Mike's Oud Forums

I'm selling 3 personal OUDS

Edward Powell - 4-3-2009 at 01:39 AM

It is really hard to part with personal instruments, those that I have gigged with, recorded with, actually built or modified myself... but finally, life goes on and I move on to other instruments and the unplayed instruments tend to pile up after a while... so best is it liquidate and pass them on to other players who will PLAY them.

I'm selling 3 ouds: A baritone oud, a normal Arab oud, and a small oud.

The baritone and the small (alto) oud were made by me, and are 500EUR each.

The Arab oud is the one I recently purchased and modified in Cairo. This will be 400EUR.

I will post pics soon.

I am now until the end of June, in the Czech Republic - but will be going to Berlin and Vienna. I am hoping that someone in Central Europe will be interested so a personal transaction can take place... but sending an oud by post is also possible, however these ouds do not have cases -

Thanks
Edward

Multi Kulti - 4-3-2009 at 06:36 AM

i send you a pm

Edward Powell - 4-5-2009 at 08:57 AM

here are first some fotos of the small oud.






now, some fotos of the baritone oud








soundclips coming up...

Reda Aouad - 4-5-2009 at 09:15 AM

The baritone oud seems interesting! Waiting for the sound files..

Reda Aouad - 4-5-2009 at 09:17 AM

How do you tune them? And why are they without pickguards?
Also type of wood.. dimensions.. you know ;)

Thanks :)

Luttgutt - 4-5-2009 at 09:49 AM

Hay! Beautifull ouds.
Video please:applause:

Edward Powell - 4-5-2009 at 10:28 AM

I actually don't like pickguards because it is gluing extra wood directly in the spot which needs to resonate the most. So I don't put them on.

The Small oud has a 58cm string length and is made from mahogany and beech. The soundboard is 100 year old Canadian douglas fir. Ebony pegs. This is tuned like a Turkish oud except it has an extra high nylon and one less bass course. It sounds very bright and penetrating.

The Baritone oud is made of beech, and the soundboard is old sitka spruce. The string length is 67.5cm. This oud has an enormous range. I have used it extensively LIVE, and on recording. The tuning that I found works the best is somewhat unorthadox... but to be honest, right now I forget - I haven't played it in a long time so I am in the process of tweeking it all up - changing strings, and getting it ready to show. I had it something like one semitone lower than Arab tuning, but it would work well in Arab tuning also.

Sound clips
baritone oud
http://www.edwardpowell.com/sud.mp3

http://www.edwardpowell.com/al.mp3

Reda Aouad - 4-5-2009 at 10:54 AM

It sounds great! I really like the style :)

Edward Powell - 4-5-2009 at 11:14 AM

Thanks!

Edward Powell - 4-7-2009 at 04:11 AM

Here are 2 quickly made demo clips of the ALTO - OUD, tuned in ARAB TUNING! C - A - D - G - C - high F

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oKwz7g9Ln0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxri17gtfpU

Butrous - 4-7-2009 at 04:39 AM

Edward,

Can you tell us more about these instruments?

Who is the maker? Where is he from? Did you commission their construction or are they off the shelf? When were they made, etc.?

Is their a third oud for sale?

Did you have any luck buying an oud in Egypt? In your opinion, who are the best makers in Egypt?

Edward Powell - 4-7-2009 at 04:48 AM

Sure... the two ouds (alto and baritone) that I have shown pictures for were built by myself from scratch. I built them for my own personal playing according to my needs at that time.

The 3rd is shown here on this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4rBrlBkYHE&feature=related

I bought this recently in Cairo as my instrument for that trip. However, just after this concert I totally removed the varnish and pickguard from the soundboard. I then thinned the soundboard down an addictional .5mm and removed a lot of bracing material by reaching in thru the soundboard. The result is a much more resonant oud... I will post pics and clips of it's current state in the coming days.

As far as my opinion of Egyptian ouds I must admit that I did not research it much or hardly at all. I visited Maurice and was very impressed with his ouds however they all seemed quite different - unlike Faruk's ouds which seem much more similar. Maurice seems to have many ready made so if you go for that my recommendation would be to go and pick one you like.

Otherwise I don't know any other top makers there.

abusin - 4-7-2009 at 05:40 AM

Hi Ed,

Beautiful ouds indeed and great sounds, each displaying it's own character and flavour :applause:
all the best luck in selling them..

