Jonathan - 9-23-2005 at 12:41 PM
Is bone always preferable? Is it preferred simply because it is harder, and would therefore make tuning easier?
Dr. Oud - 9-23-2005 at 02:56 PM
The hardness not only makes the tuning easier in that the wound strings don't catch on the wood grain, but the bone will withstand the constant wear
that the windings cause as they are tightened across the nut. The windings act like files, dull but nonetheless they will eventually wear the string
slots down even in the hardest of woods. Another alternative is Corian, used by many guitar makers and available at any guitar store.
Elie Riachi - 9-23-2005 at 04:25 PM
I made a replacement nut out of Corian for my cheap Syrial khalifeh "oud" knock off since like the good Doc said the original wood one wore out after
the third strings change. Corian is very easy to work with, durable and sounds better to my ears. I got a smple piece of Corian from our local
Sutherlands store for free and that was enough to make several nuts. I no longer play the Oud though, since the soundboard has already formed the
valley near the neck joint and raised the action the closer it gets to the neck joints. So now I have been spending what little spare time I have
playing my brand new $300 all solid spruce top and solid Brazilian rosewood sides and back all acoustic Washburn guitar. It has an amazing ring, bass
and sustain. Also, this guitar has beautiful MOP rosette and perfeling. The rosewood fretboard is also inlaid with little MOP crosses. And yes it
is $300. So my advice is a crappy poorly made musical instrument should never be called a student instrument and should be sold as a wall hanger
(zeeneh) provided that it looks pretty, but many of these cheap ouds do not even look pretty, the inlay work is like some kid just learning to write
and the rose is plastic with the mold marks still intact. Maybe one day Washburn will start making $300 all solid wood decent sounding mass produced
ouds.
Elie