You're welcome, I hope it is helpful to some folks. It's just based on a lot of trial and error and experience.
I think the suggestion regarding tension, tuning down etc. are case-by-case and depend a lot on the specific oud and tuning.
1- tuning matters, it's not just about tension. Each oud will resonate differently at different tunings. This is why some Turkish ouds will sound
bad (or less good) in a lower tuning, regardless of the strings used. Or why some old Arabic ouds really need to be tuned to B or Bb rather than C
to get the best sound. Great ouds will often have more leeway here (it may not be ideal, but will still sound good in other tunings).
2- the ideal tension on a plain g course is not 35N, but depends on the material. Tonal qualities depend not just on tension but materials and
diameter. To get 35N with nylon, for example, you would need approximately .90mm string (.035 in). This is huge and will sound dull and feel thick
and heavy under your fingers. For nylon, you're often aiming more .775-.825 mm (.030-.033 in), which yields around 27-30N. PVF range is usually
.63-.70mm, and Nylgut is usually .70-.79mm and will yield slightly higher tensions by virtue of the nature of the material. It's just not as simple
as trying to match tension.
3- It also depends on the construction of the instrument — a lot of Arabic ouds have thicker tops, this creates more inertia and very light
string may not produce enough energy to drive the top and produce a good sound. So a .028in string may work great on one oud and not at all on
another.
There is not a one-size-fits all solution here. Arabic ouds vary in length, intended tuning, top thickness, bracing, and bridge type. All of these
have major effects on the responsiveness of the strings and what strings will sound good. There are things that generally work, but the only real
solution on any particular oud is to experiment and find what works for your particular instrument and use.
Personally, I haven't had the same experience as Omar with respect to using Turkish sets tuned down. I find the plain strings to be too weak in most
cases and not well-balanced with the wound strings. It doesn't mean he is wrong in his case, but it depends a great deal on the particular oud.
My experience, which I relate frequently, is that pre-composed sets are very rarely ideal for any Arabic oud. Arabic ouds vary a great deal so any
set is either designed for only one particular case or it is a compromise between them and not ideal for any. It may be that a set works great for a
particular oud, but in almost all circumstances one would get a better result by developing a customized set through trial and error.
I do not ever use an "oud string set" of any kind on any of my Arabic ouds. Turkish ouds are much more standardized and so if you get the right set
for your tuning, the oud sets are often quite well-suited.
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