Mike's Oud Forums

My first oud, almost completed...

marzinp - 9-21-2006 at 08:08 AM

Some pictures...
More to come!

Thanks to Dr Oud for his book! and to Jameel for his helpfull website!

SamirCanada - 9-21-2006 at 09:20 PM

Verry nice
thanks for sharing. Let us hear it when its finished.

ALOMARI - 9-21-2006 at 11:01 PM

looks nice , already looks like a professional . please let us see it upon completionand lets hear it :airguitar:.
it would be also nice to share the oud in process ( while it's made part by part) that is my favorite topic .
keep up the good work

oudplayer - 9-22-2006 at 12:49 PM

hey man
if this is yr first lets see more ouds coming from you
keep it up man
thx sammy

marzinp - 9-24-2006 at 01:54 PM

Thanks! I'm sorry, ALOMARI, I didn't take pictures of the different making steps, because Jameel's are so much better than my messy workshop! I'm looking forward hearing its sound, as soon as I'll get the pegs: I have ordered them, because peg shapers are too expensive, and my trials making one have not been successful! I haven't glued the fingerboard yet, because I'd like to check neck angle when it's under strings tension... so I still might taper the fingerboard to refine the action.
It's my first oud, but not my first instrument (many flutes and ocarinas, steelpans (not a success!), 2 waterphones, 2 guitars, etc...). I look at it as a first trial, and feel so little, specially when I see some of the outstanding master ouds or lutes! I am a jazz guitarist, but I'll have to start learning oud from the beginning!

chaldo - 9-24-2006 at 02:00 PM

great job

good work my man!

muthada - 9-24-2006 at 11:21 PM

chmile - 9-25-2006 at 12:04 AM

Hello marzinp,

Great !!

Tu es français ?

A bientôt,

chmile

marzinp - 9-25-2006 at 09:21 AM

Oui chmile, but it's more fair to speak english so everyone can understand!

paulO - 9-25-2006 at 12:04 PM

Hi Marzinp,

Great choice of woods for the bowl, they have fabulous color and the grain is very cool. My favorite little touch is the pickguard, wow !! You've got a great eye for wood, and the skills to build what you see. Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to the pics of the finished product -- and maybe a soundclip or two !!

Best Regards,

Paul

marzinp - 9-25-2006 at 01:04 PM

Thanks paulO, you're too kind! You'll have to wait for a real soundclip, until I learn how to play!!!
The woods for the bowl are european walnut and cherry I bought as rough planks and resawn. The central rib (as well as the peghead and pickguard) is sumac I got from a dead tree in my garden! Face is italian spruce with mahogany/cherry purflings; fingerboard and beard are ebony; neck is cherry,walnut and mahogany. Blocks and braces are from an old spruce plank... and the roses are from baltic beech plywood. Pegs are indian rosewood. So many wood species!

mavrothis - 9-29-2006 at 07:04 AM

Wow, it's beautiful. Congratulations on your great work. :)

:applause:

Jameel - 9-29-2006 at 08:30 AM

Congratulations. A great first oud. We're waiting though for a sound sample! :D

marzinp - 10-2-2006 at 03:23 AM

Thanks again! Jameel, you'll have to wait a bit: I'm in the finish process. First trials before I started finishing showed a nice sound, but a bit tiny in the medium (maybe my face is a bit too thick?). The action was too low, so I had to make another fingerboard, thicker on the body side than at the nut (1 to 2.5 mm)! I should beable to record some samples by the end of the week...

gokceengin - 10-2-2006 at 04:17 AM

it's beautiful Congratulations.i think that you have skilled go on .

gokceengin - 10-2-2006 at 04:24 AM

By the way if you want special informations about oud i can send for you.

http://www.turkishouds.com

finished!

marzinp - 10-4-2006 at 03:12 PM

New pics of the finished oud: looks better! Sound samples soon...

