hertel
Oud Admirer
Posts: 1
Registered: 2-17-2005
Location: somerville, ma
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Why have I never heard of oiling an 'ud?
I have friends who oil their guitars and also a friend who occasionally soaks her nays in oil. I was wondering if oil could be used to improve the
health of my new yet quickly aging 'ud. It is drying out and developing cracks in the extremely dry air of the New England winter. I've already
tried solving the problem with a case humidifier that clips onto the strings, and also a room humidifier for the room it's in. Thanks!
-scott
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Andy
Oud Junkie
Posts: 314
Registered: 10-5-2004
Location: MA
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Mood: excellent
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Please don't oil it ever. I believe the oil will clog the pores of the top and most likely cause the sound to be dead. The weather we experience here
in the region is terrible for ouds, cold and dry, especially this year. I have tried humidifiers too with no possitive results. Some have said
oiling is good but I am against it and am use to seeing the 2 hairline cracks on my oud sound board, it still sounds the same. If the cracks in your
oud get really bad you may want to have Peter Keyvelos look at it, cracks can be repaired.
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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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Your friends are probably using a lemon oil finish cleaner on the laquer or varnish finish of their guitars. Most ouds have no finish on the face and
oiling the bare wood will soften the fiber and eventually cause the wood to rot. Nays are very different instruments and need oil, but do not have the
same structure as a stringed instrument. Problems with cracking are sometimes caused by using unseasoned wood in making the oud, common in "bargain"
ouds from Egypt or Pakistan found on ebay, (costing under $600, for instance). Case, room or home humidifiers are the best treatment to control
extreme dryness, and the cracks can be repaired by any competant string instrument technician. Avoid steel string or electric guitar shops. Find a
violin or classic guitar luthier.
One treatment that does not affect the oud's bare soundboard is an egg white wash. Discard the yolk and strain the white part of an egg. Brush or wipe
the face evenly, wiping the excess before letting it dry.
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Jonathan
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1582
Registered: 7-27-2004
Location: Los Angeles
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Dr. Oud--when would you use an egg white wash? What is it the treatment for? Would this be only for a new soundboard? Thanks.
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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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The egg finish is a sealer applied to bare wood or new soundboards. If you let egg white dry on a ssurface, you'll find a fairly impervious skin. The
egg finish will help to seal against moisture and repel dirt, body oils, etc. It's not necessary to recoat unless you remove a finish or sand the
soundboard down - BUT ONLY IF IT'S TOO THICK. Oud soundboards should be 1 1/2 - 2mm thick, Arabic or Turkish. Another note - be sure to strain the egg
white with a fine mesh strainer like a flour sifter to remove the lumpy stuff. Some luthiers also whip the final clear liquid and spoon off the froth
on the surface, but I have not noticed any difference. Many recipies are fraught with myth and innuendo, you know. It's difficult to tell if the face
already has an egg finish. It's common practice among Turkish builders, and leaves the face with a slightly darker color. If you weren't sure it
wouldn't hurt to apply another coat but repeated coats are uneccessary.
The reason behind the original problem is likely green or unseasoned wood, rather than the environment. Unless you get a high quality oud that you
know is made with properly seasoned wood, you are going to get cracks and separated seams anywhere, regardless. Caveat Emptor!
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