The bridge is walnut, the pickgaurd is ebony as is the fingerboard.

Pegs are all ebony and original and hold tuning beautifully. Strings are only a few months old and I'll throw in a new pack of Aquilas with the oud.

Oud comes with the original case from Nazih which sells for around $200 on it's own. Case is made of wood and wrapped in a leather-like material with cushioning. The interior is plush red and protects the oud perfectly.

This oud is a bit smaller than a standard oud, roughly 1" narrower and shorter. It was custom made for the previous owner and comes with all original documentation.

Asking $1,000 + shipping, tracked and insured.

I'm taking a fairly large loss on the sale as I bought it for much more but I'd rather sell it to someone who will actually use it. Since COVID hit I'm working full weeks with little to no free time and I suspect it will be like that for the rest of the year so if the oud can go to someone who will play it, I'd be happy to see it go.

I've attached a video of me playing in the thread below but I'm a very amateur/beginner player so it is not very good playing and the audio/video quality isn't that great.

Any questions, please let me know!

All photos in this Flickr album. More available on request:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmPUu9m7

Jason - 8-8-2020 at 03:14 PM

Great price! I have two Ghadban ouds they sound great

animalwithin - 8-8-2020 at 06:30 PM

Thanks Jason! It is an excellent oud.

I'm open to offers, provided they are not lowball offers as I think the price is very fair including shipping.

animalwithin - 8-12-2020 at 06:44 AM

$1,000 + shipping!

This is an INSANE price for a Nazih Ghadban oud!!!!

Jody Stecher - 8-12-2020 at 07:16 AM

Quote: Originally posted by animalwithin  
$1,000 + shipping!

This is an INSANE price for a Nazih Ghadban oud!!!!


Yes but you say the strings buzz. That can mean different things and one of them is that the oud cannot produce an enjoyable sound. Maybe say more about what kind of buzz and where? Do the open strings buzz?. Is it only a few notes? And on what string(s)? If the buzzes occur only when the strings are pressed a half inch from the sound hole, then it's not big deal. If every fingered note on the lower fingerboard makes unwanted noise that is another matter. One might be buying a gorgeous $1k wall hanging. Or not.

Another point that sends a message saying "Maybe it's better to pass this oud by" is that you say you tried adjusting the action on the bridge. The prospective buyer does not know what has been done to the bridge. The photos show nothing dire but we don't know if the photos were taken before or after the action adjustment attempt was made. What exactly did you do?

According to your post the pickguard is ebony. According to Nazih Ghadban's information sheet it is ebonite. Bowling balls are made from ebonite. It's made of rubber treated with sulfur and linseed oil. No reason it shouldn't make a splendid pick guard but the inconsistency makes the prospective buyer wary.

The suggestion that the new owner might want to refinish the soundboard is another warning sign. That's an expensive procedure and can only be done properly by an expert, and experts are not to be found everywhere. So with the prospect of the hassle of shipping and the cost of shipping to and from one of the handful of qualified luthiers on the American continent who understand ouds, and are experts in "French varnish", that is another reason you might not have had a response.

Then there is the fact that the soundboard is cedar. Many prefer the response of spruce. I do. (Although I've heard some lovely sounds come from cedar-topped ouds).

Of course an interested buyer could contact you privately to ask you about these things.

Jason - 8-12-2020 at 11:37 AM

The pickguard is definitely macassar ebony as noted on the spec sheet here https://www.flickr.com/photos/189644780@N04/50203483101/in/album-721...

Agreed on speaking a little more about the buzzing, particularly where it occurs and on which strings. Fixing it could be as simple as changing the string set. The oud has a string length of 58.5cm which means a string designed for Arabic tuning on an oud with 60-62cm may not have the amount of tension necessary to prevent buzzing. As an experiment you could install strings set up for Turkish tuning where 58.5cm is the standard. If you're still experiencing buzzing it would be best to have a luthier check it out, there are many ways to fix buzzing depending on the root cause.

Jody Stecher - 8-12-2020 at 02:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Jason  
The pickguard is definitely macassar ebony as noted on the spec sheet here https://www.flickr.com/photos/189644780@N04/50203483101/in/album-721...




