Mike's Oud Forums

Yayli Tanbur in the USA?

Jason - 7-2-2007 at 12:49 PM

It seems to be very difficult to find a tanbur in the USA... I'm basically looking for a beginner instrument. Anyone know of any likely places to get one?

adamgood - 7-3-2007 at 12:44 AM

something of note, check out this page:

http://www.cumbusmusic.com/stringed_1.html

the tanbur on the far left is intended more for playing with a pick, the one just to the right of it for bowing (yaylı tanbur).

the pluckers are easy to find on ebay.com, just search for "cumbus" and you'll find them in the results. it should cost under $200, don't pay more. you can bow it but it's not super ideal as it doesn't have a sound post. but something to learn on.

Then the Yaylı tanbur, but i never see these things on sale anywhere in the US. it has more of a wooden body, more likely to have animal skin and probably costs more. and has a sound post.

I think most of the masters use either Cello bow or bow for kemençe.

good luck in your search!

Jason - 7-3-2007 at 04:01 PM

Thanks for the info adam... it seems really hard to find much information about them on english sites. Much more so than with the oud.

I seem to see some tanbur with tied on frets and some that are fretless, or am I seeing things wrong? I suppose I could always remove the nylon frets.

I've played double bass for a number of years so the tanbur really interests me. Do you know if it would be possible to retrofit a soundpost in one of the cumbus tanbur?

Also, is the bridge a tanbur arched like a violin? I suppose it would have to be to facilitate bowing... I wonder if the cumbus tanbur comes with a flat bridge though? Again, probably something that could be retrofitted if need be

Thanks for the help, sorry about all the questions!

adamgood - 7-3-2007 at 11:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jason
I seem to see some tanbur with tied on frets and some that are fretless, or am I seeing things wrong? I suppose I could always remove the nylon frets.


tanburs typically use very thin metal strings, the string tension isn't that high. so you really need the frets for plucking a tanbur otherwise you won't get any sound or sustain. for bowing technically i guess you wouldn't need frets but they sure do help you get the makams in tune and they are a big part of the expressive(ness?) (expressionisation? haha) of the instrument. I say go for the frets on, they are your friend for the makams. the frets are so thin that you won't notice them much at all.
Quote:
Originally posted by Jason
I've played double bass for a number of years so the tanbur really interests me. Do you know if it would be possible to retrofit a soundpost in one of the cumbus tanbur?


sure, Beth Cohen in Boston did that, although it wasn't a metal cümbüş tanbur, hers has a wooden body. I've been fantasizing about doing it to mine for oh, 3 years now and never got to it. best way in my daily fantasies: you'd have to make a circle in the back of the metal body where you could reach your hand in to kinda wedge the sound post between the metal back and the point on the under skin where the lower bridge foot pushes down. I don't even think you'd have to close up the back much, it shouldn't change the sound too much.
Quote:
Originally posted by Jason
Also, is the bridge a tanbur arched like a violin? I suppose it would have to be to facilitate bowing... I wonder if the cumbus tanbur comes with a flat bridge though? Again, probably something that could be retrofitted if need be


the bridge is not curved like a bass or violin, the "top" string or highest pitched string is raised significantly above the others at the bridge to facilitate the bowing. the idea is that you only play on that string and the others sit there and act a bit as sympathetic strings.

by the way, these things come with 3 courses of strings, each one doubled. for your top melody string you should fit both of the strings in one of the grooves at the bridge. Literally pull one of the strings up out of the bridge grooves and drop it into the groove of the other. it gives you a surprisingly bigger sound and sounds like one string. i believe this is standard.

if you end up getting a cümbüş tanbur and stick in a sound post let me know how it goes :)

adam

Jason - 7-4-2007 at 02:35 AM

Thanks for all the help. I found one on ebay for $130 including shipping but now he says they are out of stock :) I'm going to wait and see if he can get more.

adamgood - 7-4-2007 at 03:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jason
Thanks for all the help. I found one on ebay for $130 including shipping but now he says they are out of stock :) I'm going to wait and see if he can get more.


whoah really good price for that! Just make sure it's tanbur size and not a cümbüş saz.

