Mike's Oud Forums

1966 Mahmoud Haddad

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:33 AM

I acquired this oud from Al Gardener's estate through Jameel, It has the appearance of being played a lot, repaired a few times, but with skill. Check the MOP & red abalone fingerboard, Zowee!

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:37 AM

Here's the back, this design is identical to an oud I got from Fadil Shaheen in SF in 1975.

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:38 AM

the neck and pegbox were delaminated

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:40 AM

as was the shamsiya

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:42 AM

the face had several open cracks and seams - this was the worst, the face is delamininated from the brace a little bit.

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:43 AM

the back also has some cracks,

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:45 AM

and some of the inlay is missing

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:46 AM

the face crack was glued together and blocked to hold it down on the brace

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:48 AM

the inside of the crack is reinforced with parchment paper (between the braces) infused with hide glue

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:50 AM

The back crack was re-glued, and a block is used to align the edges. These rubber bands are made with strips cut from a bicycle inner tube, tied together to make a band just the right size for the pressure needed. Not too much, just enough. The tape on the face is holding down another crack and delaminated edge tile section.

jdowning - 1-24-2007 at 08:50 AM

Richard - what are those transverse strips on the belly - between the fingerboard and rose? They look a bit like wooden frets but are on the 'wrong side' (except for a left handed player) and inverted (longer at the rose than at the fingerboard).

Dr. Oud - 1-24-2007 at 08:53 AM

The marks are pencil lines. I removed some with a soft eraser, and will try progressively more aggresive erasers to remove the rest. I have no idea what they are for, they are evenly spaced and I doubt they were for finger positions. The face shows wear consistant with a right hand player. Here's the label

zalzal - 1-24-2007 at 11:47 AM

Made by Mahmud al 7addad
Damas: Yarmouk camp
15 june 1966 ???

Can somebody correct pls??

A marvellous palestinian oud made in a Syrian refugee camp extensively played by armenian artist in USA being now repaired by oud experts american hands...that's how the world should work all time....

Dr Oud I enjoy a lot yr posts.

Melbourne - 1-25-2007 at 11:51 PM

Well at least this oud has fallen into good hands....looking forward to the end result.. BTW it would be interesting to see how the right hand wear on the high register above the raqma is going to be treated.

palestine48 - 1-26-2007 at 07:35 AM

Agreed Zalzal, except the fact that man was forced to live in a refugee camp.

Lets keep praying and playing :wavey:

Dr. Oud - 1-26-2007 at 09:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Melbourne
Well at least this oud has fallen into good hands....looking forward to the end result.. BTW it would be interesting to see how the right hand wear on the high register above the raqma is going to be treated.

I plan on sealing the surface in the worn area, that's it. Any filler would affect the sound and I'm certainly not going to sand it down. Even if a hole is worn through the face I wouldn't try to repair it as the oud will sound best if the face is as original as possible. I've seen many instruments with holes worn through the face and they still sounded fine.

zalzal - 1-26-2007 at 10:16 AM

Yes Palestine48, am with you, we cannot complete all our thoughts when writing posts here in approximate poor engligh, but it was totally my thought as well.

Not like others who express exactly the marvellous things they are capable to accomplish with just some precise explanations in perfect and technical english like Dr Oud here (you ca not imagine the efforts i do to understand here, as i even do not know these technical words in french.) but passion is passion.

Looking forward to follow this mirage.

spyrosc - 1-26-2007 at 02:41 PM

Gorgeous oud. Happy that Richard is working on it. Indeed the world would be wonderful if everything worked like this (except th e refugee camps of course). The way the address is given takes me back to my youth. It says "...next to the Carmel movie theatre"
that's how shops used to identify themselves e.g. "behind the train station", etc. By the way I think the date is August 1, 1966

Spyros C.

Dr. Oud - 1-26-2007 at 04:25 PM

Very interesting, I was in Damas in 1996, staying at the Shahara hotel and taking the tour bus into Damascus twice a day. It was a great adventure although I didn't find any good ouds for sale. I was on a family trip and spent most of the time shopping or at mosques (Roghieh (sp?)was my fav). Damas is just outside Damascus, right? I did get to accompany Howeida at the hotel. Zowee!

Dr. Oud - 1-27-2007 at 01:34 PM

ok, back to the Haddad...Crackes in the back (several) are pushed open, glue rubbed in and taped together...

Dr. Oud - 1-27-2007 at 01:36 PM

... and reinforced inside with parchment paprer infused with hide glue

Dr. Oud - 1-27-2007 at 01:37 PM

The bracelet was removed with the loose neck. It's kinda ornate so I'll put it back on after the neck is re-mounted.

Dr. Oud - 1-29-2007 at 08:31 AM

Because of the damage and weakness of the thin veneer, I decided to replace the backplate with a thicker piece of walnut. I used my heat gun to bend it

Dr. Oud - 1-29-2007 at 08:33 AM

I cut a caul to match the curve of the pegbox and padded it with some scrap leather

Dr. Oud - 1-29-2007 at 08:34 AM

then clamped it together with some tapered shims shoved in the end where theclamp didn't reach.

