Christian1095 - 12-2-2008 at 07:58 AM
Over the past 4-5 days, it's been really rainy and cold. Last night I was playing my oud and noticed that there appeared to be a slight sinking in
the soundboard near the high gg and cc courses just forward of the bridge. The sinking is only about 1 mm but it wasn't there on Sunday... It's been
inside and we have the heat set around 63 degrees...
So as soon as I noticed it, I de-tuned the strings and put the oud in it's case... I felt around and the brace under the bridge is very low nd feels
intact... the brace forward fo the depression also seemed intact - at least to my hands...
Since I play it alot, I haven't been storing it in it's case...
Any idea what caused this or how to go about fixing? It's weird that this oud has been played outside for 7 weekends straight, and had no problems.
I wasn't mistreated and has been pretty well taken care of... Also, I'm using the Aquilla Light gague strings...
Any idea what might cause this? I tried to take a picture of it but you really couldn't tell....
Dr. Oud - 12-2-2008 at 12:49 PM
Normal string tension can cause a slight sink ahead of the bridge due to the torsion at the bridge, it may be just due to that. High humidity can
soften the wood and allow the face to sink more than when in a low humidity environment. I don't think you could feel any delamination (loose brace),
but you can put small mirror inside and inspect the braces with a light to see if it's visible. You can also push carefully on the face near the sink
and look for movement and/or listen for a scratching sound from movement at the end of a loose brace. The fix is to apply glue in the crack by
applying some glue to a strip of paper or thin plastic then sliding it into the crack. If the brace is displaced, it may need to be clamped to it's
proper position.
Christian1095 - 12-2-2008 at 01:54 PM
Thank You! I'll check with a mirror tonight... 
charlie oud - 12-2-2008 at 02:44 PM
Hi Chris, sorry to hear that but if there is no further movement and playing is unaffected then I dont think you need worry. "Dishing" is common in
ouds, lutes and guitars. I would'nt recommend detuning unless you notice continuing dishing. String instruments function under strung tension and a
luthier advised me on more than one occasion that this should always be maintained and also that the instrument should be kept in a case when not in
use. Good luck Chris, try Doc's suggestion to check there is nothing serious going on. If all is sound and it does'nt get any worse then it maybe just
"growing pains" and self adjust according to humidity, temperature etc within the 1mm span, which is'nt a great amount. Best, Charlie.
shareen - 12-2-2008 at 07:50 PM
Another suggestion: I would always try to keep your instrument(s) at as even a humidity as possible. Either extreme of wet and dry, hot and cold is
bad for the instrument. I keep mine in a climate controlled room at between 48 and 52% humidity and about 60-65% F. I keep them out of the case
because the room is climate controlled. If I put them in cases, I have individual humidifiers inside the cases that I moisten on a regular basis.
I am NOT an expert on this by no means. Just an experienced fine instrument owner who has learned the hard way. Good luck
Christian1095 - 12-3-2008 at 07:54 AM
Thanks everyone... I looked inside with a small mirror and didn't see any sort of damage... Also, didn't hear anything when I gently pushed on the
face.
Sitting overnight and untuned in its case caused the dishing to go away... when I put tension back in the strings, the dishing came back... about
where it was before...
So at this point, I won't worry about it unless it gets worse....
Thanks again everyone!