Onglon
Oud Maniac
Posts: 77
Registered: 3-1-2015
Member Is Offline
|
|
doubling the bass C string?
Greetings to this wonderful forum,
i noticed that my sukar oud has an additional unused peg as well as a corresponding hole in the bridge, juxtaposed to the C bass string hole.
Therefore, in principle, one could double the C bass string.
I was wondering if any of the forum members has attempted this in the past and if the sound is pleasing to the ears?
Best regards
|
|
|
Microber
Oud Junkie
Posts: 853
Registered: 1-20-2006
Location: Belgium - Liège
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
The luthier Huosain Sabsaby often makes his fixed bridge oud like that. See the picture. Ans a lot of other picture on his FB.
https://www.facebook.com/huosain/photos?lst=1035023207%3A1521400902%...
|
|
|
alaaraj
Oud Junkie
Posts: 159
Registered: 7-11-2015
Location: United Kingdom
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tuning!
|
|
I think the double bass on Sabsaby's are FF or GG. His C-cc ouds usually have single C ..
I suppose one can add double C but it might not sound great as both strings are thicker and have low tension which would result in sound that's less
pure!
Onwards and upwards
HazRaj
|
|
|
Onglon
Oud Maniac
Posts: 77
Registered: 3-1-2015
Member Is Offline
|
|
Thank you for the feedback gentlemen, i am due to restring the oud soon, so will try it out (and report back).
|
|
|
Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2939
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Stringish
|
|
The oud is actually already quite small to have the low C string. Some people have doubled it, but the results are debatable. If the oud has a
longish scale (61-62cm) you'll have a better shot. Using a heavier string would help.
On thing that you could do is double it up an octave, something like .025-.026in wound string would likely work.
|
|
|
Jack_Campin
Oud Junkie
Posts: 333
Registered: 5-6-2007
Location: Scotland
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
You'd need very heavy strings under high tension to stop them slamming into each other (not an attractive sound). And a specially constructed oud to
stand up to that tension.
|
|
|
Onglon
Oud Maniac
Posts: 77
Registered: 3-1-2015
Member Is Offline
|
|
Brian, i am not familiar with string girth, does it mean that i could put together (1) a regular bass C string and (2) a D string but tuned a tone
lower to C, in such a way that (1) and (2) ring a C note but one octave apart?
I have the impression that the bouzouk (apologies, this is actually outside my comfort zone as i know very little about this instrument, i hear it
sometime in old Lebanese songs) also has an octave apart double string and the sound is interesting, so i may try that 
Best
Onglon
|
|
|
Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2939
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Stringish
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by Onglon  |
Brian, i am not familiar with string girth, does it mean that i could put together (1) a regular bass C string and (2) a D string but tuned a tone
lower to C, in such a way that (1) and (2) ring a C note but one octave apart?
I have the impression that the bouzouk (apologies, this is actually outside my comfort zone as i know very little about this instrument, i hear it
sometime in old Lebanese songs) also has an octave apart double string and the sound is interesting, so i may try that
Best
Onglon |
Yes, more or less, that is the idea. The buzuq does indeed do something like this. There's also a Moroccan instrument (forget the name) that is
similar.
|
|
|
Onglon
Oud Maniac
Posts: 77
Registered: 3-1-2015
Member Is Offline
|
|
hello again to all,
it did not work: during the restringing process, i noticed that while there is an extra peg and an extra hole in the bridge, there is no dedicated
path on the nut...
best
|
|
|
Giorgioud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 287
Registered: 11-18-2011
Location: United Kingdom
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oudbsessed
|
|
Yep. Did it myself in the past out of curiosity but wasn't overly keen on the result. The C string vibrated better and was more sonorous when it was
single. I understood why it had remained single all throughout the years....apart from rare and notable exceptions....
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
