RubabPlayer
Oud Maniac
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Lavta Advice
Hello,
I am considering taking up the Lavta. I would like to ask the community's advice about buying a Lavta.
This won't be a primary instrument for me, I am a Rubab player. But I would like to explore this instrument and hope to buy one that is good enough to
take me from intermediate to advanced semi-pro uses.
Any advice would be a great help.
Thanks,
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jefflopezstuit
Oud Admirer
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I'm not a Lavta player, but I know that Elif Kizilhan of Istanbul, who made my Tanbur, also makes very good Lavtas. You can find her web site
here:
http://www.tanburatolyesi.com/
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spartan
Oud Junkie
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http://www.dimitrisouds.com/other_traditional_instruments.htm
Another master with good reputation mostly on the ouds, but makes also lavtas
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oudistcamp
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See below....
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=10842#pid74...
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teslim
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dimitris also made a beautiful lavta with a skin head and sypathetics that you can find a video of on youtube under rapakodi...his traditional
lavtas are the best as well....i have 2 of them...dimitrisouds.com...good luck
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RubabPlayer
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What do you think about "Sandi" Lavta? Anyone try their instruments?
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teslim
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they are factory instruments so they play ok but not the kind of special sound you will get from a luthier--kind of like a yamaha guitar compared to
a ramirez
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Jody Stecher
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Expanding on teslim's reply: I can't comment on Sandi lavtas, having never seen one, but I have a 12 year old Sandi oud that is excellent and not at
all generic in sound or response. It may be due to luck rather than the vision and skill of a single luthier but this can happen. An instructive
experience I had about 25 years ago which by coincidence is apropos of Yamaha guitars will explain what I mean by "luck." I happened to be present
when a shipment of several dozen Yamaha guitars arrived at a warehouse associated with a music store where I worked. They were all the same model and
had successive serial numbers and were obviously made from the same timber. They all had the same kind of strings too. I tried each one. The first one
was blah. No character. The second one was worse, like furniture with strings. The third one was not too bad. The fourth one startled me because it
was a viable musical instrument. It was ugly to look at but it played well. The fifth one was even better. I could have used it at any gig or
recording session. The sixth one was so stiff and unresponsive it seemed to be made of iron. The seventh one played as if it were made of cardboard.
The sound was dull. the eighth one would be no worse if it were made out of mud. The soggy sound seemed to be filtered through a damp mattress. The
ninth one was dry and sharp and annoying to play. The tenth was good. The eleventh was very good. the twelfth was very very good. The thirteenth one
was completely inert. And so it went. I concluded that a lot of what makes a string instrument viable is the compatibility of the woods. It seems
that a single tree will not give a uniform musical sound from every board. When the soundboard, sides, back, neck, and bridge are compatible a
"system" (for lack of a better word) is established and everything cooperates harmoniously. I have no doubt that a skilled luthier can make things
even better but there is always the luck element. Anyway it may well be that there are viable Sandi factory lavtas that have real character. C F
Martin guitars are made in a factory and over the years they turned out some real doozies. (and some clunkers as well). And don't forget that some
excellent luthiers who now have their own workshops worked at instrument factories earlier in their lives. If one of these luthiers worked on a vital
part of the construction of an oud or lavta or guitar at a factory this instrument has the touch of the master's hand even if it is a "factory
instrument". This is also "luck".
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RubabPlayer
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Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
I am an Afghan Rubab player looking for a secondary instrument. Since I am new to Lavta it is hard to spend 1,200 Euros as most of the proper makers
are charging for a starter instrument. I am just not 100% sure the instrument will fit our project or that I will really take to it. Sadly there is
pretty much zero hope of finding an instrument in Japan that is used to experiment with. But then this is always the challenge when exploring a new
instrument here.
There is one maker that falls in between called Klasik Muzikevi. Their instruments have some famous performers who use them. They come in at 650 Euro.
Any experience with these?
Or can anyone recommend some maker that may have a good chance to produce a decent instrument a little less expensive than the 1,200 Euro range? I am
also open to second hand instruments.
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teslim
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i think in the 650 Euro range most of what you will find will be clunkers unless you have the fortune of doing what jody was talking about--getting to
try a bunch of them...then i am sure you could find something suitable especially in istanbul--but if it are left up to someone sending you something
as a middle man for less expensive lavtas the chances i imagine decrease unless they give you an open return policy.. mustapha copcuoglu makes a nice
one for 1000 US and you might also try ali nisadir at udmaker.com..beautiful work that is very reasonably priced
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RubabPlayer
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Here is the link for the maker I am talking with. Any thoughts?
http://www.klasikmuzikevi.com.tr/en/
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