Mike's Oud Forums

acetate?

Jonathan - 8-23-2005 at 07:36 AM

Very often, I will see ouds with what looks like a thin piece of cellophane/clear plastic on the face, protecting those areas not protected by the mizraplek. Or, acting a little bit like an extended fingerboard. It almost looks like clear tape. What is this? Acetate? How do I get some? Does it harm the face at all? Is it easy to remove? I was kind of thinking of using it below the beard/necklace of the oud, to protect that area of the face. I wonder, though, if my finger would just end up rubbing off whatever I put there.

oudplayer - 8-23-2005 at 07:42 AM

hey jon whast goin on

i have a ahmed abdul halim oud and he uses it i think on all of them
i like it alot bc its shiny and plus when the sweet from my hands and arms drip sometime syou can wipe it off and ti worn leave a mark bc my turkish oud the face is meesed up bc my my sweet and i wann take it away but dont know how its a cheap one but my dad want to hang it up in our house
but i would recomend using this stuff not sure what it is though
thx sammy

Jonathan - 8-23-2005 at 07:45 AM

I usually put a towel under my right arm so I won't mess up the face, but the area just below the neck always gets dirty--doesn't matter how clean I keep my hands. So, if there is something easy to put on (and take off), I would love it.

SamirCanada - 8-23-2005 at 07:59 AM

You could ask Viken Najarian about that clear "tape" he puts on the face of his ouds. Iam shure he'll tell you what it is.. unless its a professional secret. Does it get "dirty" from playing up the fingerboard? because I usualy dont play so much up the fingerboard I reallized that it was happening because I held it from there when I wasnt playing for example. type something on the keyboard.. you dont want to put the oud down and you grab it from there. It was a mather of changing my habit. But If you do play up the scale quite a bit and thats when it happens then you should look into that clear tape Viken puts on his ouds I read that it doesnt damage the face.
Cheers
Samir

Dr. Oud - 8-23-2005 at 08:19 AM

It's clear pickguard sheet used on Flamenco guitars. LMI sells it:
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Pickguar...

adamgood - 8-23-2005 at 01:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jonathan
I usually put a towel under my right arm so I won't mess up the face...


Hi all,
Does sweat damage the wood at all? or is purely for cosmetic reasons that you don't want to get your sweat all over the place and change the color?

Adam

oudplayer - 8-23-2005 at 01:35 PM

hey adam
i am no pro about these things but i guess if you sweat alot maybe in some time it can worp or something plus it looks really bad
thx sammy

Dr. Oud - 8-23-2005 at 03:07 PM

It is the skin oils that do the most damage, softening and rotting the wood in the corner under your arm. You should always wear a sleeve or use some protection to preserve your oud. If the face does discolor, don't try to "clean" it, just leave it alone and be more diligent in the future.