Alioud - 4-30-2009 at 12:25 AM
Hi everybody,
Let me first introduce myself for those who don't know me. My name is Ali Hassan and I am from Saudi Arabia. I started making ouds just about 6 months
ago. I did an extensive amount of research before starting making any instrument. I am an Oud player for the last 15 years with a preference for Iraqi
style floating bridge ouds. I own several ouds, among them one by Nazih Ghadban and another by Yaroub Mohammed Fadhel.
I am posting 3 new ouds I finished 1 week ago. All 3 ouds have one thing in common.. superb sound quality surpassing ALMOST all floating bridges in
production by any maker. Video and Audio samples to follow soon. And yes, all 3 ouds are for sale.. and they are not cheap!
The first oud:
Dimensions: 48 cm X 36 cm X 18.5 depth.
19 cm Neck (4 cm nut X 5.7 cm joint) , and a string length of 57 cm.
The bowl is made of 30 years old African Padauk (With a Q approaching Brazilian Rosewood) with Indian Rosewood dividers. The Neck is Cuban Mahogany.
The pegbox is made of Padauk and Indian Rosewood with Ebony pegs. The fingerboard is jet black Gaboon Ebony.
The Soundboard is master grade (AAAA) German Spruce. Ebony pickguard and indian rosewood + b/w/b binding and lining of soundholes.
The back is finished to show the natural grain of the wood, with a beautiful satin finish. The soundboard is lightly french polished with Shellac,
just to seal the wood.
And this is how the oud looks like..
(The picture with the toothpick under the strings, shows that the action is so low even at the bowl to neck joint, you can not pass a toothpick!)
The second sexy oud
Alioud - 4-30-2009 at 12:29 AM
The second oud:
Dimensions: 48 cm X 37 cm X 18.5 depth.
19 cm Neck (4 cm nut X 5.7 cm joint) , and a string length of 57 cm.
The bowl is made of 30 years old African Padauk (With a Q approaching Brazilian Rosewood) and Indian Rosewood. The Neck is Cuban Mahogany covered with
Padauk and Indian Rosewood. The pegbox is made of Padauk and Indian Rosewood with Ebony pegs. The fingerboard is Madgascan Rosewood.
The Soundboard is master grade (AAAA) Sitka Spruce. Bubinga pickguard and indian rosewood + b/w/b binding and lining of soundholes.
The back is finished to show the natural grain of the wood, with a beautiful satin finish. The soundboard is lightly french polished with Shellac,
just to seal the wood.
And this is how the oud looks like..
(The picture with the toothpick under the strings, shows that the action is so low even at the bowl to neck joint, you can not pass a toothpick!)
The third sexy oud
Alioud - 4-30-2009 at 12:53 AM
The third oud:
Dimensions: 49 cm X 37 cm X 18.5 depth.
19.5 cm Neck (4 cm nut X 5.7 cm joint) , and a string length of 58.5 cm.
The bowl is made of Grade A Indian Rosewood with Maple Dividers. The Neck is Swamp Ash covered with Rosewood. The pegbox is made of Indian Rosewood
and Maple with Ebony pegs. The fingerboard is Jet Black Gaboon Ebony.
The Soundboard is master grade (AAAA) Western Red Cedar. Bubinga pickguard and Ebony + Fine Herringbone mosaic binding and lining of soundholes. (See
the toothpick picture to see the binding)
The back is finished with clear Polyurethane high gloss. The soundboard is lightly french polished with Amber Shellac, just to seal the wood and to
give it a warm honey color.
And this is how the oud looks like..
(The picture with the toothpick under the strings, shows that the action is so low even at the bowl to neck joint, you can not pass a toothpick!)
spyros mesogeia - 4-30-2009 at 01:16 AM
make the pictures smaller please.I can't open them
Alioud - 4-30-2009 at 01:22 AM
Sorry.. there was a large picture.. I removed it.. all the pictures now are reasonably sized and show well on the screen.
Try again Spyros 
zakiya_alali - 4-30-2009 at 03:34 AM
very nice ouds u do have a great talent
all the best
katakofka - 4-30-2009 at 06:03 AM
Nice Ali
Waiting some sound files
katakofka - 4-30-2009 at 06:45 AM
how do you avoid the buzzing with that kind of low action?
Reda Aouad - 4-30-2009 at 06:50 AM
Thanks Souheil.. I have the same question!
And another.. what are the prices for the ouds?
Still cannot like or not like before listening to them.. But very nic craftsmanship 
Alioud - 4-30-2009 at 09:44 AM
Thank you all for the comments and replies..
How do I avoid the buzzing... well, these ouds are constructed for the technical player who will use the ENTIRE fingerboard to play. Low action is
mandatory in this case to make the player happy and in easy reach of any note he wants. Indeed, there is not a single buzz in any note on the
fingerboard up to the soundhole in all 3 ouds.
