Edward Powell
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1212
Registered: 1-20-2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: g'oud
|
|
Who are these makers?
Ghadban, Matta, Sabbassi, Khalaf, Sukar.
Can someone give info about these makers? Where - What - Who - pics.... who plays them, how do they work...... etc etc etc
Please add info on other master oud makers we might not have heard of... I know of Albert Mansour also - he seems to be know for making the lightest
ouds: 600grams
|
|
|
fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: m'Oudy
|
|
Edward, you might best rely on your own research, all anybody can tell you is their opinion.
Nazih Ghadban out of Beirut makes very well-finished and good-sounding ouds. I've played a relatively small one, 58.5 cm, nice midrange timbre, a
little nasal, not a strong bottom. I'm sure others can fill this in better, he's considered a major luthier, and has a lot of admirers. You can make
out the timbre here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEMyta1cs2U&feature=related
Web site:
http://www.oudnazihghadban.com/
Ibrahim Sukar out of Aleppo, makes a line of ouds that are considered by most members "reliable middle tier", although they sound very darned good to
me. He refuses to use the most expensive materials people associate with top "boutique" ouds. I think he's dedicated to making high quality affordable
for more people. He has developed a standard bracing and soundboard design to take the guesswork out of producing good-sounding ouds. The timbre is
consistently on the bright side with a strong projection, long sustain and powerful bass, and his ouds have a lot of sharper resonance points rather
than a couple of wide peaks. Not buzzy like a Turkish or sharp/plucky like an Iraqi floating bridge, but still quite different from the typical
throaty Egyptian barking timbre. He is one of only two luthiers offering an adjustable neck/action height, Fadi Matta being the other. This allows you
to optimize the action to taste, and avoid neck jobs as the instrument settles. I have one of his Model 1s and have played several others. I think
Sukar will be quite highly ranked in coming years. I recognize his ouds on various concert photos and videos, though I'm not much into "who plays
this".
You can make out the timbre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE5k05RGGMQ
Web site:
http://www.oudsukar.com/
Fadi Matta you can see speaking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TT4ukNKpCc
You can hear the timbre here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvGN8nEYVpg&feature=related
being rather of the rich midrange with clean bass variety to my ear.
Sherbel Rouhana plays his ouds.
Khalaf (apparently known as Jameel Abraham around here) is American, a relative newcomer, but he has admirers all over. The timbre of even his first
ouds is impressive, very rich, in many ways remind me of Faruk's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1fjWrGBgWg
Web site:
http://www.khalafoud.com/1971khalifa.htm
Peter Rafela plays his ouds
|
|
|
Edward Powell
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1212
Registered: 1-20-2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: g'oud
|
|
GReat Thanks!
Unfortunately I don't have download capacity where I am now staying so I can't check those clips.....  But I will be doing that ASAP!
tHANKS!
|
|
|
sabbassi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 570
Registered: 4-28-2008
Location: Morocoo
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy
|
|
Wha tabout me? 
just kidding...I can't compare myself with great masters like Ghadban, Sukar etc.... I was surprised to see myself on the list. Making ouds is only a
hobby I practice at night and in the weekends. although I do myself some researches to create better oud with better sound with different kind of
woods etc.
To answer your question,
I'm Samir Abbassi, I live in Holland and love playing oud, the Arabic old school, Kalthoum, Farid Abdelwahab etc....
you can see a picture of mine here: second from the right:
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/files.php?pid=64142&aid=10...
see ya.
|
|
|
Luttgutt
Oud Junkie
Posts: 578
Registered: 1-10-2009
Location: Norway
Member Is Offline
Mood: Curious
|
|
Well, Impossible to list all... that is why I ended my sentence with etc...
But I think I had you on my list
The wood might be dead, but the oud is alive.
|
|
|
Aymara
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1162
Registered: 10-14-2009
Location: Germany / Ruhr Region
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
You should have mentioned, that you have learned building ouds from your friend Khalid Belhaiba in Morocco. I think, this is not unimportant and more an advantage than a downside 
| Quote: | | I was surprised to see myself on the list. |
No reason to be surprised
You documented several building processes here in the forum, so you got noticed by many. And you documented by videos, that your ouds have a very good
sound.
So no wonder, that you got recognized as a luthier, hobbyist or not, what counts is the result. And you as a hobbyist have a great advantage over the
professional luthiers ... the price.
Many people can't afford a Ghadban or Türünz oud.
PS: A further advantage of yours is, that you're located in Central Europe ... we don't have many oud luthiers here.
Greetings from Germany
Chris
|
|
|
fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: m'Oudy
|
|
Having listened to a lot of bad recordings, I'm starting to be able to separate at least in some cases, the recording from the oud. But I can't be
sure. And of course there are preferences, personally I don't care for the tight Iraqi floating bridge sound.
But I wonder who else agrees: the best-sounding ouds overall to my ears, more than any other, are those by Jameel Abraham Khalaf as he's called. Like
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omxR9o7G1M0
|
|
|
Sazi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 786
Registered: 9-17-2007
Location: Behind my oud
Member Is Offline
Mood: مبتهج ; ))
|
|
That reminds me of something I read once, a really good player was playing a guitar and someone said "wow, that guitar sounds really good" so the
player put the guitar down and said "now how does it sound?"
|
|
|
Luttgutt
Oud Junkie
Posts: 578
Registered: 1-10-2009
Location: Norway
Member Is Offline
Mood: Curious
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by Sazi  | | That reminds me of something I read once, a really good player was playing a guitar and someone said "wow, that guitar sounds really good" so the
player put the guitar down and said "now how does it sound?"
|
Hehe... you made my day lol
No seriously, I wrote long ago on this forum that I think Jameel is (inspite of the favt that he has only built 5 ouds!) is a remarkable luthier (I am
not going to use terms as best, etc... )
And, if I remember well, I wrote it in response to somebody writing that FT was the best in the world
But there are so many other good luthiers... and ouds are individuales (so are our ears )
My top favorits are (not in any order)
Dimitris, Sukar (his custom made ouds, of course), Ghadban, Khalaf (only if he produces more ), Mansour (I know that he was sick. And I hope he will continue making ouds)
p.s. My 7-course Sukar is, to me, the best sounding oud I have ever played or heard. And I can promise you that I have played many
The wood might be dead, but the oud is alive.
|
|
|
Sazi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 786
Registered: 9-17-2007
Location: Behind my oud
Member Is Offline
Mood: مبتهج ; ))
|
|
Just thought I'd mention my favorite maker @ the moment, Dr. Ali Hassan! Also a member of this forum, describes himself as "just a hobbyist" though
I'm sure some of his prestigious satisfied customers will change that! Not been making ouds long but studied and worked hard at it, and is very
knowledgable on the various factors that determine almost exactly what an oud will sound like and how it will respond once it is finished.
Here he tried for a Bashir sound... and I think he succeeded admirably! ( My favorite! )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLdMQfWWzSs
And here a Manol style...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq4I9fZrevY
And here a nahat style...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XmAfML_bGQ
|
|
|
Luttgutt
Oud Junkie
Posts: 578
Registered: 1-10-2009
Location: Norway
Member Is Offline
Mood: Curious
|
|
Agree with you! This floater is a killer
Impossible to list all good makers. But I listed those who I have tried and liked best.
Have not tried a Ali oud yet... but I hope I'll be able to get one soon 
p.s. I have not tried Jameel oud either. But I listed him because it is difficult not to admire his work, espetially knowing that he has only produced
5 ouds so far!!!!! 
The wood might be dead, but the oud is alive.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