My aging eyes mid-read the spec sheet. You are right! Ebony it is. Excellent. One less obstacle to finding a new home for this lovely oud

animalwithin - 8-12-2020 at 02:55 PM

Thank you Jason. The pickgaurd is in fact ebony, not ebonite. I did state that the soundboard was cedar.

The scratches in the finish do not detract from the playbility of the oud or it's sound, they are cosmetic and only show depending upon the angle the oud is held/viewed. Should this bother someone aesthetically, then there is the option of refinishing.

Strings do not buzz when open but the wound/metal strings buzz in the lower fingerboard when pressed.

I adjusted the action at the bridge by simply lifting the string knot upwards at the bridge to adjust the height (not sure if I'm correctly explaining the technique). This moved the string knot upwards, thus increasing the height between the strings and the fingerboard so that the string wasn't resting as low on the bridge. It helped a little. I made no actual adjustment to the bridge itself, just the strings at the bridge.

wally1212 - 8-12-2020 at 03:46 PM

It is a very beautiful looking oud. Is it possible to get a sound sample or a video of the oud being played?

Thanks

Jody Stecher - 8-12-2020 at 05:29 PM

I was trying to help you sell the oud. Nothing more, nothing less. No accusations are implied. Of course you said the wood was cedar. And I was suggesting that this type of wood might possibly be a contributing factor to the lack of response as spruce is preferred by some. Good luck on the sale.
Quote: Originally posted by animalwithin  
Thank you Jason. The pickgaurd is in fact ebony, not ebonite. I did state that the soundboard was cedar.

The suggestion to refinish the soundboard is just that, a suggestion. The scratches in the finish do not detract from the playbility of the oud or it's sound, they are cosmetic and only show depending upon the angle the oud is held/viewed. Should this bother someone aesthetically, then there is the option of refinishing.

Strings do not buzz when open but they all have some buzz in the lower fingerboard when pressed, most notably the wound strings.

I simply lifted the string knot upwards at the bridge to adjust the action (not sure if I'm correctly explaining the technique). This moved the string knot upwards, thus increasing the height between the strings and the fingerboard so that the string wasn't resting as low on the bridge. It helped a little. I made no actual adjustment to the bridge itself, just the strings at the bridge.

animalwithin - 8-12-2020 at 07:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Jody Stecher  
I was trying to help you sell the oud. Nothing more, nothing less. No accusations are implied. Of course you said the wood was cedar. And I was suggesting that this type of wood might possibly be a contributing factor to the lack of response as spruce is preferred by some. Good luck on the sale.


Quote: Originally posted by animalwithin  
Thank you Jason. The pickgaurd is in fact ebony, not ebonite. I did state that the soundboard was cedar.

The suggestion to refinish the soundboard is just that, a suggestion. The scratches in the finish do not detract from the playbility of the oud or it's sound, they are cosmetic and only show depending upon the angle the oud is held/viewed. Should this bother someone aesthetically, then there is the option of refinishing.

Strings do not buzz when open but they all have some buzz in the lower fingerboard when pressed, most notably the wound strings.

I simply lifted the string knot upwards at the bridge to adjust the action (not sure if I'm correctly explaining the technique). This moved the string knot upwards, thus increasing the height between the strings and the fingerboard so that the string wasn't resting as low on the bridge. It helped a little. I made no actual adjustment to the bridge itself, just the strings at the bridge.


No offense taken, thank you Jody. :buttrock: I'm perhaps the odd one out as I like cedar better than spruce, even on classical guitars.

animalwithin - 8-12-2020 at 08:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by wally1212  
It is a very beautiful looking oud. Is it possible to get a sound sample or a video of the oud being played?

Thanks


Hi Wally, here is a Youtube link to me playing. I was reluctant to put a video out as I am as beginner of an oud player as one can be and only learned one maqam (bayati) before life got sidelined and I stopped practicing. This was made with the camera/microphone on a MacBook so the quality may not be stellar:

https://youtu.be/3RSKHy-uD5U

Here is the link to the original listing for the oud from nearly 10 years ago by the original owner. He also has a sound sample in that thread:

http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=11544

s3cr3t3 - 8-15-2020 at 07:03 AM

hi animalwithin, sent you a U2U message

thanks

animalwithin - 8-15-2020 at 02:52 PM

Oud is sold.