Jameel - 1-29-2007 at 10:13 AM

It's Nick Nolte!! :D


[img]http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=5016&pid=32624[/img]


Dr. Oud - 1-29-2007 at 01:34 PM

Dang, you found me out! Yea I gave up the hollywood life - the million dollar paychecks, the mansion, the cars, boats and homes around the world to repair ouds is a miserable 1 car garage. What can I do?

paulO - 1-29-2007 at 06:39 PM

Celebrity looks aside dude..this oud is very cool, I can't wait to hear it. Thanks again for chronicling this project.

Regards...Paul

INFAMOUD - 1-29-2007 at 06:49 PM

Nice Oud..Glad its in good hands..It looks like your about to bust some KUNG FU in your Hollywood pic there..You should frame it and put the words THE ART OF OUD REPAIR..and hang it up in you shop..That would be cool...he he

Ronny Andersson - 1-30-2007 at 09:24 AM

Hilarious Jameel LOL

Dr. Oud - 1-30-2007 at 09:49 AM

ok now, back to the project...
the neck had been wedged back to correct the action, but not enough (a quick fix, but it usually fails as the glue joint is severely compromised.) here's what was left behind on the neck end..

Dr. Oud - 1-30-2007 at 09:51 AM

and on the neck block...

Dr. Oud - 1-30-2007 at 09:52 AM

after re-fitting the neckat the proper angle, a trial fit indicates a loss in length-

Dr. Oud - 1-30-2007 at 09:53 AM

measurement of the bridge to the neck block indicated that 1/4 inch (6mm) needed to be added to the neck, I made a walnut spacer and will restore the MOP inlay later. -

Dr. Oud - 1-30-2007 at 09:55 AM

so the parts were organised, per-heated and assembled with hide glue

Dr. Oud - 1-30-2007 at 09:56 AM

this is my neck clamp process - I've hired my stunt double, Nick Nolte to hold the neck in place for 5 minutes while the glue gels..

Dr. Oud - 1-30-2007 at 09:57 AM

then I prop it up in my chair against the bench and leave it alone overnight to cure-

Dr. Oud - 2-3-2007 at 01:36 PM

the neck end of the pegbox backplate was damaged-

Dr. Oud - 2-3-2007 at 01:37 PM

So I removed and replaced the backplate, but had to reglue a section that didn't seat all the way . It was pegbox madness in the shop today!

palestine48 - 2-8-2007 at 10:35 PM

what is the status of this oud? I am anxious:D

Dr. Oud - 2-12-2007 at 10:24 AM

the pegbox was trimmed, smoothed and glued on

oudplayer - 2-12-2007 at 01:12 PM

hey doc
looking good

:applause::applause:
thx sammy

Dr. Oud - 2-22-2007 at 10:56 AM

Just thought I'd report in. I strung it up and it's a keeper! It's got that snarfy old crusty growley Sombati sound, big, boomy bass, edgy trebles - I love it. I got some MOP to repair the fingerboard when I get back to the shop.

palestine48 - 2-22-2007 at 07:35 PM

can we hear it please please pretty please!!!!!!

Dr. Oud - 2-23-2007 at 10:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by palestine48
can we hear it please please pretty please!!!!!!

Sorry, I already took the strings off to restore the fingerboard, clean the face and replace the rose, then it needs a refinish. Patience, kids it'll be back together soon.

Jameel - 2-23-2007 at 12:04 PM

Nice work, Nick. :D

zalzal - 3-3-2007 at 01:32 AM

It is funny but in yr photo of the neck clamp process, (6 photos above) the oud looks very small in yr hands, almost like a tiny instrument toy for children.
And as you said that the sound was "big, boomy bass", then you have got a
"chiquitito pero matón" oud....

Dr. Oud - 3-14-2007 at 07:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by zalzal
It is funny but in yr photo of the neck clamp process, (6 photos above) the oud looks very small in yr hands, almost like a tiny instrument toy for children.
And as you said that the sound was "big, boomy bass", then you have got a
"chiquitito pero matón" oud....
I thiink it's the camera angle. The first set of strings I tried were Pyramid, but the tension was too high and the action began to raise up after a few days. Next I'll try a light set of Aquilas. One of the rib seams had shifted as the glue cured due to warpage of the verythin ribs. The seam was opened and re-glued using a block to align the joint. The warpage will remain, leaving a uneven back surface, no matter.

palestine48 - 3-14-2007 at 07:05 PM

I was just curious, How did Mother of Pearl become so commonly used in the middle east? I dont recall or know of abalone being a popular dish in our culture. Does abolone even grow off middle easterm sores?

Lintfree - 6-12-2007 at 11:53 AM

Extreme oud lust for this one! Severe salivation!

rromadOud - 6-12-2007 at 06:06 PM

VERY COOL!!!:cool: