Alwaleed_A - 9-21-2008 at 01:40 AM
Dear All,
Does anyone have any idea of good oud makers, or oud shops in lebanon ?
p.s. besides Nazih GHadban
Thank You
shareen - 9-21-2008 at 07:53 AM
Fadi Matta is an innovative young builder in Lebanon. Charbel Rouhana plays his oud. I had the privelage of studying with Charbel this Summer at
Simon Shaheen's Arabic Music Retreat. He was playing one of these ouds. It was a 13 string, floating bridge with adjustable neck. It was
magnificent, although more of an Iraqi sound, not your traditional Arabic oud.
But that's who else is building in Lebanon that I know of.
katakofka - 9-22-2008 at 03:41 PM
Hi Alwaleed
search fadi matta on youtube, or click on my youtube page below.
Shareen, do you really find an iraqi sound in Fadi's Oud? I guess fadi is the only maker able to do a floating bridge oud but having a traditional
sound. Since the sound volume is high and the resonance too you have a feeling that the sound is not common. But actually it all depends on how the
bracing is done.
Check my youtube page. I am playing fadi's oud, it doesn't sound iraki at all. Also in the interview with Fadi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45NR05Cuha8) you hear him playing his oud. Listen carefully to the tone generated. Personally I don't see a sound
like munir bashir or Nasser Shamma's ouds.
Is this the Oud that Charbel had with him in the retreat?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFoUWn63y80&feature=related
Beside Fadi Matta, Albert Mansur is also a good Oud maker in LB. Marcel Khalifeh works on his oud.
nadir - 9-23-2008 at 07:35 AM
I would be particularly interested with oud makers that are in the South of Lebanon, any suggestions?
ALAMI - 9-23-2008 at 08:40 AM
beside Nazih Ghadban, Fadi Matta and Albert Mansour that are already listed and they make high quality ouds, I can add George Bitar who is making good
affordable learning grade ouds.
I know that the old Abou Arkan who used to make ouds in Tripoli has become too old to work and he closed his workshop and so did Al Younani from Ras
Baalbeck . Bahaa Mjaes who was a promising maker stopped making ouds.
I've seen recently a Nahat oud repaired by a certain Abdallah Al Alti in Beirut, I don't know this maker but from the repair work I've seen I don't
want to know him, same negative opinion on Bahij Salhab in Tripoli.
That's about all I know about living oudmakers in Lebanon, no one in Southern Lebanon that I know of.
There is also a Kanoun maker in Baysour in the Chouf and BTW Fadi Matta makes also Kanouns.
shareen - 9-25-2008 at 07:48 PM
katakofka: I am new to ouds, but my ear is many lifetimes old
. I do not find
Fadi Mata's sound to be "traditional" the way I understand traditional oud sounds to be. Charabel's oud sounded to me almost sarod-like. Maybe
that's the floating bridge sound? I play an Abu Ala, cedar top, big bowl, Nahat style and that to me is a very traditional Arabic sound...deep bass,
dark and rich sounding. That to me, is more traditional the way I understand it. Maybe you can correct me if I am wrong in this interpretation of
"traditional. I did LOVE Charabel's oud.
katakofka - 9-26-2008 at 12:08 AM
true shareen, I agree on saying that traditional Oud sound is deep bass and rich. Rich sounding means that the instrument has a prolonged resonance
whenever you hit any free string and this is exactly what matta's oud are. The sarod-like sound you mentioned is probably due the the "f" high pitch
strings
Before getting mine, I heard many floating bridge ouds and Fadi's Oud attack me because of this characteristic. The oud is still sounding
"traditional" but it's a floating bridge Oud. When you said it sounds like an iraki oud above you kind of made me doubtful of my judgment since I
never played fadi's instrument before getting one. Iraki oud sound is more pronounced for high pitch notes with less insisting on sustain and bass.
Please tell me more about that Retreat and what did you "love " in Charbel's Oud.
thanks
sebsayak - 11-3-2008 at 03:02 PM
hello every body
is there someone to tell me where is Fadi Matta'shop in lebanon?
thanks a lot
(sorry for my english i am french )
katakofka - 11-4-2008 at 09:32 AM
hi sebsayak
Fadi's workshop is in the Zouk area, jouniyeh. The best is to call him.
3-259633
9-214027
sebsayak - 11-16-2008 at 07:22 AM
thanks you katakofka
sorry for my late reply
i found another oud maker in beyrouth
his name is : george bitar
thanks to rabih baroud ; a lebanese singer;
so i bought one of his oud
and iam very happy with it!
Luttgutt - 3-4-2009 at 01:02 PM
Hi Sebsayak!
I know this topic is kind of old, but I was wandering if you could post picture and/or sound file of your george Bitar oud.
Thank you
Reda Aouad - 3-5-2009 at 09:29 AM
Hi. This is my Georges Bitar. I am definitely going to get Matta's one soon. I would have posted a sound file but my recordings are of bad quality and
you wouldn't judge it's sound quite well. I can definitely tell you it has matured since its production in 2005, and the sound has much improved, but
it is still a medium grade oud. I like its sound, but it's sustain is short and I experienced some problems with the pegs, nut and neck, which I
remedied using soap and chalk on the pegs (although still not optimal since the pegs are made of soft wood) and nut, and adjusted its neck angle and
string action by tightening a screw inside between the neck and the body. It's now much better than it was a month ago thanks to many of the forum's
member and especially Dr. Oud.
Luttgutt - 3-6-2009 at 02:01 AM
Hi Reda!
And thanks a lot for the picture.
This was a nice looking oud you have.
I have a model 1 Sukar oud (the cheepest model, made in 2003) that I use to experiment with. And I had to work a lot on the pegs, neck and nut. But
now it is actually one of my favarit ouds, even though it is the cheepest I have!!
If the pegs don't get any better, try to bye new ones from Alber Mansor. He is a very nice man.
Thanx again
regards