Mike's Oud Forums

Strings

wfspark - 3-8-2004 at 08:04 PM

Hello. Is it posible to use cumbus strings on an oud? See, I have trouble tying nylon strings, and I thought that the cumbus strings would make it easier. Is it okay to do this? Am I braking any rules? Forgive me... I'm a new oudest. thanks.

William F. Sparks

Zulkarnain - 3-8-2004 at 08:10 PM

Hi

YOU WILL BE PROCECUTED FOR DOING THAT!!!!!:D

Strings

wfspark - 3-9-2004 at 05:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zulkarnain
Hi

YOU WILL BE PROCECUTED FOR DOING THAT!!!!!:D
So, it is not good to use cumbus strings for oud? I just thought it would be easier for me since I can't see how to tie on nylon strings. This is good to know. I'm getting my first oud from Mr. Eraydin, and I need to know what is best. What is normally used for electric ouds? Does anybody like the idea of the electric oud? This is all stuff I need to take in to consideration when playing and taking care of the oud and its antiquity.

William F. Sparks

David Parfitt - 3-9-2004 at 08:58 AM

Hi William

I have some diagrams showing how to tie oud strings on my website:

http://website.lineone.net/~david.parfitt/stringing.html

Hope this is of some help.

Best wishes

David

Zulkarnain - 3-9-2004 at 09:04 AM

Hi

Yup-check out David site-he have some instructions regarding the strings! Cool site!

Regards

david - 3-9-2004 at 10:20 AM

:( hey guys if you didnt realize it,he's a blind musician(look under profile). thats why he wrote " i cant see " lets think of a way for him to be able to tie on the right strings. thanx , david.

spyros mesogeia - 3-9-2004 at 10:41 AM

Dear friend,
I have ordered an electric one from Dimitris,I played one from a friend ho Dimitris made for,and I can asure you that I liked it very much....ofcourse as I sayed before,the classical oud is the best ,but and this one too has his charm...:)
Regards to all
Spyros

David Parfitt - 3-9-2004 at 10:55 AM

Dear david

William ordered an oud from Haluk Eraydin and can post/read messages on this forum, so I assume he has a friend to help him (or is only partially sighted). Hopefully this same friend will be able to follow the diagrams on my site and help to tie the strings.

Udi Hrant was blind but certainly overcame the problem of tying strings one way or another (and he didn't have my website to help him :D:D:D).

Best wishes

David

Blindness

wfspark - 3-9-2004 at 11:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David Parfitt
Dear david

William ordered an oud from Haluk Eraydin and can post/read messages on this forum, so I assume he has a friend to help him (or is only partially sighted). Hopefully this same friend will be able to follow the diagrams on my site and help to tie the strings.

Udi Hrant was blind but certainly overcame the problem of tying strings one way or another (and he didn't have my website to help him :D:D:D).

Best wishes

David
Hello guys. Let me explain a little about my blindness. I'm totally blind, but I have a program that is installed in to my computer that speaks everything on the screan. This means that I am limited in looking at diagrams. The program won't tell me what picture is on the screan. So I'm going to need a good step by step verbal instruction as to how to tie on the strings. Thanks.

William F. Sparks

tying strings

LeeVaris - 3-9-2004 at 09:41 PM

OK Will, I'll give it a try...

First, tying the strings on an oud is very similar to tying classical guitar strings so, if you know a classical guitarist, or even someone at a guitar shop, they could do it easily.

Pass the string through the hole at the bridge from the end facing the nut- about 2 to 2 & 1/2 inches coming out the bottom hole is probably enough. Take this end - the one coming out of the bottom- and bring it back up over the bridge towards the string coming through at the top. Loop the end piece around the string coming in at the top - keep some tension on the long piece of string at the top - bring the short end around, grabbing under the long end of string right at the point where it goes through the hole. You're pulling the top, long piece of string with the bottom short piece.

You now have to wrap the short end piece back around itself, tight right at the top of the bridge. The tension of the top piece of string (remember, you're pulling it, keeping some tension on it while you do all this) will trap the end loop, forming a kind of knot. Actually, in practice you sort of loosen the top piece of string a bit as you wrap the end piece around and then you pull it tight, tying it down onto the bridge. Some people manage to get this to work with only one wrap around to make the "knot". I have to wrap the end piece 2 to 3 times - at the point below the initial trapping loop, right at the top of the bridge- to get the "knot" to hold firm.

Its a lot harder to explain than to do! If you can get someone familiar with classical guitar stringing to show you how to tie the first couple of strings I'm sure you can figure it out.

NEVER, NEVER put ball end steel strings on an oud - the tension will pull apart the instrument and destroy it !!!

Good luck !

tying strings.

wfspark - 3-10-2004 at 06:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by LeeVaris
OK Will, I'll give it a try...

First, tying the strings on an oud is very similar to tying classical guitar strings so, if you know a classical guitarist, or even someone at a guitar shop, they could do it easily.

Pass the string through the hole at the bridge from the end facing the nut- about 2 to 2 & 1/2 inches coming out the bottom hole is probably enough. Take this end - the one coming out of the bottom- and bring it back up over the bridge towards the string coming through at the top. Loop the end piece around the string coming in at the top - keep some tension on the long piece of string at the top - bring the short end around, grabbing under the long end of string right at the point where it goes through the hole. You're pulling the top, long piece of string with the bottom short piece.

You now have to wrap the short end piece back around itself, tight right at the top of the bridge. The tension of the top piece of string (remember, you're pulling it, keeping some tension on it while you do all this) will trap the end loop, forming a kind of knot. Actually, in practice you sort of loosen the top piece of string a bit as you wrap the end piece around and then you pull it tight, tying it down onto the bridge. Some people manage to get this to work with only one wrap around to make the "knot". I have to wrap the end piece 2 to 3 times - at the point below the initial trapping loop, right at the top of the bridge- to get the "knot" to hold firm.

Its a lot harder to explain than to do! If you can get someone familiar with classical guitar stringing to show you how to tie the first couple of strings I'm sure you can figure it out.

NEVER, NEVER put ball end steel strings on an oud - the tension will pull apart the instrument and destroy it !!!

Good luck !
HellHello. Thank you Lee. that was the best instruction yet! I can't even get a mariachi guitarest who is blind to explain something like that. Thanks.

William F. Sparks

Udi Rant

wfspark - 3-10-2004 at 06:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David Parfitt
Dear david

William ordered an oud from Haluk Eraydin and can post/read messages on this forum, so I assume he has a friend to help him (or is only partially sighted). Hopefully this same friend will be able to follow the diagrams on my site and help to tie the strings.

Udi Hrant was blind but certainly overcame the problem of tying strings one way or another (and he didn't have my website to help him :D:D:D).

Best wishes

David
Hello Mr. Parfitt. Is Udi Rant an active member in this forum? Is he still alive? I'de like to get some tips from him if he is a member of this forum. Thanks.

William F. Sparks

Zulkarnain - 3-10-2004 at 07:21 AM

Hi Will


Sadly to say that Udi Hrant is no longer with us. After a long battle with cancer, Hrant died on August 29, 1978 and was buried at the Armenian cemetery in Sisli, Istanbul.

Regards