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Matthias Wagner Syrian oud

Adel Salameh - 7-12-2011 at 07:01 AM

Hello ,
This is my new oud by German master oud maker Matthias Wagner.
Soundfile and videos to follow.
best wishes,
Adel
http://www.adelsalameh.com

Adel Salameh - 7-12-2011 at 07:10 AM

suz_i_dil - 7-12-2011 at 09:56 AM

It is a wonderful work.
I'm just wondering why this choice of not varnishing the neck?

francis - 7-12-2011 at 02:25 PM

I agree with suz_i_dil, really a wonderfull work.
With is it named "syrian"? Only visual specs or more?
Will you post a soundfile, Adel?

francis - 7-12-2011 at 02:30 PM

What is the wood for pegs? Lemon, oliver tree?
I would like to find the same color for a set of pegs ( I like the aesthetic on a dark pegbox wood ). Are these pegs from a current production by Matthias?

Matthias - 7-12-2011 at 11:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by francis

What is the wood for pegs? Lemon, oliver tree?

Hello ,

I used olive wood for the pegs here. That looks phantastic and works very well.
The design of the pegs is taken from a old Bedrossian instrument from 1940, very comftable to use.

Matthias

francis - 7-13-2011 at 06:18 AM

Hello Matthias,

Do you currently make it? I would like to buy one set if possible.
Colour and design are very fine!

Francis

Adel Salameh - 7-13-2011 at 06:49 AM

dear Friends, I have not received the oud yet .... I will see Matthias this week end.....and I am sure that we will make some videos.
Best wishes,
Adel
http://www.adelsalameh.com

Adel Salameh - 7-13-2011 at 08:52 AM

dear Friend suz_i_dil, sorry I did not answer your question...
I do not like varnished oud, they look cheap to me....
the back of the oud is with French Polish, the soundoard is waxed and the neck does not need varnished as is it's made out of rosewood.
Best wishes,
Adel

suz_i_dil - 7-13-2011 at 09:02 AM

Merci Adel pour cet éclaircissement. C'était juste par simple curiosité de ma part.
Whish you to enjoy your oud and looking forward to hear it!

Alfaraby - 7-13-2011 at 12:23 PM

Beautiful looking oud, though olive wood is too oily to be used on ouds. It reminds us of souvenirs gifts from the Holy Land

I'm quite sure neither Mathias nor Adel has noticed that this rosette says: "Ikhwan Nahat work in Damascus" on a repeated mirror style calligraphy !
Mabrouk brother Adel Afendi, you deserve it, you sure do.

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

sabbassi - 7-13-2011 at 02:05 PM

Congrats Adel,

Beautiful instrument Wagner

I my self use only french polish on the back. the neck/ body join is withount any hiding strip (the way to go), like classic guitars. I wish all oud makers do it.

I would love to hear it,

enjoy it,

Matthias - 7-13-2011 at 10:48 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Alfaraby

... though olive wood is too oily to be used on ouds. It reminds us of souvenirs gifts from the Holy Land

MAking lutes for over 30 years and using often olive wood for the pegs I could not find any problems. Where did you have your problems. Would be very interested to know them.
On the other side rosewood and ebony making the problems. The violin makers have a lot to do to rearrange the pegs / pegholes from time to time.

Best regards

Matthias

Brian Prunka - 7-14-2011 at 09:05 AM

Olive wood is an excellent peg wood. The "oily" nature makes it self-lubricating and smooth to operate as long as they are well-fitted. Many ouds with olive pegs are poorly fitted, creating a misconception that the wood is to blame.

rex2009 - 7-16-2011 at 01:22 AM

What a lovely looking oud Adel. I am sure it is going to sound great. Waiting to hear though rather impatiently.
Salamaty
Tarig

spyros mesogeia - 7-17-2011 at 01:42 PM

Hello Mattias,can you please send me via U2U the price for the olive tree pegs?I am interested please.
All the best
Spyros

Matthias - 7-17-2011 at 11:24 PM

Hello Spyros,

thanks for your request. Unfortunately I cannot offer theese pegs for sale. I still have only a few pieces of olive wood, and theese I do need for my own instruments. I will look around for more olive wood and if here is someone in the forum who can offer to me some wood, please contact me.

But I can offer theese pegs in boxwood and plumwood, both excellent woods for the pegs. You find them in my shop here:
http://music-strings.de/index.php?a=12612&lang=eng
http://music-strings.de/index.php?a=12930&lang=eng
http://music-strings.de/index.php?a=12929&lang=eng

If I can offer them, I will inform you here.

Wish you all the best

MAtthias

Adel Salameh - 7-18-2011 at 05:24 AM

Hello,
These are some videos that Matthias has sent me while I am testing the oud.....
Thanks Matthias, it's a great oud.
best wishes,
Adel

http://youtu.be/NgSGdjRq4ik
http://youtu.be/nvyeyf4VlNk

spyros mesogeia - 7-18-2011 at 08:20 AM

Thank you my friend,but I want olive oud pegs.
Regards from Washington DC

Matthias - 7-19-2011 at 01:51 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Alfaraby

... though olive wood is too oily to be used on ouds. It reminds us of souvenirs gifts from the Holy Land

HelloAlfaraby,

I would really be interested what for you speaks against olive wood for pegs. You say the oil in it. Rosewood and ebony have more. You ever used by yourself olive wood for the pegs or had problems with that wood?

