oiduts9989
Oud Admirer
Posts: 4
Registered: 7-20-2008
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Sukar ouds
I would like to order Sukar oud from Palmyrami, but can't decide on the model. #1, #14, #212 or #11. Please advise if you had any experience with this
instruments. Thanks,
Stephen
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Jason
Oud Junkie
Posts: 734
Registered: 9-17-2005
Location: Louisville, KY
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Mood: Loving my oud
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I have a 212. If you like a really deep traditional Arabic sounding oud I think you will like it. The action on mine is a bit high towards the face
but if you mostly play in first position it isn't an issue.
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jaron
Oud Maniac
Posts: 84
Registered: 6-14-2008
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Jason, there's a fun toy hidden in the Sukar ouds- an adjustable neck angle. You reach in and loosen a wingnut, change the angle, and tighten.
Now that I have a new model 14, I have played around with changing the action on my older Sukar. It's great fun. The instrument takes on a different
character with each slight shift in the neck angle.
The 14 I have is really rich and sustainy. You can feel the strings wanting to sustain forever through your fingertips. Sometimes it's almost too
rich.
Najib Shaheen has an interesting perspective on Sukar and is worth talking to, if he's willing to... I won't repeat his comments, but at any rate he's
yet another oud expert who finds a lot of merit in the Sukars.
I just chose the 14 on the theory that the higher number is better. I wish someone could explain the different models. The higher numbers seem to
use more expensive woods and might very well have better pegs, nuts, and so on. There's even a model 16 on the Palmyrami web page, but not on the
Sukar web page.
My older Sukar ( see http://www.arabicouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=7711#pid4... ) sounds quite different from the new 14 - and looks closer to the 212.
I would say it's less bassy and has a little less sustain- and is somehow less loud but at the same time better at projecting when other instruments
are playing.
The wood grain on the face of the 14 is very fine and regular, while the grain on the face of the older instrument is wide, wavy, and varied.
The neck inlays in my old Sukar are rising and lumpy, making it hard to play. Najib suggested putting a new surface on the neck, but getting a new 14
was cheaper. That's also the reason I didn't choose a new Sukar with an inlaid neck...
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2939
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Mood: Stringish
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Several years back, Najib had Sukar build him several ouds to his design, leaving out the nut and pegs, and not drilling the bridge holes. Najib then
did the pegs, nut and bridge. They all had a traditional fixed neck, not Sukar's usual adjustable one.
Anyway, they were amazing ouds, I wish I had bought one when I had the chance.
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Jason
Oud Junkie
Posts: 734
Registered: 9-17-2005
Location: Louisville, KY
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Mood: Loving my oud
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I've always been a little weary of messing with it. I imagine you tighten the nut to decrease the bow of the neck?
At any rate I think it would need a lower bridge to have the action where I like it.
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charlie oud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 694
Registered: 11-19-2007
Location: Newcastle upon tyne. UK
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Mood: chords prefer frets
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I recently adjusted the action on my Sukar by tightening the wing nut, I too thought at first that the strng hieght at the bridge was too high, but
its not. The action over the entire fingerboard is now superb and could go even lower if I wanted. When you make the adjustment it all becomes very
clear that this mechanism is far more sophisticated than it seems. The angles are finely calculated to accommodate the high bridge action, moreover
its this higher bridge action which give Sukar's oud their fine power and sustain. Regarding models, there is no game, the more you pay the better the
oud. Sukar is not a mysterious producer, he is a straight forward maker of evocative Arabic oud sounds. Happy shopping. Regards, C.
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jaron
Oud Maniac
Posts: 84
Registered: 6-14-2008
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What I don't understand about the sukar models is the difference between the sequence of models that runs from 1 to 14, and the sequence that runs
from 201 to 213.
Both sequences include fingerboards of different lengths, bowls of different kinds, soundholes that are circular or oval, varying amounts of inlay,
and so on.
Maybe the 200s have pickups or something.
The sequence following the number "100" is all solid body electric ouds, I think.
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charlie oud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 694
Registered: 11-19-2007
Location: Newcastle upon tyne. UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: chords prefer frets
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Slight adjustment to my post above. I mean the more you pay the better looking the oud, though this is probably true in terms of sound also. Others
are better placed to comment, like those who have tried many fo his models. C
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