kasos - 6-13-2005 at 11:08 AM
Hi! My friend Elias from New York City is coming to Canada to visit me later this week. He's agreed to run an errand for me, and bring me some oud
strings (still hard to obtain around my home location of Flin Flon). He's not sure where to look (somewhere in Manhattan would be ideal, but
anywhere in the general NY area could do). Any suggestions?
Mark/Kasos
kasos - 6-13-2005 at 11:28 AM
Sorry,
Had some trouble with my internet connection at this end - message accidentally sent twice.
Mark/Kasos
SamirCanada - 6-13-2005 at 12:31 PM
Hey kassos
I have found oud strings to be available in a music store here in ottawa. I know where to get some from montreal as well.
where are you from? maybe I can help.
Samir
Strings
spyrosc - 6-13-2005 at 12:51 PM
Hey brother Mark,
Three quarters of my family is from Kasos.
What types of strings specifically are you looking for ? I can buy some here in San Francisco and mail them to you.
Spyros C.
JC1907 - 6-13-2005 at 01:49 PM
In case, you or your friend can't find strings,
You can also try
bigcitystrings.com
juststrings.com
I have ordered from them many times. No problems.
I use mainly La Bella sets unless I can get mind hands on some pyramid strings.
Regards
JC1907
kasos - 6-13-2005 at 02:27 PM
Hi guys!
Thanks for your kind interest and replies. I should have indicated from the start that I'm playing an Arabic oud, but I'm not fussy about getting
Turkish strings, if that's what's readily available. I've been reliably informed that I can use oud strings on two lavtas which are also part of my
ensemble, so in fact, I'm looking for several sets of oud strings at once. All of these instruments are being used for a play which opens in Flin
Flon later this week, and then again in Winnipeg in late July. So my need is somewhat dire, given all the instruments I am trying to provide for
within a relatively short time.
First, to SamirCanada, I would very much like to obtain from you the address of your string sources in both Montreal and Ottawa. I'm in Northern
Manitoba, so Ottawa is marginally closer, geographically, however, I suspect that the freight connections from Montreal may be better. ----- Do you
know any stores in Toronto? My guess is that, regardless of whether the source is Montreal or Ottawa, it'll go to Toronto first, then Winnipeg, then
to my home in Flin Flon - so a store in Toronto would probably be most efficient, if it exists. Winnipeg would be better yet, but sadly, there
don't seem to be any stores there that carry them.
Assuming I wind up going with the Montreal store, does it deal mostly in French or in English? I can speak or write French fluently enough to get by,
I would just need to know which language would be more practical to address them in, as a first choice.
Secondly, to Spyrosc....Thanks so much. I really appreciate your offer, and if things can't be worked out otherwise, I'll certainly contact you.
Unfortunately, San Francisco is pretty far away from my location (if you're curious, Flin Flon is in the geographical center of Canada, on the
Manitoba Saskatchewan border, halfway up) and, long term, what would be best for me is to find a source in Canada, to minimize cross-border charges
(unless the paperwork is filled out exactly right, small items can cost lots of money to get across). However, I'm delighted about your Kasiot
connection. I'll send you a further U2U about the play Elias has written, and that I lead the orchestra for - Elias's the one with the Kasiot roots,
rather than me - maybe someone in your family has heard of the events depicted in the play, which apparently actually happened on Kasos in the 1880's.
All of this being said, I still have a window of opportunity that I could be taking advantage of shortly. As I mentioned earlier, my friend Elias
lives in New York, and will be coming up to Canada later this week, as well as one more time in mid July (for the Flin Flon and Winnipeg openings,
respectively, of his play), so I get a second crack at having him bring stuff over for me a few weeks from now, in case I can't find a New York
address right away. All that border paperwork is easier to deal with in person, and cheaper too. So, to anyone in the Big Apple, or who knows it
well, I'd still appreciate an address or phone number, if possible.....Thanks so much, Mark/Kasos
al-Halabi - 6-14-2005 at 03:09 PM
Kasos,
You might want to contact Najib Shaheen in New York. He repairs and builds ouds, but also sells strings. He usually carries Pyramid lute strings,
which are superior to any oud strings I have tried so far. His phone number is 212 262-1434. In the past I bought oud strings in Manny's music store
on 48th Street, but I am not sure if they still carrry them.
Good luck.
Hatem_Afandi - 6-14-2005 at 07:20 PM
Hi Kasos
This New Yorker makes ouds and laouto's.
http://www.diodinos.com/
I am sure you can get strings from him.
Good luck