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Andy
Oud Junkie
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Mirjanian oud wanted
I am looking to buy an oud made by John Mirjanian from Pennsylvania. Please contact me antronig@yahoo.com
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Zulkarnain
Oud Junkie
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Hi
Are you Andy Kasparian from Kaira Oud forum?
Salam
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Andy
Oud Junkie
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Hello Zulkarnain, yes, I am the same Andy Kasparian.
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Chris_Khouri
Oud Junkie
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What?
What's going on over here? A luthier? in Pennsylvania??? Where!!
Awesome, I want to go visit his store. This is really cool.
Chris
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Jonathan
Oud Junkie
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I am pretty sure he is no longer making ouds, but I am hoping that somebody can give a brief profile. I have heard that his work was very meticulous,
and his ouds exceptional.
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Andy
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I don't know anything about him. I don't know if his work was meticulous but was told that his sound boards were very delicate. The 2 that I
heard sounded good but not exceptional that is not to say that he didn't make great instruments.
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paulO
Oud Junkie
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Merjanian Ouds...
Hi Andy,
John Merjanian lives in Folsom, PA. Two other friends and I ordered ouds from John in 1985 and 1987. John is a meticulous craftsman, and his esthetics
with wood are unsurpassed. The tone is just average, although there are a couple that sound pretty good. John built his ouds to last -- they are quite
a bit heaiver than the Karibians we were comparing them with. He was really particualr about the action on his instruments, he got some very low
action with minimal buzzing. He was also an excellent repairman. Unfortunately, he's not building or repairing ouds anymore.
Regards,
Paul
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Jonathan
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PaulO, do you know when he stopped making ouds? Any idea how many he made?
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Andy
Oud Junkie
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Hi PaulO,
Two oud players out here on the East Coast, Leo Derderian and Zaven Donabedian, play Mirjanian ouds, I'm sure there are many more. Many years ago Leo
mentioned to me that if I wanted John Mirijanian to build one for me to hurry because he was aging. Someone from Florida did offer to sell me one but
had a change of heart. If you or anyone you know of wants to part with their Mirijanian oud just let me know. You can get my contact info on the
membership list.
Thanks,
Andy
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Jonathan
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I am not looking to buy one, but if anybody has a picture of one that they can post, that would be great.
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paulO
Oud Junkie
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Hi Andy,
I forgot about Leo, but another guy who knew John well, and visited his shop was Greg Vosbikian (on one occasion, when one of my ouds was finished, he
had Greag play it while John held up the phone !!) and George Mgrdichian had some repair work done by John, oh -- another guy was Joe Kouyoumjian
(sp??). Let me see if I can find out what's going on with John. Good luck on your quest.
Regards...Paul
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Andy
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Paul,
Thanks again. I would imagine he did all the repairs for the Philly area and beyond. I heard his prices were very resonable. Paul do you play
professionally or like me, play for your own enjoyment?
Andy
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Andy
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Hi PaulO,
Just to let you know that I spoke with John Friday. A very interesting man. He let me know that he isn't making ouds anymore, serious health problems.
He really didn't want to talk but did and I could tell it was an effort.
Johnathan,
The Papazian oud maker that I mentioned to you is none other than John Merjanian's uncle. Papazian didn't make very many ouds. John learned from his
uncle and also spent a week with Hadi Usta just watching him build. I may have misunderstood this but I believe John said that is the same shop where
Hadi and Karibyan learned from Manol.
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Jonathan
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Thanks a lot, Andy. I really appreciate the information. If you ever get your Merjanian, I would love to post a picture on my website. I appreciate
the information very much. Shad Shnorhagalem.
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Hank Levin
Oud Maniac
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Re: Merjanian
Hank here. On Paul's recommendation, I had John Merjanian put a face on an oud I was building, a copy of a Karabyan (owned by Pyrrus Ruchus in NYC in
the 60's) made of black Brazilian rosewood with green and white purfling. I supplied the spruce, which I'd purchased 20 years previous from
Metropolitan Music in NYC. He REALLY liked the spruce I'd sent for the face. He worked on the neck, and really went out of his way to match my green
purfling. John then sent it back, and I finished it. I was very fortunate--thanks, Paul--it came out world class. Sumptuous treble--which John wasn't
normally known for. Necati Çelik has performed with it in concert. A few years later I made a pilgrimage to see John at his house near Chester, PA
where I'd lived as a kid. He was very kind and open--but quite eccentric, with a cluttered house full of wood and stuff. His shop was very neat,
though.
Shortly afterward he had his phone disconnected, as he spent too much $ on calls. (He was very free with information, and spent a lot of time on the
phone with me. If he was doing that on his own nickle with people, I can see why he wanted to get rid of his phone!) I tried to connect with him later
from time to time, but could not get any message to him through relatives. He'd developed a reputation for not getting repairs out, and holding onto
instruments forever.
I'm really grateful for the oud, and for having had the opportunity to meet this very unusual usta.
