RubabPlayer
Oud Maniac
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Registered: 5-20-2009
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Entry Level Egyptian Oud - Recommendations?
Our colleague is wanting to try the Oud and is looking for recommendations for an entry level Egyptian Oud. Our friend in Egypt may be able to look
for one for him.
Can you recommend makers that can be relied upon for a good entry level instrument?
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Giorgioud
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 11-18-2011
Location: United Kingdom
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Hello mate,
Your friend might want to try a Fahti Amin & son oud. Superb craftmanship, and there are many specimen. I've got one and it's so good that in
about 3 days I am buying another one, a floating bridge for Iraqi tuning. The criteria that dictates whether the oud is entry level or a professional
one is the age of the wood he employs, but even for a beginner that oud is a good investiment. If he doesn't like it he's better off selling that at a
decent price than trying to flog a cheap oud and ending up losing money. Saeed (his son, who's taking slowly over the company as the father is very
old but whose craftmanship is identical to his fathers' as he grew up in the workshop) just replied to me this morning telling me that the oud I want
is $600 including shipment to England (where I live). Your friend might find a cheaper one, no doubt, as mine is a bit on the top-of-range.....but he
will surely be in good company: Abbadi Al-Johar, Ahmed Fathi and George Michel, to name but a few, they all use a Fathi........if you're interested
the contact modes are: 3 Khaleb Ebn-El Waleed Street (behind block 33 Msakin Kafr Tohormos, El-Eshreeny Street, Faysal Giza), Cairo, Egypt
Tel. 002 02 37205807, Mobile 002 02 0123789937.
Hope that helps, take care
Giorgio
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Alfaraby
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 9-18-2009
Location: Holy Land
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Does this sound reasonable ? Of 80 million people, there's only two luthiers who are mentioned when talking about Egyptian ouds ?
How come ?
Any idea ?
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
alfarabymusic@gmail.com
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Giorgioud
Oud Junkie
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Dear Alfaraby,
I am dreadfully sorry, but I seemed to have missed the nature of your question. Maybe you can help me.
If you mean why me, myself, I haven't mentioned other luthiers, well, that's easily answerable. It's because I have dealt only with those two and I am
just relating my own personal experience, as one should do when is answering a query.
If you mean why other people in the forum haven't mentioned other luthiers, well, I confess I do not know.
There are many reasons for it: the thread was posted yesterday and it's a bit too soon for other answers? Maybe because there aren't many real
luthiers left in Egypt (I hear there are about 5 still left)? People can't be bothered to answer? People don't like Egyptian luthiers? A combination
of those two factors? three? Four?
I am in the dark as much as you. So, if someone feels to offer some information about a beginner-level oud which marries quality with good price,
well, this is the place to do it. Don't be shy!
Regards
Giorgio
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
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It's funny, but I was going to suggest Fathi Amin too. I was going to order an oud from him but finally settled on another Sukar. It's not that he
makes "beginner ouds", everything I've heard suggests he makes excellent and quite professional instruments, but that he doesn't charge as much as
some of the more "chi chi" luthiers, so his ouds would be more approachable than, say, Maurice Shehata's.
http://www.fathy-ameen.com/about_en.html
Dr. Atef Abdel Hameed is reputed to be a great contact and a good way to help order an Egyptian oud from Fathi Amin or one of the other good luthiers.
As to your question, Alfaraby, if you know other good Egyptian oud makers, in contrast with the carpenters who turn out those shiny oud-shaped flower
pots that infect the market, please do list a few.
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Alfaraby
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 9-18-2009
Location: Holy Land
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I've re-read my latest post & found you are right. It wasn't clear enough !
I just meant how come Egypt has only 2 reputed luthiers (Fathy/Sayyed Amin & Maurice Shehata) of all 80 million inhabitants living there ?
I myself, just like any other member in this forum, haven't heard of others.
Aren't there any other luthiers beside those two ? Who are they & how could we contact them ?
Lebanon e.g. Has at least two great luthiers out of 5 million people. Palestine has at least 3 great luthiers out of 3 millions !!
I just wondered !
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
alfarabymusic@gmail.com
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spartan
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 11-30-2007
Location: Athens , Greece
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In my last trip to Cairo 4 years ago I visit both Fathi Amin and Shehata workshops.
Both make quality ouds, Shehata is closer to my preferences. Reasonable prices from both.
Fathi Amin workshop is very hard to find.
There is another one in Alexandria
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=3173#pid20875
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It's true that in Egypt this time there are not so many oud workshops, oud players, music establishments etc. I mean in comparison with other decades.
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