Last year, 6 months after getting my newly luthier-made oud, I had noticed that there were hairline cracks growing on the the upper side of the
soundboards.
I contacted the luthier and he was surprised as well but couldn't provide a solid explanation. He decided to repair it to stop the cracks expanding.
Unfortunately, a year after the repair job, I noticed that the same cracks are slightly expanding and on top of that, new cracks have appeared on
different places and one of which is slightly under the bridge.
This has left worried and asking questions on what might have caused this. The luthier is very experienced and respected so I find it hard to blame it
on his workmanship. On the other, I've been extremely careful with my oud, especially after the repair job. I even got a new hard case and put a
device in it to track the humidity but that didn't help stopping the cracks. The room temperature is always between 18 to 22 degrees and the humidity
inside the case has always been around 45.
Does anyone know what might have caused this and how should I approach this problem with luthier?
I'll post pictures of the in the comments.
Any advice is appreciated.
Kind regardsJayJay - 2-21-2022 at 05:37 AM
This are the cracks that appeared first and slightly expanding. A small bump was left after the repair job (check image 1)
Hello
That is much on a new oud !
I think the wood is retracting, by a too dry atmosphere which can be relative, I mean:
By the use of an unseasoned wood
Because the soundboard was glued in place in a too humid atmosphere
Because it is too dry where you keep it (too dry can be relative to those first two points ). The two episodes happen at one year interval..same
season so ?
Because the soundboard has been worked too thin
Can be a mix of those
I mean if the soundboard very thin, glued in a humidity of 70 , 45 where you store it can be much too dry
I think usually try usually to glue the tops in a air humidity of 50.
Where has it been built ?
Just how I understand it , please note I'm not professional
Im surprised by the first episode of cracks. Their length make think they were not contain by the bracing which had been probably unglued by how the
wood worked.
The first repair being stronger it is now cracking in others area.
Looking forward to read others input about it
I would keep it in more humid atmospher and release string tension, waiting for a professional advice. Best would be to show it for exam
Hope you have another instrument in the waiting time to solve this issue !
Good luck
JayJay - 2-21-2022 at 08:49 AM
Hey Suzi dil,
thanks for your reply.
It's made in Belgium where I happen to live.
Your comment makes lots of sense because the oud was indeed made in summer and both episodes happened during winter.
It gets quite humid and dry in summer and winter respectively but it's still strange to me because I thought keeping it in a case when I'm not playing
will help me avoid it.
When I ordered the oud, I asked for the soundboard to be as thin as possible which was 2mm (the thinnest he makes).
What do you think will be the solution for this case?
thanks
suz_i_dil - 2-21-2022 at 12:42 PM
Welcome
I asked a friend about , I don't want to put you on a false track.
Moreover for my experience those cracks let me a bit in doubt.
He doesn't believe much in a problem of humidity degree. Because the cracks don't follow the wood grain as it happens usually in this kind of problem.
He believes more in a problem of the wood itself, can be a wood of a too soft texture, of a wood of a nature to split easily or worked too thin.
Though you say 2mm which is not excessive.
My point of view I would show it to someone,under hand I mean not only pictures, to evaluate nature of the wood, control soundboard thickness and
severity of those cracks. Maybe those cracks don't cross the whole soundboard thickness.
Let us know how it solves and let see if someone else has input regarding this kind of issue
When I ordered the oud, I asked for the soundboard to be as thin as possible which was 2mm (the thinnest he makes).
Hi JayJay,
What is the logic behind this ask?
ThanksJayJay - 2-22-2022 at 03:52 AM
Thanks a lot Suzi dil,
I will wait to get more opinions on the forum and might take the oud to a local repair shop to get their opinion too before contacting the maker just
to be sure. I really don't want to put the blame on him if it's really his fault.
When I ordered the oud, I asked for the soundboard to be as thin as possible which was 2mm (the thinnest he makes).
Hi JayJay,
What is the logic behind this ask?
Thanks
Hey!
I can't give you an absolute answer because my knowledge is very limited but based on my research and what I've heard from some friends is that the
thinner the soundboard the better the sound.
You can find lots of discussion on this forum regarding this topicsuz_i_dil - 2-22-2022 at 01:15 PM
Sure
From my experience I have commonly seen oud with thinner tops than 2mm like 1.7 mm. But I guess depending on the nature of the wood being used it can
open to problematic issues.
Maybe ..just an hypothesis..the soundboard has too thin areas. There are some magnet tools to control soundboard thickness but there are expensive.
Without tools an experienced worker can evaluate if it is too thin on some areas
But once again just can be just the nature of the wood being used with no issue on the thickness
SamirCanada - 2-23-2022 at 06:54 AM
It's an issue of humidity control and perhaps made worse by using not perfectly quartersawn wood or wood with run out.
No, keeping it in your case will do nothing for humidity. Need a humidifier for the room and keep it at 50%. Otherwise it will keep happening. JayJay - 2-23-2022 at 08:22 AM
It's an issue of humidity control and perhaps made worse by using not perfectly quartersawn wood or wood with run out.
No, keeping it in your case will do nothing for humidity. Need a humidifier for the room and keep it at 50%. Otherwise it will keep happening.
Hey Samir,
I was not aware that the case won't protect it from humidity, however the the humidity control device I have is always around 50% more or less so
there are no major changes in humidity as far I am aware.
I have two questions here:
1) The grains is quite straight and tight but there's only at one place where it seems that piece has run-out even though I'm too inexperienced to
tell.
The 'run-out' happens to be close to where the first crack had appeared. Would you say that's cause?
2) Do changes in temperate hurt the oud? like when the heater is on and off? If so, does the case protect it?
thanks for your input
coolsciguy - 2-24-2022 at 05:32 AM
I spoke with a good luthier friend about this issue,
He said that chances are the soundboard had microcracks from the beginning. Some microcracks form when the tree falls or in log transportation under
pressure and are very hard to find by luthier as they don't show until later when the instrument is built. One sign of these cracks are that they show
in symmetry in "book matched" soundboards.
His suggestion was to let them all appear over time and then reassess the sound of the instrument. If there are no major complaints with the sound,
then have the soundboard repaired. If the sound has suffered, then have it replaced.
Hope this helps. JayJay - 2-24-2022 at 06:50 AM
Thanks, it helps a lot.
To be honest, I'll probably want to have the soundboards replaced because it's quite new and there already multiple cracks. I wonder how difficult
this will be for the maker suz_i_dil - 2-24-2022 at 08:01 AM
The answer shared by coolsciguy is also the kind of answer I got from a friend maker. Though not exactly the same reason on the wood raised, he told
me is is not sure it is a big issue on the sound. But that for sure if this may happen on one instrument he made he would change the soundboard.
Best of luck JayJay - 2-25-2022 at 02:55 AM
