billkilpatrick
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square
on the "unprofitable instruments" site there's a beautiful - if unusual - reproduction of a medieval english fiddle. it's
square.
http://www.trombamarina.com/unprofitable/Fyddell/fydell.htm
anyone have any thoughts about square, lute like instruments?
i imagine sound quality would suffer a bit in an angular sound box but are there any other historical, documented instances in which a square design
was used instead of the bowl?
- bill
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Andy
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Bill, on the LP The Magic Carpet, Mohammed El-Bakkar is holding a flat back electric oud with sharp lines rather than the traditional smooth flowing
circular pear shaped oud. I'm sure very unusual for the oud of the 1960's.
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dahun
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square instruments
There are many folk instruments with "angled" shapes in different parts of the world: Africa, Middle East, Mongolia. Many of them are bowed
with a hide sound table. I do not know of any of the "art music traditions" using such a shape, though.
At the end it comes down to the simple reason that it would be uncomfortable to tuck a square lute under one's arm. The question of acoustics and
aesthetics of the sound is interesting. How would a square oud sound? 
Béla
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Elie Riachi
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dahun
.... The question of acoustics and aesthetics of the sound is interesting. How would a square oud sound?
Béla |
Have you ever seen the Badwan rababa, attached is a photo of an interesting one. As for the sound of a square body maybe a crude instrument could be
made out of a shoe box.
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chuckerbutty
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And let's not forget the humble but venerable cigar box guitar:
http://cigarboxguitars.com/
On the question of practicalities, Bo Diddley seems not to have too much discomfort tucking a rectangular guitar under his arm.
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dahun
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I have been proven wrong and now have learned. That flat guitar shure can be tucked better than a round backed oud that is bent on trying to slide
away from you.
I actually have been waiting for "Doc" (Dr. Oud) to join one aspect of this discussion. i.e. about how much the shape influences the
sound.
Great picture.
Béla
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Elie Riachi
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You can design an oud bowl with little deviation from the traditional and make less bent on sliding away if that is a problem. The lower side of the
oud's bowl, the portin that rest on the thigh, could be made flat and slightly concaved and I doubt sound will be noticebly altered.
Regards,
Elie
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billkilpatrick
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someone on the cigar box guitar site on yahoo mentioned that rectangular sound boxes might produce what he calls "wolf tones." consensus in
the group suggests it won't and he agrees. he built a beautiful guitar with a rectangular sound chamber that tapers towards the neck. he says
it produces a better tone than his martin backpacker.
the point is, i don't think my wood working and joinery skills are up to making a bowl but i can certainly handle a box.
- bill
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Elie Riachi
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| Quote: | Originally posted by billkilpatrick
...consensus in the group suggests it won't and he agrees. he built a beautiful guitar with a rectangular sound chamber that tapers towards the
neck. he says it produces a better tone than his martin backpacker.
...
- bill |
Hi Bill... been a long time buddy,
My three cents:
I don't think it matters what the shape of the body is on a solid body electric guitar or electric oud for that matter, it could be shaped like
pink flamingos and most likely not affect the sound much.
When it comes to acoustic ouds I would think that the shape of the body from half pear concave bowl to a cigar box would affect the sound quite a
bit.
As for the acoustic guitar the effect of changing from standard body shape to a cigar box might be a lot less noticable, since the original back is
flat anyway and the body is almost shaped like a box with rounded corners.
Regards,
Elie
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