All the best

Matthias

Alfaraby - 7-20-2011 at 11:25 AM

I have never checked rosewood or ebony oil rate, but as olive trees owners who have seen & checked olive stumps for the last 4 decades, we came into conclusion that olive wood is not practical in the household. It's a fact we have never made any furniture from our wood. These stumps are used in souvenir carpentry or a fuel fore fire places. Moreover, no oud has ever been made from olive wood in our places , while walnut was picked to be the best for the ouds. Therefore, I have wondered once I saw olive pegs !
This does not mean I'm right & you, Mathias, are wrong. You're a reliable luthier whom I trust, so tell us why OLIVE ?

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Adel Salameh - 7-22-2011 at 06:04 AM

Dear friends, here is the sound of the oud, this was the first time that I hold the oud, any oud player will need some time to know the instrument , this video will give you an idea about the real sound of the oud, the video was recorded after I have finished tuning the oud....
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=219293014782322&comme...

best wishes,
Adel

sabbassi - 7-22-2011 at 07:01 AM

Sound beautiful, Will get even better with the time.

Jamil wa Hilw

Thanks for sharing

fernandraynaud - 7-22-2011 at 03:28 PM

Olive wood pegs are widely used, often stained black. They seem to work fine if the fitting is good.

fernandraynaud - 7-22-2011 at 03:33 PM

Adel can you perhaps post that video outside that swamp they call facebook?

But what a great-sounding oud (and player)!

akoud - 7-22-2011 at 11:07 PM

mabrok sadeki adel
nice looking oud and good sound

akram

Matthias - 7-23-2011 at 04:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by fernandraynaud

Adel can you perhaps post that video outside that swamp they call facebook?

But what a great-sounding oud (and player)!

Hello fernandraynaud,

you can find all theese vides and some more through my Youtube channel at

http://www.youtube.com/user/trommeln9#p/u

Best regards

Matthias

Matthias - 7-24-2011 at 01:19 AM

Quote: Originally posted by fernandraynaud

Olive wood pegs are widely used, often stained black. They seem to work fine if the fitting is good.

yes I used olive wood several times for the pegs and they work now excellent for a long time. I had no problems with them and the wood does not seem to me to be oily ( i expect the oil is within the olives ).
Principally it is important to:

age the woood some years
to fit the pegs properly to the holes

this is the most important point in arraging pegs. I saw so many oud's with absolutely bad made pegs. I recently had to prepare the pegs of an oud that had the price of 1500 EUR and for them you nearly should use a plier.

And in many cases the wood is absolutely too soft.

Matthias

zou - 7-24-2011 at 06:56 AM

hi,
i find this : a palestinian oudmaker made a oud from oliv wood
ziad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7f4otM9F6Y&feature=relmfu

Matthias - 7-24-2011 at 11:49 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Alfaraby

... Moreover, no oud has ever been made from olive wood in our places , while walnut was picked to be the best for the ouds. Therefore, I have wondered once I saw olive pegs !
This does not mean I'm right & you, Mathias, are wrong. You're a reliable luthier whom I trust, so tell us why OLIVE ?

Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Hello Alfaraby,

I often tried different materials on my instruments, and it is always surprising the results came out. As it is here for me very difficult to get olive wood in bigger pieces, I had only the chance to use this wood for the pegs. and the result was very satisfying, up from the beginning and over the years. And furthermore they look so good, as you saw in the instruments by Adel and what you can see here too: http://www.lutes-strings.de/english/Aoud_baghdad-1.php

Once I saw several sets for the guitar at an italian wood supplyer. They offered a two piece back, that looked phantastic. And once I saw the website of a guitar maker, I suppose he was from Israel, who offered guitars with the back and sides of olive wood. But about the sound I cannot saw anything.

All the best

Matthias

billkilpatrick - 8-2-2011 at 06:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Matthias

... I will look around for more olive wood and if here is someone in the forum who can offer to me some wood, please contact me ... MAtthias

we've got 200-something olive trees - we're olive tree rich. send me a photo of what you require (what the wood looked like when you bought it) and i'll save you some wood accordingly.

gratis, you just pay for the courier/postage.

londonoudi - 8-3-2011 at 10:05 PM

What do you think of zebrano wood for a oud?

Matthias - 8-8-2011 at 11:18 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Alfaraby

I have never checked rosewood or ebony oil rate, but as olive trees owners who have seen & checked olive stumps for the last 4 decades, we came into conclusion that olive wood is not practical in the household.
....
Yours indeed
Alfaraby

Hello Alfaraby,

a few days ago I got small sample pieces a+from two diffent kind of olive wood. Theese two pieces where totally different to the material I used until now:

italian olive wood
this was the kind of oilive wood I used until now. I've got it from differnt places in northern an middle Italy. As I describet it it was really not oily
sicilian olive wood
this kind seems to me more dens than the previous one and more oily
wild olive wood
same as before

I will make peg tests with theese materials to see how they work

Do you know theese different kinds of olive wood? May be you can send me pictures in high quality of your material? Would be great

Thanks Matthias