How did I accomplish this... hmmmm.. I planned it, and calculated the angle of the neck to produce this kind of low action ... but to be honest, I was
also shocked when I stringed and played the instruments for the first time!!! I did not expect it to be THIS low and yet produce 100% clarity and and
a volume higher than almost any oud I ever played! It is of course not a coincidence because I made 8 ouds already that show the same feature. I guess
it is part science and part luck!
As for the sound and video.. they will be posted tonight Reda, and if you are into floating bridge ouds, I am sure you will like them ALOT.
About the price.. they are priced at 1500 USD. Once you listen to them, or play them which is better, you will agree that you can't get one of these
in the market today for this price.
I will post the recordings once they are done tonight.
patheslip - 4-30-2009 at 10:46 AM
smart work
Mike - 4-30-2009 at 12:02 PM
Beautiful ouds Ali. Just as impressive is the awesome, detailed description. These ouds seem to be very fairly priced. Best of luck to you. Maybe next
time you can show us some progress photos as you build the ouds. Those are always fun threads to follow.
Take care,
Mike
Alioud - 4-30-2009 at 01:50 PM
Mike...
When praise comes from you, the big time collector of fine instruments.. it really means a lot to me
I hope you like them on the recordings which will be posted very soon... and I am meticulous in my work so the detailed description is sooo typically
me.. I actually tried my best to be to the point and did not go into the details of the soundboard and it's bracing material and construction
I am planning to start a thread showing the entire progress of the work in the next couple of weeks when I start another 3 Ouds.
Thank you.
katakofka - 4-30-2009 at 02:07 PM
thanks Ali
regarding the low action I made the test on my oud. Since I can adjust the action ( a fadi matta oud) I made it too low and put a toothpick but..buzzzzzzz, reason why I asked you how you made the action too low with no
buzz
anyway, looking forward to sound files
Marina - 4-30-2009 at 02:51 PM
Sound Samples
Alioud - 4-30-2009 at 05:50 PM
Ok... now to the sound samples..
All three Ouds were recorded directly with a basic instrument microphone in front of the Oud directly to the computer. NO sound modification done to
the files at all... I am sure they would sound even better with concert equipment.
The file names denote the oud being played.
This one is the Padauk only Oud.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/zzk5iziz2mj/Padauk.mp3
This is the Padauk-Rosewood Oud
http://www.mediafire.com/file/tjzzxgzyyu0/Padauk-Rosewood.mp3
This is the Rosewood Oud
http://www.mediafire.com/file/lznxjwdyzng/Rosewood.mp3
Tell me what you think...
Videos to be posted soon too...
katakofka - 4-30-2009 at 06:43 PM
Nice iraqi oud Ali similar to yaarub fadel oud sound
congrats
khalil - 4-30-2009 at 08:32 PM
congratulations. your OUDS are very very precious.nice and fine looking. very successfull first making.
shareen - 5-1-2009 at 08:15 AM
Can I ask you why you call them "sexy"? 
Can I ask you why you call them
"sexy"?
Alioud - 5-1-2009 at 08:45 AM
Hi Souheil... I have a Yaroub Fadel Oud.. The tone is similar.. the Iraqi Style tone and the recorded playing is typically Iraqi style.. but these
ouds are far better.. far far better! More projection, higher volume, more resonance and sustain, and above all... 1/4 of Yaroub's action with no buzz
at all..
Thank you Khalil my friend...
Ok, Shareen.. hmmmm.. good question.. the ouds are good looking but not that sexy .. but the word significantly increases the number of views to this
thread particularly in a forum full of threads about new ouds 
... You can call
it.. an advertisement idea.. sort of ... the extremely suggestive semi-nude model in a perfume commercial
Anyway.. Still waiting for the Iraqi style players to give their opinion about the sound.
Oud.Proff - 5-1-2009 at 01:42 PM
This is officially impressive Doc. !
fadel - 5-1-2009 at 01:43 PM
hi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Left3PPiu4&feature=channel_page
khalil - 5-1-2009 at 04:22 PM
go on my dear friend. you are professional. I hope, soon,you'll be a star oud maker.
khalil - 5-1-2009 at 05:16 PM
dear friend,the padauk's sound is incredible .
oh! what a beauty sound!
congrats again.
khalil - 5-1-2009 at 06:33 PM
khalil....
Padauk-Rosewood sound seem to me better than first.
khalil
friendly yours
Melbourne - 5-1-2009 at 07:00 PM
Yes.....
These oud have a beuatiful bright tone. Very Iraqi school.
Ali - will you also be experimenting with the bent sound board? like on a mandolin?
Fadel - which strings are you using? is it pyramid custom set? nice sound
Regards
Sam
khalil - 5-1-2009 at 07:00 PM
khalil//
that's what i think:
the first has a Beautiful and strong sound
the second is few better.
but the third is the best.
lucky is the player who will acquire one of them.
