raffi - 1-8-2004 at 06:49 PM
Hi,
I have a student cheapo oud that seems to have a slight bow in it that has lifted the strings away from the fingerboard so they are about 1/4 inch
high? ANyway to fix this ??
Thanks
Alan - 1-9-2004 at 08:30 AM
I needs to be evaluated by a luthier. The neck may have to be reset.
Dr. Oud - 1-11-2004 at 09:15 AM
Face warp is common on any oud, cheap or expensive. It is the nature of the structure of the oud and is unavoidable. Time and string tension will warp
any oud eventually. Some ouds have warped so much that a neck reset won't work. If the strings are over 1/2 in high at the center of the face,
the face must be lifted and the top edge of the body trimmed down to correct the alignment.
If you measuring at the joint of the neck & body, 1/4 inch is not too high to play, although it may slow you down a bit. You may be able to reduce
the string height by tying the string loop lower at the bridge.
Ideal alignment is when the fingerboard surface is aligned with the corner where the bridge and face meet. Check it by removing the strings and top
nut and placing a straight edge on the fingerboard reaching to the bridge. If there is any gap at the neck/body joint it needs to be corrected. The
neck can actually be set back with as much as 1/16 inch gap at the top edge of the fingerboard. This is the ideal initial setting as it will allow the
oud to warp the longest time before correction is required.
If the Fingerboard is thick enough you may be able to plane and/or sand down the top of the fingerboard to correct the alignment.
Check the neck to be sure it is not loose. Hold the oud firmly between your legs and try to wiggle the neck foward and back. Any movement at all
requires a reglue and/or reset. If the neck is loose, you may be able to reglue it. Using anything except hide glue will probably fail unless you
remove all the old glue. This would require cutting off the neck and rejoining it.
Richard
http://www.droud.com