juju
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 11-13-2011
Location: Paris - France
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fingerboard and buzz
This summer i asked my luthier to sand my fingerboard because my oud was buzzing on C and F freted notes. It solved the problem but i don't know if it
would be possible to do it again...i was wondering if it is a good option to put a kind of resin on the fingerboard to preserve the wood. What do you
think of this option ?
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franck leriche
Oud Junkie
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Of course it's possible to do it again and again, until there's no wood...Then you have to change the fingerboard like every non fretted
instrument.
No resin is strong enough so you will never need to sand it anymore, so wood is still the best option.
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SamirCanada
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What kind of wood is your fingerboard?
some people do a superglue or epoxy treatment but I am not sure how effective they are. Like Frank says, I am sure they eventually grove as well.
@samiroud Instagram
samiroudmaker@gmail.com
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juju
Oud Junkie
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Location: Paris - France
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My fingerboard is made of rosewood.
At present the buzzing problem is almost solved but I'm afraid I'll have to ask for another sanding in few months ... the result of the sanding
operation is that the action is higher, so I imagine that it wouldn't be possible to do it again.
If I have to change my fingerboard, is ebony a better option than rosewood ?
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LewdOud
Oud Admirer
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I had a similar problem with my old oud which developed improper wear because of engravings in the fingerboard. Sanding the fingerboard flat created a
new problem by exposing gaps between the engravings and the fingerboard (a whole new buzz!). Since I didn't want to hide the engravings, using some
type of filler was the only option.
After researching different types of wood fillers, polyurethanes and epoxies, I came across an option which did the job wonderfully.
I used a finishing epoxy (typically used by luthiers to fill in backs of porous wood guitars and creating a smooth surface). The advantage is that is
mixes pretty easy (50/50 resin and hardner) and you apply it in thin coats so you don't have to worry about making a mess or putting on too much to
sand.
A disadvantage for me was the time. I took 4 initial coats followed by sanding to get to a smooth finish. You apply the final finish coat similar to
shellac by mixing with denatured alcohol and rubbing it on. After that it's your preference of how much shine you would like by using wet
sanding/rottenstone/polish. Its amazing how much shine your fingerboard will get! Playing will eventually dull the finish, but its right under the
string so not too visible ( and you can polish it up when you change strings).
You have to keep in mind that epoxy raises the fingerboard and lowers the action (the dangerous world of buzz), but finishing epoxy in thin layers
reduces that risk by slowly bringing up the low spots. Good sanding etiquette is key. Applying epoxy also creates the risk that the nut will become
fused to the fingerboard if you don't remove it before starting the application.
There is also another disadvantage that if your fingerboard does not extend over the soundboard, there will be a noticeable shift as your fingers move
to the soundboard ( this does not result in a buzz as you are stepping down when you go on the soundboard)
I used Z-poxy finishing epoxy, which also gave my fingerboard a great amber stain.
Overall I'm very happy with the results. Epoxy will get grooves just like wood, but now I've taken control of it and there is a relief when you know
that future grooves can be fixed with a few light coats. The wood itself will no longer need sanding.
My advice would be to try it on some scrap before going to town on your oud. A DIY fix is very satisfying, but there is no worse feeling than taking a
buzzing oud and then rendering it unusable.
Good luck
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Dr. Oud
Oud Junkie
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Tung oil will harden the wood fingerboard. Phenolic laminate is harder and used on violins now with the scarcity of ebony.
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juju
Oud Junkie
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Thanks for all your replies.
Is "phenolic laminate" used for oud fingerboard ? Has anyone ever tried it ?
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
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Quote: Originally posted by juju  | Thanks for all your replies.
Is "phenolic laminate" used for oud fingerboard ? Has anyone ever tried it ? |
Indeed, it is the fingerboard on almost all of Mohamed Fadel's ouds. The original kind was Bakelite. I'll confirm that it doesn't seem to wear like
wood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite
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juju
Oud Junkie
Posts: 125
Registered: 11-13-2011
Location: Paris - France
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Hi,
I'm about to change my fingerboard.
I don't know what kind of wood I'll choose. Ebony seems harder than rosewood. So it could be a good option.
But I have no idea how it will influence the sound of my oud (at present it's a rosewood fingerboard).
Any idea ?
Nb: I don't know if it's something true but rosewood sounds to me warmer than ebony....
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