Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 11:50 AM
After much consideration, I have decided to sell my 1930 Abdo Nahat. Price: $1975 firm. I'll pay the postage anywhere in the USA. Canada will be
an extra $50. No offense meant, but I really don't want to ship it overseas. Customs is a pain, and I just think the cost of postage and insurance
is going to be prohibitive.
I hate selling this instrument, but I am in the process (hopefully) of acquiring another oud, and I want to raise some funds. And, I simply don't
play this instrument very much.
I'll include a bunch of pics. Great sound--I'll try to get up a clip shortly (I always seem to have a hard time limiting the file size).
Bowl, neck, fingerboard are all in great shape--some scuffs on the bowl, which is to be expected. Absolutely original. I had the neck reset by Viken
Najarian about a year ago--great action. The fingerboard is even, no buzzing, and the inlay is absolutely amazing. I don't think the peg box is
original.
The two small rosettes are missing, and the center of the central rose is also gone.
Now, onto the most important question: the face. I have no idea if it is original to the oud or not. I have only had this instrument for a couple
of years. The face is in very good condition, and it is absolutely old. I would probably state that it is original, but the only concern that I
have is that the purfling, which is on the neck, does not extend around the face, which makes me wonder if it was replaced at one time. On the other
hand, the face is clearly very old. My gut feeling is that it is original.
I'm not really trying to convince anybody on this oud. A lot of you are my friends, and it's important to me that this instrument gets described
accurately. I've been a member of this forum for a while, and I'm not going anywhere.
Pictures (tons of them), will follow.
Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:00 PM
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Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:01 PM
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Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:05 PM
I get kind of nuts when I look at old faces, so here's something that I noticed. Check out the grain pattern around the small eyuns, and you will see
that the pattern inside the purfling is not quite the same as the grain pattern outside of the purfling, which suggests to me that at one time it was
restored, with losses inside the purfling replaced. I like that, because to me it means that they realized that it was an old face, and one worth
restoring.
Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:07 PM
the real deal.
Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:10 PM
The neck is original. If it looks a bit shinier than the bowl, it's just because, when it was reset, Viken cleaned it up and put on a coat of
shellac.
Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:12 PM
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Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:13 PM
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Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 12:19 PM
The Nahat profile, with the tail end tapering in.
Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 01:29 PM
OK, I'm going to preface this by saying that my playing is sort of, um, rough, but. . .
Here's what the oud looks and sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht6qI3AH3YU
If you heard it played by a real player, you would really like it. But, hopefully, you get the idea of the sound at least.
Your Nahat
shareen - 9-5-2008 at 01:47 PM
Does the fact that you have been playing the oud "lefty" have any effect on the bracing of the oud at all? It looks and sounds very beautiful I must
say. Simple and sweet.
Jonathan - 9-5-2008 at 01:53 PM
Whoa. You're right. It looks like I am, doesn't it? It's a typical "righty" oud (left hand on the fingerboard, right hand with the risha). I guess
it just looks reversed in the video.
Thanks.
Christian1095 - 9-6-2008 at 08:08 AM
Dude, I really like your playing and the Nahat sounds awesome.
lui_oud - 9-6-2008 at 08:35 AM
Hi Jonathan
Very interested. I am a lefty too 
. I sent you a U2U.
Thanks
Loui
Jonathan - 9-6-2008 at 08:45 AM
Thanks, guys.
I can't for the life of me figure out why the oud is showing up lefty in the video. Seriously, it is a typical "righty" oud.
Thanks for all of the offers to buy it. I really want the instrument to go to a good home, which is why I am not listing it on ebay.
I'm just trying to figure out how tough it would be to send it overseas, because that is where most of you have written from. It's Saturday. I'll go
to FedEx on Monday and see what is involved, and write to each of you that wrote me, in the order received, to see if you're still interested. I'm
guessing that the postage costs might be a bit high.
Thanks again.
And it is a righty!
SamirCanada - 9-6-2008 at 08:53 AM
Jonathan....
I am soooooo tempted.
Jonathan - 9-6-2008 at 09:47 AM
I know how you feel. I keep telling myself that I need to overcome those oud temptations, but it is really tough. It's gotten kind of crazy for me.
It just seemed sort of nuts to me, though, to keep this oud, because I really don't play it at all. And, it belongs in the hands of a player that is
going to really appreciate it. There's no point in me having a Nahat if it is going to be unplayed.
GeorgeK - 9-6-2008 at 09:24 PM
Jonathan,
Beautiful playing and a beautiful oud both in looks and sound. As Samir says...I'm sooooo tempted!!
Best of luck!
Jonathan - 9-7-2008 at 11:26 AM
Thanks, everybody. The oud is now sold. I appreciate all of the interest, particularly all of you that wrote from overseas, but I ended up selling
it to a more local forum member.
Jason - 9-7-2008 at 01:28 PM
Did you get it Samir? I know you've been after a Nahat for awhile now
SamirCanada - 9-7-2008 at 03:21 PM
nah...
wedding coming up latter this year.
Its out of the question for now.
Jameel - 9-7-2008 at 06:57 PM
Sheesh, I'm gone for the weekend and THIS is what I miss!?!? 
And the winner is...
shareen - 9-25-2008 at 08:03 PM
She's mine. This oud is awesome! Very very happy...)
DaveH - 9-25-2008 at 11:32 PM
Wow, alf mabrouk Shareen. That'll give you a flying start.