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paulO
Oud Junkie
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Hi Andy,
I have to concur with Hank about how his oud came out, just great. I'm glad you had a chance to talk with John, I spent many an hour on the phone with
the guy, both on his and my dime...it's a bummer about his health. Another side note; he has some cool reel to reel tapes of his uncle Charlie
Merjanian a very good singer...some time back I'd hoped he would send one to me, but it didn't work out. One story goes that Charlie was singing with
Oudi Hrant at some place in the Catskils, and Charlie got more applause than Hrant...so Charlie was off the gig after that !! Lastly, I do play
professionally; Amenian and Turkish music, along with some Arabic, and Greek.
Cheers...PaulO
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MrOud
Oud Maniac
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Merjanian oud
Hi all.
Ara Dinkjian owns an oud by Merjanian. This is an interesting story. Ara waited for two years for the oud to be completed by Merjanian. This was
about 10 or 12 years ago. I met with Ara at a family gathering the day he picked up the oud. It was a very good looking insturment. We took turns
playing it and neither one of us was happy with the way it sounded. We both agreed that it was loud but had way too much treble for our taste. Ara
actually decided to sell the oud. Chuck Yegian the darbuka player was interested in buying it. Chuck was going to sell me his Hamza usta oud and buy
Ara's Merjanian with the money.
A couple of weeks later Ara played that oud in a recording for Arto Tuncboyaciyan. For the purpose of that recording he tuned the oud down by two
tones. The result was almost magical. Beautiful treble, nice rounded bass and still loud. Everyone fell in love with the way it sounded. Of course Ara
changed his mind about selling it, and so did Chuck about selling his Hamza.
Regards
Udi Mike
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Andy
Oud Junkie
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Hank, thanks for the interesting story. John was very concerned about my phone bill. I assured him that it didn't matter. Are you still building? What
ever happened to the Manol you were selling a few years ago?
Paul, forgot to mention that when I mentioned PaulO from California he seemed to know who I was talking about. I mentioned you iin regards to this
group. I never heard of Charlie Merjanian. Was he on any recordings other than reel to reel? Did you ever hear the late Robert Afarian? Oh man what a
voice he had!
Udi Mike, the only Merjanian ouds I've heard are the ones he made for Leo Derderian and Zaven Donabedian and love the sound. The 7 course oud I built
a couple of years ago had a sound problem too even tried other brands of strings and then discovered that all I had to do is tune it to G instead of A
and it was like magic, great sound.
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Mike
Super Administrator
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Hey guys,
This is a great thread. I loved reading all your stories. Very cool. Thanks for sharing them.
Take care,
Mike
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Hank Levin
Oud Maniac
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Manol
Dear Andy,
To answer your two questions: "Are you still building? What ever happened to the Manol you were selling a few years ago?"
I am not building now, but doing some limited repairs. I have plans to go to Turkey and hopefully build a few ouds while I'm there.
That Manol went back to Turkey with Necati. I don't know what he did with it. It had a face that was replaced a long time ago, very nice work possibly
in the shop of Karabyan or Haday Usta.
I now have another Manol , with the original face in incredible condition. It was built in 1905. Photos will be available in a week or so.--Hank
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Jonathan
Oud Junkie
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Does anybody happen to know the correct spelling of his name? Mirijanian? Mirjanian?
Also, any chance he is related to Ray Mirijanian, the oud player (whom I am familiar with only through a pretty cool old LP on Mirta Records)
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oudmaker
Oud Junkie
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Jonathan
The oud maker is John Mirjanian. He worked with me on oud making early 1970ies. I took him to Turkey. We visited Hadi Usta's shop together. I also
introduce him to some other instrument makers at that time. I knew all his family, his father Steve whom my kids called DEDE means grandfather. My
father and his father corresponded with each other for long time. During 70ies he had relatives living in Istanbul. We made his first instrument
together in his basement. It was a kanun which I still have it. I knew his brother his two sisters as well. His father who was the "dancing teacher"
of my kids, died when he was 94 years old. If my memory is correct John had a oudmaker uncle or another relative he called "uncle charlie"
As far as late Raymond Mirijanian, the "pretty cool old LP" has a violin player name Garib. That is me. I played with Ray starting 1968 at old
Middleast Restourant in Philly and untill he got sick . That is about 15 years or more. He was a very good man and a true friend.
Some history ha?
Dincer
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Jonathan
Oud Junkie
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Dincer, Thanks! I really do love that LP--I wish they put it out on CD, because a lot of people have not heard it, and it is just wonderful. A
small, small world.
Putting together your info with some info that I got from Andy, I am guessing that "Uncle Charlie" might have been Charlie Papazian, but I guess I
will have to look into that further.
I really love these bits of info--thanks a lot.
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Andy
Oud Junkie
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Hank, I'll be looking for the photos of that Manol, hope you post them on this site.
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Andy
Oud Junkie
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Dincer, It is great to read the piece about you and John.
I am familiar with Ray Mirijanian playing oud but I thought he was better known for playing the clarinet in the 60's with George Mgrditchian on oud.
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