Andy - 10-30-2007 at 07:10 AM
Looking for information about oudmaker Abou Salim Arbeely from Boston, MA. He built ouds around the 1930's.
Abou Salim Arbeely oud pic
Andy - 11-8-2007 at 06:20 PM
Has anyone ever heard of this builder from Boston?
zoukboy - 11-9-2007 at 09:42 AM
I'll bet Peter Kyvelos would know. He's in Somerville, MA, I think.
Andy - 11-9-2007 at 04:17 PM
Thanks, Peter is in Belmont not in Somerville. He has seen the oud but was hoping I could get more info from this forum.
Andy - 9-15-2008 at 10:21 AM
Thought I would not give up on finding info on this oud maker from Boston. It can not be the only oud he made.
Faladel - 9-16-2008 at 04:17 AM
Please Andy ¿can you post the lable??
Thank you
ALAMI - 9-16-2008 at 05:22 AM
"Al Arbeely" is relative to a a city name in iraq : Arbeel, Arbil, Irbil.
It is the "capital" of Iraqi Kurdistan.
A good starting point for your search for this maker would be among kurdish iraqi community or associations in Boston where he may still have
relatives or friends.
Just a suggestion, It may be a dead end......
SamirCanada - 9-16-2008 at 06:10 AM
Alami,
this may also explain the style of making closser to the turkish school.
I was thinking also that it may be that the oud was made in America and that he was influenced by the Armenian and Greek comunity players. just a
thought.
ALAMI - 9-16-2008 at 08:55 AM
You're right Samir, the oud looks closer to the turkish school, also the tortoise pickguard.
I was also interested in the fingerboard inlays, they are unusual on a oud.
I think that oudmaker do not create their ornaments from scratch, they use the symbols and designs common to their culture. They can be used (with
caution)as graphical "DNA"
The symbols on the fingerboard can be found on kurdish rugs, miniatures and jewellery but also in Turkoman art, Turkoman are not kurds but they are a
minority livin in the region of Arbeel.
Attached is a miniature relative to the traditional medieval kurdish love story : Mem and Zin, the ornamentation looks for me related to the symbols
on the fingerboard.
Just an attempt.....
paulO - 9-16-2008 at 09:39 AM
Wow...what's with all the outstanding oud finds lately. Never heard of the maker, but it's beautiful. So Pete's going to restore it for you ? Cool. If
you get a chance please post some "after" pictures and sound samples.
Cheers,
Paul
Andy - 9-16-2008 at 01:17 PM
THANK YOU for reducing the picture size.
Faladel, I will take a picture of the label later this evening and post it. I will also post a picture of the back.
Alami, I would have never thought Iraqi Kurd influence especially here in the Boston, Mass area. BTW, That is a very beautiful miniature.
Samir, interesting thought.
PaulO, NO the person, an old friend, who gave me the oud told me that Peter did not want to repair it and was not worth repairing. So, he brought it
to me and asked if I would just reattach the the peg box on the neck to hang on the L/R wall. I did and a few months later he gave to me.
Andy - 9-16-2008 at 03:49 PM
The large rosette was just barely hanging on so I removed it for the label shot.
Andy - 9-16-2008 at 03:50 PM
more of the label
Andy - 9-16-2008 at 03:52 PM
the butt end 19 ribs
Andy - 9-16-2008 at 03:55 PM
the neck
paulO - 9-16-2008 at 04:09 PM
Not worth repairing ?? Well, Pete would know..just curious, have you ever put some stings on it just to see what is sounded like ?? A friend gave you
the oud, that's cool.
All the best,
Paul
Andy - 9-16-2008 at 04:22 PM
The width of the body is 34cm 9mm (30 5/8"), length of the body is 53cm (20 7/8") neck is 20cm 3 mm long (8") width of neck at body is 5cm 4mm (2
1/8") 10 strings.
Andy - 9-16-2008 at 04:42 PM
Paul, just going by what was relayed to me. I am not going to string it up untill it is repaired.
paulO - 9-16-2008 at 05:38 PM
Hi Andy,
Pretty sensible course of action -- me; I'd have strung it up and been awoke at 2 AM wondering what "that noise was" -- uh, the sound of the bridge
leaving the face maybe...oh no !
Cheers...Paul
Andy - 9-17-2008 at 11:15 AM
I've been tempted to string it up bu I know better. There's enough work to be done on it now, no need in creating more repair work.