Oud sound Test

Hi all,
I would like to have your opinion regarding a 6month old Oud. Details about it after receiving your comments. I attached a small clip sound playing "maw2af darina", a song for fairouz.
Thanks in advance for your comments
Aysar katakofka
Aslo another clip for high pitch sound generated by the same oud, playing My favorite dance for Jamil bachir

Suz...sure I like the sound. Now ask me how much I payed it?
Oudism...you're right, it's an egyptien floating bridge.
thanks guys for your replies

katakofka, 7000$ is indeed a high price but it is a fully ornate oud. He sells not ornated sandwich ouds at 4000$ as per what I saw in his website. The price for me is expensive but not the issue.

For me the main issue is when I asked him whether the sandwich soundboard is repairable if, God forbid, something happens to it, he didn't answer. I guess this stands for a "no"

By the way I prefer his "normal" grand concert ouds, which have a more balanced sound according to a recent soundfile posted by the user Jassem.

4000$)7000$ wooooooow. Angelina Jolie played them?and past them to Bradd pit

if the double soundbaord protects the oud from deformation and it's for 4000$, floating bridge ouds have less tension on the soundboard as quoted by samir azar in here:
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=1239#pid808...
4000$ too much

Hamed, since katakofka didn't reply on that I said I will. I am his freind, know him loooooong time ago. Katakofka plays oud and bouzouk (bouzouk better than oud ) since he was young, and I guess he knows what he's talking about. I guess too he has the right to judge and he is able to judge. Would you post something played by you? It will help us judging if you have the right to judge
Cheeeeeeeeers

Oudism thanks khayeh but no need for all this debate. Hamed , no need to post any clip.
Oudism, still remember the bouzouk. I neglected it long time ago, but I still remember the good time in Montreal Hope to see you in Montreal summer time.
Best

Samir I would love to.But I am waiting for my oud. I ordered one from samir azar, expecting it in April. I have no oud now

Hi Guys,

I think now guys, from all this replies, you gave some makers new idea about the new prices of the next generation ouds. That's why i prefer to do not mention any prices of my ouds in the forum.

I think,from right on, Any order from each one of us to any maker will cost minimum $4000, regardless the oud is good quality or bad quality and regardless if the maker is skilled maker or bad maker.

GOOD LUCK ! ....

Thanks

I play a little samir, not like you guys
Dubai, check the website of Master Faruk http://www.oudmaster.com/php/. The prices are indicated on his website

Kofka hey how are u doing ? Well it is maybe true that double soundboard might protect Oud from distortion, though I don't think I said so. I only said that Mr. Faruk didn't reply when I asked him if the double soundboard is repairable.

Finally added u on msn! c u there! Cheers!

If you think the oud should have the sound of a guitar and should be played like a guitar... thats your idea.

by the way putting frets on the oud is pretty much the only way someone can get close to it with the intonation.
it exists... its a called a lute and its a different instrument.

this is probably the best in the world at doing what your talking about. his oud has a really low action too
and his hand is not human...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJw7u-aQ0b4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVJ43PvzTc8

Samir: do you consider Mehmet Polat a professional player? he's amazing man. I don't agree with you that his hand is not human, because he's a human but he has the skill and he practices it a lot to play paganini on Oud. The bottom line is practicing. Now, do you like the sound generated by his oud? I don't. Why? because of the low tension and the buzz. Also, I guess he's using 57cm scale Oud. Low tension and small scale Oud helps playing hard pieces such as paganini's.
"when the muse calls me, what do I care about your pitiful strings?" This was Beethoven's statement to his performers when the most skilfful of them returned some of his latest quarterts, saying:" This music is not performable sir." In time, and with the dedication of the musicians, a new technique was found that made the quartets playable, not only by virtuosos but also by bigininers. (Quoted from Marcel Khalife's book, 3oud, 1997)
Any music samir is playable, it needs practice and new way to play it. That's my view.
Best

Samir: I agree with you, paganini's played by Polat on Oud are not nice pieces since they lake nice, sweet, melody. For technic they're good but I guess with an 8 strings Oud they would be easier to play.These were written for violin mainly.

The idea is not to make the Oud playing classical music, rather than using some classical pieces that might be lovely on Oud. Pieces that have nice melody similar to the ones I mentioned previously (eg. Czardaz ). I guess practicing these pieces on Oud will allow you to improve your technical skill. Furthermore, it allows you to discover new dimension on Oud, trying to find new finger positions, make you create your own way to play, and having fun when it works !!
I'll join Czardaz played on my cheap 350$ Oud (with shipping high tension, 60 cm Oud. It has been a while I didn't play it, I need to practice it back it will be much better. But this will give you an idea that it's feasable on Oud and it's a lovely piece. I put some echo to make it acceptable. I still beleive anything is feasable on Oud it just need practice.
Best

