jlmsika
Oud Lover
Posts: 17
Registered: 9-19-2014
Location: Paris F
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Ostrich quill Rishas or Mzraps
News on the « Risha », or « Mzrap » front:
A great, natural and organic sound with Ostrich quill Rishas, hand made and available now from Paris, France!
I understand that eagle quill Rishas are forbidden in the US and Canada. Therefore, US and Canada's Oud players who want to avoid the use of
artificial materials like plastic in favor of the original traditional sound, particularly if they use natural gut strings for the G and the C treble
strings (and sometimes for the D string too...) there has been so far the only option of horn Rishas. However, horm Rishas are not ideal because horn
is not a flexible material, unless it is sliced very thin (...much less than a millimeter...) . With such a thin risha, and a razor thin edge, you
can't possibly avoid a « slapping » sound on the string.
Now, with Ostrich quill, you have a flexible Risha, for tremolos and fast ornaments, etc... and in the same time, the tip of the Risha remains 2 to 3
mms thick, which allows for a soft rounded edge which glides gently on the string without the slapping noise.
Therefore, with an Ostrich quill Risha, or Mzrap, you can play oud fast, in the US and Canada, and keep a sweet and full oud sound similar to the
traditional eagle quill sound heard in the 1930's records of musicians like Azzuri Harun Al Awwad and others, by “Baïdaphone”, “Odeon”,
etc....
I “sculpt” carefully each Ostrich quill by hand, using finer and finer sand papers and polishing paste, until I get two soft and rounded tips on
each Risha, which can be both used for great oud music.
For those interested to try, I can send an Ostrish Risha, ready to play, for $ 65 (via Western Union...), including packing and postage.
With best wishes for great Oud music,
Jean-Loup Msika
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hans
Oud Junkie
Posts: 186
Registered: 5-6-2014
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Interesting. If the thickness is not to your liking, can you easily work on it yourself? And is the price the same for sending it to amsterdam?
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Alfaraby
Oud Junkie
Posts: 796
Registered: 9-18-2009
Location: Holy Land
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Mood: Cool
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Thank you very much Mr. Msika for the risha you've sent me. It has a marvellous touch, yet a bit hard. I tried to soften it in one tip while keeping
the other untouched. They both feel great, though I fear it's a bit fragile on the softer edge. It might be worn down during intensive use, unless you
have any precaution advices. I didn't tried it in continuous playing, so I can't testify as to its durability and/or strength. Only time and
experience would tell.
I have a 50 years old eagle quill risha, so I could compare between the two "birds". The ostrich quill is wider than the eagle and produces round warm
sort of sound I personally prefer, while the eagle gives the sharp touch many players seek . Therefore I'll vote for your risha, hoping it's longevity
turns to be satisfying.
Thank again friend
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
alfarabymusic@gmail.com
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jlmsika
Oud Lover
Posts: 17
Registered: 9-19-2014
Location: Paris F
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Ostrich Quill Rishas
Dear Alfaraby,
I'm glad you like my Ostrich quill risha! I think that it's as durable as eagle because I use it constantly and it doesn't wear out. I too love the
warm sound on the strings!
Dear Hans,
Yes, it is possible to retouch carefully the Ostrich risha with fine sanding paper (500 and then 2000 to get it really smooth...) however, I would
recommend playing for a while and trying first to adapt to a risha that is a little bit stiffer than a plastic risha, but gives such a warm and
powerful sound!
Yes, the price is the same for Amsterdam: 50 euros, including shipment.
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Marcus
Oud Junkie
Posts: 446
Registered: 11-26-2008
Location: Stuttgart/ South Germany
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Mood: Lost in music
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Hi Jean-Loup
I`d like to try to make a ostrich-risha myself.
Can I use any feather or should it be from a special part of the bird?
Cheers
Marcus
Playing the oud is like feeding my soul with peace
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jlmsika
Oud Lover
Posts: 17
Registered: 9-19-2014
Location: Paris F
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Hello Marcus,
The Ostrich feather should be one of the thickest available. The important thing is to find a feather which is thick and wide enough to carve a good
risha out of it, which is quite tricky! One's got to negotiate with the thickness and wideness available in the feather so as to get the right balance
between flexibility (tremolos, etc..) and resistance (quality of sound, etc..). You need to experiment... Good luck!
All the best,
Jean-Loup
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Marcus
Oud Junkie
Posts: 446
Registered: 11-26-2008
Location: Stuttgart/ South Germany
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Mood: Lost in music
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Hi Jean-Loup
Thanks for the reply.
Do you soak the feathers in oil or something after sanding + polishing?
Can you post a pic of a Ostrichrisha?
All the best for you too,
Marcus
Playing the oud is like feeding my soul with peace
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jlmsika
Oud Lover
Posts: 17
Registered: 9-19-2014
Location: Paris F
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Yes Marcus,
You soak the risha in olive oil for as long as possible, when finished and polished.
You can see some photos of my Ostrich rishas on this site, on this very forum.
(as far as I know, there was no previous experiment before with Ostrich feathers..)
Please let me know how you experiment,
All the best,
Jean-Loup
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rojaros
Oud Junkie
Posts: 581
Registered: 7-9-2008
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Quote: Originally posted by jlmsika  | Yes Marcus,
You soak the risha in olive oil for as long as possible, when finished and polished.
You can see some photos of my Ostrich rishas on this site, on this very forum.
(as far as I know, there was no previous experiment before with Ostrich feathers..)
Please let me know how you experiment,
All the best,
Jean-Loup |
Could you please post a link to the pics...
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abc123xyz
Oud Junkie
Posts: 114
Registered: 5-17-2007
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Mood: No Mood
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They're at http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=15256
:·)
David
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