Jameel
Oud Junkie
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Matthias Wagner's Bashir Model
I noticed Matthias Wagner's new Bashir Model. I'm not too familiar with the Bashir oud, but for those who are, what are your observations about the
bridge height and what looks to be a very thick fingerboard where it terminates at the hole? The string distance from the face where the playing
happens looks to be quite large.
http://www.lutes-strings.de/e-aoud_bachir_5.php
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LeeVaris
Oud Junkie
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The bridge height on my Foad Jihad "Bashir" style is 1.4 cm. This does look a bit high, probably to accomodate the thick fingerboard. The higher
bridge creates a greater "break angle" which creates better transfer of energy to the soundboard (& more preasure on the face) but it also creates
some problems for the player used to more traditional instruments because your hand position is different. Arch top guitars have very high bridge
heights with elevated fingerboards – much higher than this – but the playing position and right hand technique is quite a bit different than for
an oud. You might be able to get used to it. The most comfortable playing oud I've got right now is Dincer's - very low action with the string height
off the face at about 0.8 cm! The Foad has higher tension strings with the higher string height but because of the design the action to the
fingerboard is still fairly low - my arm-hand position tends to flatten out a little more at the wrist to accomodate the higher bridge. It is
interesting switching between the two. Matthias' oud does seem a bit high though - hard to say without actually holding it!
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Django
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bridge height
Interesting, Lee. I've just purchased my second Fou'ad oud, and after getting used to the low action of my al-Tayyar , I'm dealing with the
frustration of a higher action with the Fou'ad, due, as you say, to the higher bridge and the thick fingerboard. What scale length (mensur) are you
setting the bridge at for your Fou'ad?
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akram
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on my yaroub oud it is 1 cm
akram
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Django
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The bridge height on my Fou'ad oud is 1.4 cm., whereas the bridge height on my A-Tayyar oud is 1.2 cm. A little difference in bridge height makes a
lot of difference in playing!
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SamirCanada
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I know that on my tayyar the brige was. 1cm but because of the groves the strings rested at about 0.8 or 0.9cm above the face. That was verry low and
made hard not to hit the face when playing.
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LeeVaris
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Django-
the scale length on my Foad is 57cm
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Ronny Andersson
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Jameel
I noticed Matthias Wagner's new Bashir Model. I'm not too familiar with the Bashir oud, but for those who are, what are your observations about the
bridge height and what looks to be a very thick fingerboard where it terminates at the hole? The string distance from the face where the playing
happens looks to be quite large.
http://www.lutes-strings.de/e-aoud_bachir_5.php |
Jameel, the Bashir model by Matthias, is based on the Yaroub oud played by Shamma. I know Matthias and Shamma have tried his oud and was very
satisfied with it.
The thick extended fingerboard is to prevent to high string action at high positions due to the extreme high bridge. The bridge itself doesn’t
affect playability in any negative way; it’s just a question about the player’s skill. Mohammed Fadel is only maker I knows about whom prevented
to high string action at the fingerboard with bending the soundboard like on the Italian mandolin that his model in fact is based on.
Best wishes
Ronny
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