Alioud - 5-1-2009 at 07:17 PM
Khalil My dear.. you made my day. I am truly happy with your words. Thank you so much for your time to listen and evaluate each one of them. and the
bracing system in the third oud is totally different from the other 2. It has a bracing system designed to accentuate the bases and increase the
resonance to a ridiculously high level ! The whole soundboard is a real sub-woofer. I might be coming to Morocco soon.. you will definitely play a
couple of my ouds.
Melbourne,
Fadel is playing the second oud, Padauk-Rosewood oud. The strings are Pyramid Lute strings and they are my standard strings which I play daily. From
Trebel to Base: 625 Rectified-Nylon (F), 725 RN (C), 1007 (G), 1013(D), 1116(C), 1033(F).
Now.. an Archtop Oud... This was done before I think but I haven't seen the results. The idea of Archtop is the principle of Soundboard Graduation. I
do graduate my soundboards and also my braces. So, in theory, my soundboards are somehow archtop without the arch. They start strong and relatively
thick and terminate into airy thinness.
But, I might experiment with a non braced archtop small oud... hmm... sounds interesting already to me.
khalil - 5-1-2009 at 08:36 PM
Ali dear friend.
listening and evaluating your ouds is the less thing i can do for you.,never mind;
welcome in morocco,i'm sure you will enjoy your stay with me and my family ;and i will be very glad to play your ouds ;it will be an honor and great
pleasure for me to do.
our second language in morocco is frensh.so,please excuse my faults in english.there have been so long time i didn't use it for my writings.
your brother khalil.
khalil - 5-2-2009 at 01:41 PM
By the way,dear friend;Tabit al Basry's 7*9 theory is also designed to accentuate the bases and increase the resonance.but with the traditional
system bracing; ther's no way to compare or liken yours with others.but i think you should,as possible as you can, experiment and try out his
theory;in order to evaluate it and make out its value.
khalil - 5-2-2009 at 04:08 PM
Dear Ali
Ther's newness in tabet's web site.in our old subject;in wich we were confronted.
Mr Tabet claims an apology from you.
you have a great heart.and I wish you will do.
please do it as a favour to me.
Melbourne - 5-2-2009 at 06:40 PM
Thanks Ali!
Actually I am currently in the process of having a bashir oud built for me by a local luthier here in Melbourne - it is based on the very early fadel
models and it will have the 57cm string length and bent soundboard. I will definitely post the results once it is ready and hopefully show some work
in progress photos along the way.
Thanks for the string info too! do you get these from Matthias Wagner?
Regards;
Sam
Alioud - 5-2-2009 at 09:47 PM
Khalil Dear.. I will post my reply in the Arabic forum you are referring to soon. Thank you for your concern and your kind words.
Melbourne I will be more than happy to listen to your oud once it is done. I am interested in soundboard graduation and would really love to hear an
archtop oud.
Matthias is a very nice person and I bought around 10 sets from him in 2 seperate orders, but I am currently buying around 15 to 20 sets at a time and
I get a 33% discount when I purchase directlty from Pyramid, so I am buying direct now. I also order a lot of different gauges these days and it is
just easier for me to order the -unorthodox- gauges directly from Pyramid.
But if you're ordering single sets or anything less than 250 Euros, the difference is small between Matthias and Pyramid and I would personally order
from Matthias in the case of small quantities. The set I was referring to is P10 in Matthias's website.
Jameel - 5-3-2009 at 05:27 PM
Very nice work Ali. Do us a favor and post pics of the padauk after it has darkened. I'm amazed by the low action without and buzzing.
Congratulations!
charlie oud - 5-4-2009 at 04:20 AM
Ali, The playing is outstanding and so are your Ouds. The Iraqi sound and style can be so powerful. Im wondering how much you would sell these ouds
for?. Thankyou for the beautiful music.
charlie oud - 5-5-2009 at 04:48 PM
Silly me 
you already gave the price. Thank you, they are of a very reasonable
price.
Alioud - 5-5-2009 at 07:34 PM
Jameel... I will sure do once it oxidizes. Thank you for your comment.
Charlie Oud... I would have repeated the answer because there are lots of replies in this thread now
Ok...
Now, This is Mr. Saad Mahmoud Jawad the Oud teacher in the Bahrain Music Academy playing the Padauk-Rosewood oud. I hope you like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYlWTaRAhVw&feature=channel_page
This is another clip on the Maqam Lami
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNGyOzgERHc&feature=channel
The rosewood oud is already in Syria with the magnificent player Kinan Ednawi and I am waiting for a recording too.
katakofka - 5-6-2009 at 05:47 AM
Ali
Could you get voice clips from Saad or Kinan talking about the quality of these ouds?
Looking forward seeing Kinaan playing the rosewood oud.
norumba - 6-28-2009 at 11:02 PM
these look interesting indeed -- can you make a 7 course instrument?