if you end up getting one I can send you a chart that will show you where the frets should be so that they are for sure in tune.

adam

Jason - 7-4-2007 at 07:48 AM

Well turns out it was old stock from mid-east.com and now they're out. The seller told me they are selling higher quality models now but they're more expensive, around $300 I think. I'll probably keep an eye out for another cheap one. I'd really like to get one but 300 is a bit much for an ebay instrument hehe

Thanks!

oudipoet - 7-4-2007 at 09:35 AM

you should try larkinthemorning.com i ve just checked they have it in stock

http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_BAN003_A_Yayli+Tambu...

Boral - 7-9-2007 at 12:37 AM

Can anyone please post here the distance between the bridge and nut of a yayli tambur?

Thank you in advance

adamgood - 7-9-2007 at 03:36 AM

I have my Cümbüş tanbur at 160cm

my wooden mizrab tanbur is 140cm

Probably an expensive yaylı tanbur of quality is like the Cümbüş. Actually I've only seen 1 in my life.

but that should give you an idea.

Boral - 7-9-2007 at 03:50 AM

Adam,

thank you very much for the information.
Just one more question: do you have an idea of the strings used ( thickness , material etc.)

A.B

adamgood - 7-9-2007 at 05:41 AM

Hi Boral no problem.

Of course you're not getting the opinion of an expert from me I hope you know that :)

but it should be a start. highest pitch string i have tuned to "A" and those seem to be .10 based on my micrometer reading.

adam

Boral - 7-9-2007 at 05:51 AM

Adam,

So it is like a common guitar string. The strings you bowed are double and of the same width?

thanks a lot

adamgood - 7-9-2007 at 06:27 AM

You can use regular guitar string type strings but of course they must be long enough. Not sure that a string out of a pack of guitar strings would be. anyway I use strings that are made for the instrument. there's a company that makes "cümbüş" strings for either cumbus or yayli tanbur lenght. In my opinion they feel better than trad unwound guitar strings and seem to last longer.

if you want to get fancier, right now on my wooden tanbur I have strings that are intended for harpsichord and they are great. I got them from an instrument repair friend of mine in New York City...he has long long spools of this stuff that 's very expensive when you buy a whole spool.

If you like his contact info he could probably sell you some cut harpsichord string gauged to whatever you like and ship it to you.

by the way for the yaylı tanbur you play on the highest pitch string, fitting both of the strings (from that course) into one groove at the bridge. that basically creates one louder string.

let me know if you need contact info.

Peyman - 7-9-2007 at 09:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by adamgood
I have my Cümbüş tanbur at 160cm
my wooden mizrab tanbur is 140cm
Quote:

Adam, are you sure your string length is a 160 cm? 106 cm maybe? That's standard.
You can get strings (any gauge) from http://www.fortepiano.com/, reasonable prices...

Anyway, I think we should make a forum for instruments (middle eastern and so on), since I feel bad taking away from mike's generousity. If there is enough interest, I can probably set something up. I know at least a handful of people here who are multi-instrumentalists.

adamgood - 7-9-2007 at 11:02 AM

Oops! dumb me. sorry, Peyman thanks for pointing it out.

106cm for the yaylı
104cm for the wooden tanbur

Arto - 7-27-2007 at 01:19 AM

Interesting posts. I was wondering about tanbur´s sound post - must be quite a long stick, as the body is large and hemispherical?

Do only yayli tanburs have sound posts? I have thought that wooden mizrapli tanburs would not, and that a soundpost would only make sense on a bowed instrument. But Cankaya Music´s web site gives technical information for its tamburs: sound post for mizrapli tanbur "fixed", and for yayli tanbur "adjustable". So am I mistaken?

I love tanburs but have only seen some in live concerts from a distance, and never handled one. With so great string length and long thin-looking necks, one would think that especially the all-wooden instruments would be very prone to humidity-temperature problems, neck bowing, buzzings, actions getting unfortably high, etc. Is that so? Is it difficult to keep in playing condition? I live in Finland, so temperature changes are great, winters dry etc.

thanks, Arto