I have a question regarding the SUD clip which I think as I saw it on one of your CD's titled Sudan.. What is the story behind it if you don't mind me asking:)
It's a very fine tune by the way, currently on top of my favs and soon will be practising it :D

If you find yourself in the UK at any point give us a shout, I'd love to meet you,

Cheers

Edward Powell - 4-7-2009 at 06:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by abusin
Hi Ed,

Beautiful ouds indeed and great sounds, each displaying it's own character and flavour :applause:
all the best luck in selling them..

I have a question regarding the SUD clip which I think as I saw it on one of your CD's titled Sudan.. What is the story behind it if you don't mind me asking:)
It's a very fine tune by the way, currently on top of my favs and soon will be practising it :D

If you find yourself in the UK at any point give us a shout, I'd love to meet you,

Cheers


Thanks Abusin

Actually... I will be in London on June 17th for the whole day and actually need a place to crash out - then I fly to Vancouver early morning June 18th.... but you are in Manchester it seems.

Sudan.... yes I really like that tune also. What is the story behind it? Kinda funny actually. I have never been to Sudan but find Nubian and Sudanese oud playing very inspiring.
So the basic bass groove of the tune is something I had for a while and knew I could make a good jam from - but I wanted a full tune so composed a long complex intro based on the HICAZKAR SCALE. Quite a heavy and agressive composition, and then put the Nubian jam as a sort of "mellow jam in the sunshine" tag on the end.

After a while I learned much more about makams and realised that I just didn't like what I had written for the first part - also because it really had nothing to do with any real makam (not that that matters, but I just found it too heavy and angry sounding). This piece was supposed to be called "down the nile"... like: starting in crazy Cairo - and ending in mellow Nubia...

When I started recording the CD I decided to delete this whole heavy intro and instead to make a more developed tune from the jam which I KNEW would work. So in about one hour just sat down (without instrument) and just composed the tune in a sort of Semai form.

This baritone oud gives a very sudan feeling - but also what really adds is the AFRO-BASS which is an enormous oversized gambri with a bass guitarneck that I built. This bass give a wonderful Africa feeling!

I can upload the whole tune and some fotos of the afrobass if anyone is interested... but right now I am out for a walk in the spring sunshine here in Moravia.

I also used the baritone oud and the afrobass on several other tunes from my two cds... BLUESAND and SPIRITDANCE.

PS - Sudan is not in a makam, it is in a pentatonic scale the same notes as RAGA BHUPALI. Actually just a normal major pentatonic. Very easy to play - and would love to hear others playing it.

Edward Powell - 4-26-2009 at 11:09 AM

So... the alto oud is sold and is now in transit with UPS to Cologne.
The baritone oud is also sold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze8EGewvikU&feature=channel_page it is boxed up and waiting fo confirmation of payment before posting it off to Vancouver Canada...

The third oud... which can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-FOxaFXMfI I have decided to keep it for a while since it is the last oud that I currently own. If anyone is particularly interested in this oud, please write me a PM and perhaps we can work something out eventually. Eventually I will sell it - but after a little time... for me to either make or buy another personal oud...

Furthermore, I have plans to eventually build very very simple ouds in batches - as a way to provide good sounding solid instruments for affordable prices. I am still not sure if I will ever do this but if there are people interested just drop me a PM and perhaps if enough people have definite interest this could stimulate the impetus to get on with the project.

here are some fotos of the Baritone oud after tweeking it up----











funkstone - 5-6-2009 at 08:13 AM

I will be in Vancouver in August for my Brother's wedding, you will probably have sold these instruments by then, but if not I would love to see them.

http://www.jaffaroad.com

Edward Powell - 5-6-2009 at 08:54 AM

Yes, Alto and Bari are both off... altooud has arrived safely to his happy new owner, and I put the baritone oud in the post yesterday...

the third I decided to keep for a little while.

give me a shout in vancouver anyway :-) Noah Jordan, who bought the baritone oud lives in POCO and will be coming over for lessons - with the baritone oud so you are welcome to join us... I live in KITS

PS- I am now on a bit of a clean-out selling spree and will also be selling all sorts of unused instruments I have collected there in vancouver... many sitars, a santoor, fretless banjo, harpsichord.... etc but unfortunately no more ouds at the moment. :airguitar:Yes, Alto and Bari are both off... altooud has arrived safely to his happy new owner, and I put the baritone oud in the post yesterday...

the third I decided to keep for a little while.

give me a shout in vancouver anyway :-) Noah Jordan, who bought the baritone oud lives in POCO and will be coming over for lessons - with the baritone oud so you are welcome to join us... I live in KITS

PS- I am now on a bit of a clean-out selling spree and will als be selling all sorts of unused instruments I have collected there... many sitars, a santoor, fretless banjo, harpsichord.... etc but unfortunately no more ouds at the moment.