Mr Henric - 8-18-2020 at 06:48 AM
Hello! I am looking to buy my very first oud and I really want an arabic oud that won't cost me a fortune. I'm based in Sweden, which makes acquiring
one a bit challenging.
Anyway, I recently found a used oud on a local auction site. According to the seller it's an arabic oud bought by him for 900 euros from some other
dude three years ago. The oud has what looks like some minor damage on the body. That's all the info I have except for three pictures that I'll
include in the post.
The price will be about 200 euros and it seems to be the simplest way for me to get a decent oud. What do you guys think and is there anything else
you can tell me from the pictures?
alim - 8-18-2020 at 12:29 PM
Hello Mr Henric,
This looks like a nice and well made Oud. If you are able to try it before buying, and it is playable (minimal buzzing, string height okay, tuning
pegs don't slip, etc..) then 200 euros is a (very) good price.
Cheers,
Ali-
Mr Henric - 8-19-2020 at 03:08 AM
Hello Ali!
Thank you for replying. Unfortunately, I don't have a chance to to try it, so it's a real shot in the dark. Is there any particular giveaways that an
oud is a "good one" just looking at pictures?
Thanks again!
Ronny Andersson - 8-19-2020 at 05:39 AM
I'm pretty sure that this oud did not cost 900 € as new. Looks like a very simple cheap model of Turkish design but can of course be built in an
Arab country but still simple and cheap looking. The bowl is damaged and the repair cost here in Sweden can exceed the purchase price. There are new
instruments that are much better to buy than something damaged like this. Check out FB market place Sweden, there are new instruments there for SEK
2,500. Also a lot on the Blocket. Never buy a damaged instrument as a beginner.
Mr Henric - 8-19-2020 at 08:07 AM
Hello Ronny!
Thanks for replying. No, I had my doubts regarding the suggested 900 euro price tag too... I suppose I could wait for something better to show up on
Blocket or FB marketplace, even though I'm itching to get my hands on one right away. Any tip regarding the physical features of a quality oud that I
should look out for when browsing the second-hand jungle?
Kind regards,
Henric
sidharta - 8-28-2020 at 06:40 AM
Hello Mr. Henric,
This seems like a Turkish oud that was made by Vefa Aldemir in Izmir, about 10-12 years ago.
It can be a solid Oud, but ouds tend to get high string action with the years. Make sure it's max 3mm.
Disclaimer: I'm the owner of Ethnic Musical, Oud shop.