Mike's Oud Forums

First oud purchase

crmdgn - 8-18-2016 at 09:04 AM

I've been looking around for a first oud, and I'm leaning toward a Cankaya (Sandi) oud. Since I'm in the US and they're in Turkey, I'm wondering whether any US oud players have bought from them, and whether the process went smoothly. Questions off the top of my head:

- Were there any unforeseen expenses?
- Did the oud arrive intact and undamaged?
- Did the oud arrive within the predicted window?

Jody Stecher - 8-18-2016 at 11:18 AM

Some years ago I bought an oud directly from Saedettin Sandi and also had a few email exchanges with Bahadir Sandi. Everything was smooth, efficient, cordial and honest. There *were* some unforeseen difficulties but they all took place here in the USA. First it got held up in customs at JFK airport in NY because the someone there thought the package contained cheese and the paperwork was not correct! read all about it here:
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=16205#pid10...

once that got sorted the oud arrived at my door in san francisco the very next morning. And then the shipping company (not USPS) demanded a payment, one that had already been made. It wasn't very much but it was annoying because they would neither accept cash nor could they tell me whom I should write a check to. I can't recall how it all got sorted out but they then contacted me again and demanded a third payment of the same amount. I wrote back to them and said "no". I never heard from them again.

Sandi makes good ouds. Some are very very good. However I have decided that at my age I need to "thin the herd" and am selling several ouds, all of which I love, and my Sandi is one of them. It's already here in the USA. Send me a U2U if interested.

crmdgn - 8-18-2016 at 11:51 AM

Cheese... :facepalm:

Thanks for the info. V. helpful. Will be in touch.