Mike's Oud Forums

First oud recommendations - budget around 1K

James Paul Mitchell - 5-10-2024 at 11:03 PM

Hello everyone!
I'm hoping to purchase my first oud soon. A little bit of my background - play guitar, lap/pedal steel, mandolin, and a little banjo. I'm hoping to get an oud that would last me forever and not something that I need to upgrade in a year or two if I get really into it. So my budget is around $1,000 - is it possible to get that sort of quality oud around that price?
I believe that I want a Turkish oud - my understanding is that the higher pitch/more sustain might be more what I'm looking for in the sound, but I am open to ideas.

I found a website with this offer for a Sultan Plus oud. With hardshell case it's about $1300. That would fit in my budget, and I travel a lot so thinking down the road, it would be good to have a hard case for it.

https://oudforguitarists.thrivecart.com/sultan-plus-oud/

Any thoughts?
Should I go this route or look elsewhere?

Thanks!

maraoud108 - 5-11-2024 at 10:05 AM

I think that that would be a good starter oud.

I have that same case and really like it. I lot of the hardshell cases sold for ouds are massive, really like a large suitcase and difficult to justify as a carryon for traveling.

This case is nice in that it's about the size of a carryon suitcase, so unless you're flying on small regional planes a lot, you shouldn't have any trouble getting it on board. I also have never had a problem flying with a strong softshell oud case.

Where are you located? It might be good to find some ouds locally before you pull the trigger on this one.

Also, I would advise getting a teacher. I thought it would be easy to transfer musical skills on guitar to the oud. In some ways it is helpful playing these other instruments, as your muscle memory is strong and there's some coordination between the right and left hands.

But in other ways it's very difficult. I've been at it for about three years now, and only now am I feeling like I'm playing the instrument adequately. It's really more comparible to a cello or viola than a guitar.

Jody Stecher - 5-12-2024 at 05:29 AM

Some things to bear in mind: What you are hearing in the video is Arablc style music in Arabic tuning. You say you want a Turkish oud. This oud is made in Turkey but is not meant to be specifically for Turkish music. The specs say any tuning is available but it is not clear whether the bracing and soundboard thickness is different for ouds of this model meant for a specific kind of music (and tuning) or if there is one type of soundboard and it only the type of strings that is different.

This soundboard is cedar and it has the sonic characteristics of that wood. Be sure that is what you want before you buy. If you are looking for quick response, Cedar will usually give that. If you are looking for "punch" and a more complex sound Spruce is more likely
to be the better soundboard wood for that. As with guitar there are exceptions to this generality.

The Sultan Plus is a good deal if this sound and response is what you are looking for. If you don't know what you are looking for I would advise to hold off buying an oud until you do know. If you want to play Turkish music, second hand Turkish ouds are available from time to time for under $1000.

Where are you located? If you have the chance to play a few ouds I would recommend playing at least half a dozen before making a first purchase. One warning: unless one uses a real oud plectrum and with the proper grip, no one is in a position to evaluate the sound of an oud in one's hands. A guitar pick will not work. A risha/mizrab with a grip like a pinch will not bring out the sound of an oud. This is a fact, a universal "law". Doing it the right way is not difficult.

Brian Prunka - 5-13-2024 at 07:52 AM

Jody's response is almost exactly what I would have written.

What I would say from my own experience, and from watching friends and students also learn the oud:

It is essentially impossible when you are starting out to know what kind of oud and sound you really ultimately want. You just don't have the skills and experience to assess. So the idea of an oud "that would last me forever and not something that I need to upgrade in a year or two" is a bit of a myth in a way.

Sure, a quality oud is still a wise choice: it will be easier to tune/keep in tune, will be easier to play, and will likely have better resale value should you choose to move on to a different instrument. But you won't really know what you want until you've been playing for a while.

"I believe that I want a Turkish oud - my understanding is that the higher pitch/more sustain might be more what I'm looking for in the sound, but I am open to ideas."

The reason to get a Turkish oud is more that you most enjoy Turkish music and Turkish/Armenian-style players. If you find yourself most drawn to people like Yurdal Tokcan, Udi Hrant, Munir Beken, Cinucen Tanrikorur, Ara Dinkjian, etc. then yes, you want a Turkish oud. On the other hand, if you are listening to players like Simon Shaheen, Hamza El Din, Ahmed al Khatib, Nizar Rohana, Anouar Brahem, then a Turkish oud is likely to be unsatisfying.

Regarding pitch: Turkish ouds are not infrequently tuned down to "Arabic" pitch, but they remain "Turkish" in tonal character. And many Arabic and so-called "Iraqi" ouds are frequently tuned to pitches even higher than "Turkish" ouds - the "high f" tuning. One of the most famous Syrian players, Ameer Ammouri, typically tunes to "Turkish" pitch. But his oud is (and sounds) "Arabic."

The Turkish made "Arabic" ouds like the Sultan plus are an interesting hybrid. In some ways they might give you the best of both worlds, but from another perspective they are not quite the exemplar of either style. Like Jody says, the Sultan oud is a good deal for what it is: well-made, good sound. If you're unsure what you really want it might be a good instrument for exploring, but don't necessarily expect it to be the one instrument that will satisfy you forever.

And like Jody says - getting a good sound out of an oud takes proper technique and experience, so it's certainly a challenge for a beginner.



Jody Stecher - 5-13-2024 at 09:40 AM

This is true. On the other hand while one cannot know at present what one will want in the future after some experience and lots of listening emersion as well as hours of playing, it is possible to arrive at a preferred sonic aesthetic for the present. "Better resale value" is important. I'm glad Brian brought that up.

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  



Sure, a quality oud is still a wise choice: it will be easier to tune/keep in tune, will be easier to play, and will likely have better resale value should you choose to move on to a different instrument. But you won't really know what you want until you've been playing for a while.