Elie Riachi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 582
Registered: 4-9-2004
Location: Kansas
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Mood: Gebran Tueni Lives For Ever, 12-12-05.
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Adjustable truss rod for the oud
Dr. Oud's post in a different thread reminded me of a claim my brother made. He said that ouds with an adjustable truss rods are being sold in
Lebanon.
I think this should be easy to make. Any comments from the oud builders out there on this subject?
I am considering this feature in the oud that I plan to build.
Peace
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
Registered: 6-5-2003
Location: NJ/NYC
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Hi. I think truss rods are more useful on long-necked instruments, like guitar or bouzouki.
On the oud, if the action does get higher, it's usually b/c of the face sinking in a little over the years, and not b/c the neck is warping. The
only oud necks I've seen that have warped were due to very high action/tension over many years.
Most players have low to medium action, so like I said, I personally don't see the need for a truss rod in an oud. The thing is I've also
heard that adjusting a truss rod on an oud to alter the angle of the neck can often damage the oud, especially the face. You can always have
adjustments made to the bridge, nut, and/or fingerboard over time to adjust the action, which is safer. 
Take care,
mav
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Dr. Oud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1370
Registered: 12-18-2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, USA
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Mood: better than before
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Elie Riachi
I think this should be easy to make. Any comments from the oud builders out there on this subject?
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I think a stiffening center piece is more effective in keeping the neck straight and the fingerboard flat. The truss rod is used to compensate for the
bow caused by string tension on longer necked steel strung instruments as Mav mentioned. The short neck and low tension nylon strings don't put
nearly as much tension in the neck of the oud. The most common cause of the oud neck warping is a deep and/or poorly fitted peg box notch at the top
of the neck. My opinion is that a truss rod is ineffective and risky to adjust. I don't reccomend them.
Mavrothis is correct also about the face sinking, and this is often a result of the tail of the oud raising up due to the string tension.
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wfspark
Oud Junkie
Posts: 166
Registered: 3-7-2004
Location: San Antonio Texas
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Mood: Oud entranced!
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Truss rods
| Quote: | Originally posted by mavrothis
Hi. I think truss rods are more useful on long-necked instruments, like guitar or bouzouki.
On the oud, if the action does get higher, it's usually b/c of the face sinking in a little over the years, and not b/c the neck is warping. The
only oud necks I've seen that have warped were due to very high action/tension over many years.
Most players have low to medium action, so like I said, I personally don't see the need for a truss rod in an oud. The thing is I've also
heard that adjusting a truss rod on an oud to alter the angle of the neck can often damage the oud, especially the face. You can always have
adjustments made to the bridge, nut, and/or fingerboard over time to adjust the action, which is safer.
Take care,
mav |
Hello to all. I have found that as a bass player I have not seen truss rods on fretless string basses.
The reason being is because the neck is too short to require one. Mav is right on this one. Most of the short necked instruments do not have a truss
rod. Although you can get one put in if preffered. The only oud maker I've heard that makes ouds with truss rods is Abraham Sukar. Am I right? Is
he the only oud maker that does this? In short any short necked oud does not need a truss rod dew to the low tention of the strings.
William F. Sparks
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Lectric
Oud Lover
Posts: 11
Registered: 12-13-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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The Luthier is Faddy Matta- Jouniev Lebanon
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