LeeVaris
Oud Junkie
Posts: 379
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: Los Angeles
Member Is Offline
Mood: oud lover
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My Foad Jihad Oud
OK... I don't really buy a new oud every week - its just that I haven't posted in a while! I purchaed this oud a while ago from Ronny as a replacement
for the Fadel Bashir that I sold (I'm missing that oud, even now... oh well, I should have held on to it) Anyway, this oud is really great!
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) when the oud arrived it had developed a pronounced buzz on almost all the strings when
fretted anywhere mid-neck. This turned out to be caused by some subtle bulging of the one-piece fingerboard at the neck joint, possibly due to stress
from string tension during shipping. At any rate, I had it repaired by Richard Barnes at the Claremont Folk Music Center. Richard is an expert Luthier
with a lot of enthusiasm for the oud! I had some little details modified ( bone nut and bridge saddle as well as reshaping of the bridge) and the
results have been a really nice improvement of an already great sounding instrument. Here is a shot of the front. For more detailed images go here:
http://www.varis.com/Oud/FoadJihad/
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LeeVaris
Oud Junkie
Posts: 379
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: Los Angeles
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Mood: oud lover
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Sound Sample
Here is a sample of the sound of this unique oud:
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LeeVaris
Oud Junkie
Posts: 379
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: Los Angeles
Member Is Offline
Mood: oud lover
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Tuning
Right now I'm using a set of custom Pyramid lute strings tuned to standard arabic: CFAdgc set up for a newton tension of around 37-42. Ordinarily I
might use a different set for FAdgcf, a little bit higher pitch - but I just love the sound of that low "C". Here's another musical sample:
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Chris_Khouri
Oud Junkie
Posts: 183
Registered: 7-13-2004
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Amazing
Congratulations Lee. This oud sounds so nice. It looks so beautiful. You're music is laso very beautiful and touching. This is really awesome.
Chris
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DJCrabtree
Oud Maniac
Posts: 55
Registered: 7-26-2005
Location: Northern Ireland
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Hi Lee
What do you feel the lute strings bring to your sound (which, by the way, is lovely), and are they only suitable for ouds fitted with movable bridges
?
After all, it's rare on these boards to hear about anything but Aquila.
All the best
David
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Jameel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1672
Registered: 12-5-2002
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So this is the oud with the fluted back. Very interesting, Lee. Congratulations! Can you tell us anymore about the fluted back other than what you
wrote on your site?
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LeeVaris
Oud Junkie
Posts: 379
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: Los Angeles
Member Is Offline
Mood: oud lover
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Jameel
So this is the oud with the fluted back. Very interesting, Lee. Congratulations! Can you tell us anymore about the fluted back other than what you
wrote on your site? |
Well... its my understanding that the ribs are thicker and carved to produce the "fluting"- Ronny (and Foad, I think) claims that the scalloped shape
doesn't affect the sound - I'm not so sure. I think that the extra thickness and fluted shape offer more rigidity and perhaps it doesn't absorb as
much vibrations from the face. The oud is quite comfortable to hold. The bowl is also a bit shallower than most other ouds - not quite as shallow as a
"woman's" oud but a bit shallower than the Dincer. It has a fair amount of volume- actually a little louder overall than the Dincer but not quite as
loud as the Samir - volume isn't everything but it's interesting that the Foad which is the smallest oud with the shortest scale length is one of the
loudest ouds I have.
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LeeVaris
Oud Junkie
Posts: 379
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: Los Angeles
Member Is Offline
Mood: oud lover
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DJCrabtree
What do you feel the lute strings bring to your sound (which, by the way, is lovely), and are they only suitable for ouds fitted with movable bridges
?
After all, it's rare on these boards to hear about anything but Aquila.
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I use custom lute strings on all of my ouds... I get them from Matthias Wagner at:
http://www.music-strings.de/shop/e-shopindex.html
I feel that I get a little brighter clearer sound with custom Pyramids with Flourocarbon treble strings (PYF). Dincer had his oud set up with a set of
custom Pyramids - Matthias has sets made up for different scale lengths and tensions - I reccomend them for any oud.
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Ronny Andersson
Oud Junkie
Posts: 724
Registered: 8-15-2003
Location: Sweden
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| Quote: | Originally posted by LeeVaris
Right now I'm using a set of custom Pyramid lute strings tuned to standard arabic: CFAdgc set up for a newton tension of around 37-42. Ordinarily I
might use a different set for FAdgcf, a little bit higher pitch - but I just love the sound of that low "C". Here's another musical sample:
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Yes Pyramids lute strings are excellent for the Bashir oud and no wonder why Bashir used them also Omar and Shamma.
Best wishes
Ronny
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Ronny Andersson
Oud Junkie
Posts: 724
Registered: 8-15-2003
Location: Sweden
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>Fadel Bashir that I sold (I'm missing that oud, even now... >oh well
Lee you are never pleased 
Best wishes
Ronny
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LeeVaris
Oud Junkie
Posts: 379
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: Los Angeles
Member Is Offline
Mood: oud lover
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Ronny -- good to hear from you!
I was worried that your web site seemed to have disappeared. Are you still selling ouds?
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Ronny Andersson
Oud Junkie
Posts: 724
Registered: 8-15-2003
Location: Sweden
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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| Quote: | Originally posted by LeeVaris
Ronny -- good to hear from you!
I was worried that your web site seemed to have disappeared. Are you still selling ouds? |
Don't need to worry youself
We (Ronny & Walid) have been and still are, very busy with some work and at current time we have only very few ouds for sale. Maybe later we will
import some on regurlar basis and then older instruments and ouds made by Fawzy Monshed 6-8 courses ouds.
Best wishes
Ronny
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