ilovegreentea
Oud Lover
Posts: 22
Registered: 5-11-2016
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Lowering action
Hi everyone! i have an Abdel Hamid Haddad Turkish model oud. I find that the action is slightly high and would prefer a lower action. Does anyone have
any experience lowering the action by filing the nut? It's a teeny weeny higher than the fingerboard. I was hoping to bring it down to at least the
same level. What do you think?
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SamirCanada
Moderator
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Registered: 6-4-2004
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Very bad idea. it will buzz and you will not lower the action.
if you want to shorten the nut you also have to remove some that fingerboard material at the nut, it seems like a lot of ebony there so maybe its an
option.
otherwise the only real way is to reset the neck.
@samiroud Instagram
samiroudmaker@gmail.com
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stos
Oud Junkie
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Hello!
I cannot help you sorry but im curious about your oud
can you tell us more about? i didnt knew haddad was doing turkish oud?
thanks !!
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newlife_ks
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 6-12-2016
Location: Germany, NRW
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Hello!
If the action at the nut is about 0.2 mm I believe it is ok. I'd rather try first to lower the strings at the bridge by pushing the loops down as far
as possible, if they aren't anyway. Loosening the strings may help, but is not necessarily required. The blunt edge of a pencil will do the job.
Greetings from Klaus in Germany!
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ilovegreentea
Oud Lover
Posts: 22
Registered: 5-11-2016
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Hi! Thank you all for your advice! I better not do anything to the nut or the bridge and the moment. There was a very thin piece of paper beneath the
nut which I've removed. It did lower the action by a little bit I'd say. It's much more comfortable!
@Stos: I got this oud from my teacher's student sometime around April. He loves to travel and bring ouds back to sell. I understand it's a Turkish
model but doesn't really sound Turkish after playing some other Turkish ones. Or maybe it's not even a Turkish model! Haha! Anyway, I didn't know who
the maker was back then and was only told it was from three brothers living quite far away from Tunis. I'd say its a mid range model, definitely
better than the average student model. It came with Arabic tuning string but I've changed them to Turkish to play some Tamburi Cemil Bey!
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Dr. Oud
Oud Junkie
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The height at the nut can be as low as 1/2 mm as long as the open string does not buzz it's ok. The strings at the bridge can be lowered by first
loosening the string, then rotating the knot down toward the face. The height at the neck joint then should be 3-5mm. Lower may cause buzzing, higher
will make it harder to play.
Turkish string lengths are around 700mm. Arabic is longer, from 750 - 800mm. If your oud is longer than 750mm, tuning it higher to play Turkish modes
may cause damage to the face when the bridge rips off due to too much tension.
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
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Quote: Originally posted by Dr. Oud  | The height at the nut can be as low as 1/2 mm as long as the open string does not buzz it's ok. The strings at the bridge can be lowered by first
loosening the string, then rotating the knot down toward the face. The height at the neck joint then should be 3-5mm. Lower may cause buzzing, higher
will make it harder to play.
Turkish string lengths are around 700mm. Arabic is longer, from 750 - 800mm. If your oud is longer than 750mm, tuning it higher to play Turkish modes
may cause damage to the face when the bridge rips off due to too much tension. |
It will definitely be harder to play when the bridge rips off. 
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