jvermill - 6-16-2005 at 01:05 PM
I've recently purchased an Egyptian oud, but the action is too low and the nut looks like a home-made jobby. The neck is straight. Anybody know
where I can buy a new nut for an eleven string oud?
SamirCanada - 6-17-2005 at 08:20 AM
The thing is....
oud nuts can drive you nuts!! 
because, There hasnt been a standard depth determined internationaly by all oud makers.. So you could order one and then when you put it on ur oud it
might be too short so the strings rest on the fingerboard. Or to big and the action will be a mile high.
So my point is... oud nuts are custom made for every oud. If you trust your skills I would eperiment in making one yourself. By getting a bone from a
bucher. First you boil it and strip all the "animal" tissue. then with a metal saw and good clamp, hold it down and start choping! then you'll need a
variety of different grit sand paper. Sand it down to the right size, keeping in mind witch side is to go where on the oud. When you cut the grooves
in. mark it with a pencil and cut until the pencil dissapears and remark it again etc.. you should leave a string attached to the brige and make many
test fits untill you have reached the correct hight for ur playing action.
Good luck
jvermill - 6-20-2005 at 06:29 AM
Thanks for the reply. I found a link to a site that sells nut blanks: http://www.stewmac.com. They have a wide variety of materials. Has anyone ever had any experience with mother of pearl nuts? I'm thinking of
trying it out, and making my own, as there is a bunch of pearl on the border of my sound board, and around the 3 sound holes. Also, I've got 2 chips
of pearl missing. Other than using superglue, any one have suggestions on how to glue in the replacements? I've read a little about unfinished oud
faces. Mine is finished and not very well. Is it worthwhile to stip off the finish?
Regards,
John