Mike's Oud Forums

doubling the bass C string?

Onglon - 1-24-2017 at 03:13 AM

Greetings to this wonderful forum,

i noticed that my sukar oud has an additional unused peg as well as a corresponding hole in the bridge, juxtaposed to the C bass string hole.

Therefore, in principle, one could double the C bass string.

I was wondering if any of the forum members has attempted this in the past and if the sound is pleasing to the ears?

Best regards


Microber - 1-24-2017 at 10:55 AM

The luthier Huosain Sabsaby often makes his fixed bridge oud like that. See the picture. Ans a lot of other picture on his FB.
https://www.facebook.com/huosain/photos?lst=1035023207%3A1521400902%...


Sabsaby double C.jpg - 56kB

alaaraj - 1-24-2017 at 11:33 AM

I think the double bass on Sabsaby's are FF or GG. His C-cc ouds usually have single C ..
I suppose one can add double C but it might not sound great as both strings are thicker and have low tension which would result in sound that's less pure!

Onglon - 1-25-2017 at 04:50 AM

Thank you for the feedback gentlemen, i am due to restring the oud soon, so will try it out (and report back).

Brian Prunka - 1-25-2017 at 06:20 AM

The oud is actually already quite small to have the low C string. Some people have doubled it, but the results are debatable. If the oud has a longish scale (61-62cm) you'll have a better shot. Using a heavier string would help.

On thing that you could do is double it up an octave, something like .025-.026in wound string would likely work.

Jack_Campin - 1-25-2017 at 07:53 AM

You'd need very heavy strings under high tension to stop them slamming into each other (not an attractive sound). And a specially constructed oud to stand up to that tension.

Onglon - 1-25-2017 at 01:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  

On thing that you could do is double it up an octave, something like .025-.026in wound string would likely work.



Brian, i am not familiar with string girth, does it mean that i could put together (1) a regular bass C string and (2) a D string but tuned a tone lower to C, in such a way that (1) and (2) ring a C note but one octave apart?

I have the impression that the bouzouk (apologies, this is actually outside my comfort zone as i know very little about this instrument, i hear it sometime in old Lebanese songs) also has an octave apart double string and the sound is interesting, so i may try that :)

Best
Onglon

Brian Prunka - 1-25-2017 at 09:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Onglon  
Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  

On thing that you could do is double it up an octave, something like .025-.026in wound string would likely work.



Brian, i am not familiar with string girth, does it mean that i could put together (1) a regular bass C string and (2) a D string but tuned a tone lower to C, in such a way that (1) and (2) ring a C note but one octave apart?

I have the impression that the bouzouk (apologies, this is actually outside my comfort zone as i know very little about this instrument, i hear it sometime in old Lebanese songs) also has an octave apart double string and the sound is interesting, so i may try that :)

Best
Onglon


Yes, more or less, that is the idea. The buzuq does indeed do something like this. There's also a Moroccan instrument (forget the name) that is similar.

Onglon - 1-26-2017 at 08:03 AM

hello again to all,

it did not work: during the restringing process, i noticed that while there is an extra peg and an extra hole in the bridge, there is no dedicated path on the nut...

best

Giorgioud - 1-28-2017 at 08:26 AM

Yep. Did it myself in the past out of curiosity but wasn't overly keen on the result. The C string vibrated better and was more sonorous when it was single. I understood why it had remained single all throughout the years....apart from rare and notable exceptions....