Alan-TX
Oud Junkie
Posts: 118
Registered: 2-18-2008
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Wooden Nut - Tuning Question
I am brand new to the oud. I have a new oud with a wooden nut. I am trying to tune the strings to a set pitch. I see this with the wound strings
mostly but as soon as I get close to the desired pitch I can twist the peg but the string is locked on the nut and does not move. If I keep adding
tension the string will move but is now tuned too high. Is there a solution to this to have more accurate tuning without huge jumps like that? I know
having a bone nut installed will help but are there other workarounds?
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jazzchiss
Oud Junkie
Posts: 217
Registered: 12-20-2004
Location: Madrid
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Mood: Improvising
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I asked the same question: http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=3310#pid218...
You can try soap, graphite... none worked for me.
Finally Nazih sent me a new bone nut and now I have my oud perfectly tuned.
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SamirCanada
Moderator
Posts: 3405
Registered: 6-4-2004
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try taking a HB pencil. and draw into the string notches of your nut. it will help for sure.
but really making a bone nut to replace the wodden one is the best way to go.
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Matthias
Oud Junkie
Posts: 473
Registered: 1-24-2007
Location: Badenweiler, Germany
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Dear Alan,
yes, it is always a problem with a wooden nut or saddle as I call it. Wood is not so dense as it is necessary for a saddle. By this reason I always
use bone for my saddles. But it is principally not impossible to use wood for a saddle. Doing this there are some conditions which must be o. k. that
it works:
1. it must be a hard wood, ebony or brazilian rosewood. even indian rosewood is too soft as I think
2. the goove in the saddle must be very smooth. If it isn't you will always have the effect you realized. To make the goove smooth take an old wound
string and pull it with a big pressure through the groove. You will realize a moment there will be less friction. Then your saddle groove is good.
3. The goove must not be very deep. 1/3 - 1/2 of the string diameter is o.k. in this case you have less friction.
4. the point where the strings leaves the saddle to the fingerboard should not have a sharp border. If this is the case, make it a bit round with a
file.
Doing theese 4 points it is in most cases not necessary to use graphit in the groove, but graphit does not effect any bad things but helps, so you can
use it anyway.
Hope that helps you.
Regards Matthias
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monthereux
Oud Admirer
Posts: 1
Registered: 7-12-2008
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Hi,
I just made a bone saddle for my oud. I used a guitar raw saddle and it was not a big deal to produce a nice working and good sounding saddle from
that - it's worthwhile, it improves the instrument to have a good saddle...
wish you success...
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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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I find that the full groove causes interference with the wound strings at the front edge of the string groove. You can make the nut with the grooves
only on the back side of the nut, leaving the front edge continuous and relieving the interference. The groove doesn't need to be very deep at all,
just enought to guide the string into the pegbox, and larger then the string diameter so not to catch the string on the edges of the groove.
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