Melbourne
Oud Junkie
Posts: 354
Registered: 10-9-2006
Location: Mlebourne, Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: راحة الأرواح
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IMPOSSIBLY THIN! Nahat Bridges
Good day/evening fellow oud people.....
It certainly has been a while since I've come on here or even thought about ouds. I was very dedicated as a younger chap a few years back 
But I was hoping to get some insightful information on here, with regards to the bridges found on Nahat and other Shami ouds. I remember there been
some serious Nahat connoisseurs on here going way back. Not sure who remains....
So how would it have been possible, especially with what they had to work with 90 or 100 years ago, to make such impossibly thin slender bridges on
these ouds? I've attached some examples. There's even a modern zeryab reproduction, the foot print on that bridge is 18 x 110 mm, that's like just
over half an inch! Now I know bridges have a reputation for popping off for various reasons, but in the majority of cases these slender bridges have
remained intact.
I wonder if it was the low tension tuning associated with ouds back then, the cc" tuning that was common, there was certainly no ff". Or perhaps the
gut strings, or the plain tensionless dd"?
Maybe it was a secret glue formula. Nails from the bottom? (doubt that)
Any input from players, makers, or Nahat authorities (Dr Oud?  ) would be much
appreciated.
Stay safe everyone!
Thanks in advance....
Sam
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dusepo
Oud Junkie
Posts: 107
Registered: 2-6-2021
Location: London, Britain
Member Is Offline
Mood: Dastgah-e Chahargah ?????? ???????
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I think that second last picture is actually a John Vergara oud, and I know he builds with that style of bridge, so maybe he can help?
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Dr. Oud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1370
Registered: 12-18-2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: better than before
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no nails or screws usd. The strings used in those day were probably lower tension. Glue was certainly hide glue and the joint must be fitted
precisely, often using the lap sanding method. Acquila makes a special low tension set for antique ouds or use turkish strings which are intended for
higher pitch shorter string length and tune them low.
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