Kata
Man I guess that Mahmoud Jawad is more skillfull than Nasser Shamma. Technically he's amazing, impressive. Do you agree?
Other thing related to this link that you posted above
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98y0Q7nLGWk
This piece cannot be played on Oud, look to the high pitch notes, there is a loooot. I am sure it's going to sound very bad when tried on Oud. But I agree the melody is so sweet. Anyways.
Cheeeeeeeers

Oudism...Mahmoud Jawaad
Related to Paganini's 24 Caprice, the piece is so difficult, even on a guitar. People pass years to be able to perform it on a guitar. It's even a whole life project. This is the great Paganini dear who wrote music not for his century. Paganini wrote 24 caprices, the best that I like is caprice 24 since it has so many lovely melodies in the variations. There is 11 variations in Caprice 24 with different difficulties every one.
How to play it on Oud, this is the question? Well, there is 2 ways I guess. First, transpose it to avoid the high pitch notes, and practice it on a 6 strings Oud. Alternatively, do it on an 8 strings Oud . I guess I'll get one, thinking about it.
The best passages, that I love in that piece are the variations between minutes 2:03 to 2:30, 3:40 to 410. These melodies kill me, lovelyyyyy. The most difficult passage and I have no idea how to do it on Oud is from minute 5:18 to 5:43. Very difficult. But as I said, this is years to a whole life piece. The key is to practice it and to find time for practicing. Always beleive that everything is feaseable on this great instrument, our beloved Oud
Best

Jeez guys, this thread is going all over the place and seems to be getting a bit on the personal side. Maybe it's time to wind it up, as I think we've covered all the main issues re oud pricing. For my two bits-worth, sorry to recycle a cliche, but the sound of an oud (or probably any musical instrument, come to that) is very personal. When people have been playing for a while, they get an ideal of exactly what they want, based on their playing style, the kind of music they want to play etc. If you have this ideal in your head (and as far as the oud is concerned, I'm not good enough to) you will do anything to get that sound, up to and including selling your soul to the devil (that fits in with the reference to Paganini, doesn't it?). The best instrument makers also have a very individual and characteristic sound to their instruments, and I think this is particularly true for the oud. So you may not like a maker's sound, but if you come across someone who makes what you're looking for, and you have the cash, you're going to go for it.

I've never heard one of Faruk's ouds live but just through recordings i think they sound absolutely fantastic and very individual - in the right hands. He's also extremely knowlegeable, as he constantly proves on these forums. We the players, of whatever level, are free to buy or not to buy expensive ouds. I don't see a moral issue here to get worked up about. Especially in a world where I just payed a £60 monthly mobile phone bill because the provider neglected to mention that their free international calls didn't extend to texts. Now THAT'S a rip-off.

Jaseem, I'm sure Kata isn't trying to be disrespectful. We've all really enjoyed your sound clips. Please keep them coming.

Peace to all.

Dear Dave,
I agree. It really went all over. I'll try to sumarize couple of ideas from this thread since I am responsible for all the mess
1-This is a personal view that some might share it and some not. The main and principle point in this thread is the following: a good and expensive oud will not allow you to perform well if you don't practice. The key point is to practice even on a cheap Oud.
2-Why Master Faruk's Oud cost more than other Ouds done by other oudmakers. Beside the fact that Master Faruk is a great oudmaker, I was pointing out the impact on the market, by saying that increasing the prices of his ouds might influence other oudmakers to do similar.
3-low tension strings on a great Oud. Also here some might share similar view. When putting low tension strings even on a great Oud done by Master Faruk, you get the risk of having a buzz-like sound. Low tension strings allow the player to perform better but there is the buzz issue that I dislike since it affects the sound quality of the oud. Saad Mahmood Jawad is probably the greatest Oud performer in the arab world without using low tension strings. Thus, playing technically difficult pieces on Oud is feasable without using low tension strings.
4-Playing hard, classical piece on a Oud. This is a personal experience that I loved and I wanted to share it with you, by saying that I am enjoying discovering new dimension on Oud. I'll paste what I've posted above"I guess practicing these pieces on Oud will allow you to improve your technical skill. Furthermore, it allows you to discover new dimension on Oud, trying to find new finger positions, make you create your own way to play, and having fun when it works!!". All this on my 350$ (shipping included) oud

I hope this would help to continue constructive discussions

Best

I'm not sure I understand your fascination with playing Paganinni on the oud. His pieces are technically demanding but I don't believe his vision can be realized on a fretless plucked instrument. Perhaps some of his guitar compositions would work better?

I don't know, I went to school for music and spent years playing in orchestra and doing recitals. One of the things that drew me to the oud is that it was so different from what I was practicing every day. It gave me a way to explore a different side of music. I would feel terrible playing Koussevitszky or Dragonetti on the oud

At any rate, you can play any of the caprice's on a regular oud you'll just have to transpose them to a more friendly pitch center.

Okay Mike, Greg.
Please close this thread, lot of mess in it
I'll open another thread in which we discuss classical music played on Oud.
Thanks guys and sorry for the mess
Souheil