Hosam - 10-4-2006 at 03:42 PM

Congratulations marzinp! the oud look very nice. What kind of material did you use for the Shams, neck and tail block? can not wait to hear how it sound.

paulO - 10-4-2006 at 04:00 PM

Hi Marzinp,

That sumac central rib is so cool -- with the finish work, the back just totally came to life !! :bowdown:

Regards..PaulO

Sound samples

marzinp - 10-5-2006 at 08:37 AM

As some of you asked, here are 2 short samples: Major scale
and ! first improvisation trial

Sorry for the poor quality, I don't have a proper microphone. Don't forget I'm an absolute beginner! I still have everything to learn... I need your feeling about the sound: I feel it's a bit tiny in the mediums, but don't have a "real" nice oud to compare with!

paulO - 10-5-2006 at 01:19 PM

Hey Marzinp,

Sounds like a new oud to me...give it some time to develop, it does sound a bit dry - but pretty even, at least from what I can tell from the recording and the extra low quality speaker in this PC -- but that can be a characteristic of a new instrument, give it lots of time -- the sound can change dramatically during the first few months, so play it a bunch and watch it change !! Have fun.

Regards...PaulO

marzinp - 10-5-2006 at 01:27 PM

Would "oil finishing" the face help the sound getting warmer?

Dr. Oud - 10-5-2006 at 03:46 PM

PLEASE DO NOT OIL FINISH THE FACE! Oil will soften the wood fibers and cause the soundboard to be more flexible, this is not what you want, believe me. The usual finish is a light coating of egg white, or just leave the wood bare . If you must finish it, a thin French Polish will have the least detrimental affect on the sound.

marzinp - 10-5-2006 at 10:15 PM

I believe you, Doc, I was just wandering... because I noticed the change in guitars sound when you finish the top: it becomes much less dry and softer. I understand it's not what you want with ouds. What do you think about the sound of mine? Paulo says it's a matter of time (face is italian spruce)...

SamirCanada - 10-6-2006 at 06:07 AM

You have to think that the strings will sound much better after about 2 weeks of playing on it. New strings always sound rather dry. Make shure you play it thats all. Nice oud by the way. I really like the work you did. Good job.

Jameel - 10-6-2006 at 06:11 AM

Samir is right, play the oud! And play it with vigor. When I brought my oud back from California a couple weeks ago, it was probably played more in those couple days than I played it in 6 months, and it mellowed and took on a rich quality that was incredible. The low end took on this round warm sound. It's so important I think to introduce this energy to the oud in order for it to open up. My oud, a year old now, sounds much different than it did when new.

Dr. Oud - 10-6-2006 at 07:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by marzinp
I believe you, Doc, I was just wandering... because I noticed the change in guitars sound when you finish the top: it becomes much less dry and softer. I understand it's not what you want with ouds. What do you think about the sound of mine? Paulo says it's a matter of time (face is italian spruce)...
I think the sound is very good for a brand new oud. The most you can accomplish as a builder is to get the strings to all have the same volume, which is determined by the bracing. Your oud sounds very balanced, so you've done a great job with th soundboard.. The quality or color of the tone is determined by the characteristics of the wood used in the soundboard and braces, and over time it will change as others have noted. Italian Spruce (Picea Abies) is known to take longer to mature than Engleman spruce or cedar, taking as much as a few years depending on the age of the piece you used. You'll notice each time you change strings that the tone gets more mellow and full, and gains some sustain as well. Part of this is due to the drying out or aging of the face, and a large part is due to the conditioning of the wood as it is vibrated by the strings. You should be proud of your first effort as I am to have had a part in assisting you. The thrill of hearing that first sound will come again with every oud you make, and as your oud ages and the tone mellows I know you'll be even more pleased with it as time goes by. Great job! Completed ouds

Mazin - 12-15-2006 at 09:58 AM

Great job. Thanks for the pics. As our respecful friends said, most dryness of the sound is due to new strings. I would love to see your next oud step by step. COGRATULATION.

Maz :applause: