I'm a beginning oud student, playing a Turkish oud in Arabic tuning. When I do fingering exercises up the neck (specifically, above the neck joint)
the notes don't really sound -- it sounds like the string is lying against the soundboard, so just a lot of flat atonal buzzing. This does not happen
on the high C or G strings, but it does on all the others. Open strings sound fine, and in fact the problem really only becomes apparent around the
ninth or tenth fret (not the oud-appropriate term, I know, but I'm used to fretted instruments, so there it is).
So here are my questions:
1. What is the likeliest cause?
2. Is it likely to be a major or minor repair job?Bnouhet - 6-19-2019 at 10:52 PM
Hi
It sounds quite unusual to tune a Turkish oud as an Arabic one.
On a Turkish the action (height of the stings above the neck) is lower. 3mm / 4 mm
Low strings have a bigger amplitude
I don't understand "above the neck joint"
Maybe the bridge is too low or the oud is not flat.
1. What is the likeliest cause?
2. Is it likely to be a major or minor repair job?
First something has to be checkd:
Did you only tune down or did you change the strings to a set calculated for arabic tuning?
Turkish aouds have mostly a very low tension, so if you tuned down the tension may be too low which causes buzzing.
If you write the problem appears from the 3rd to 6th string, I assume what I described befor is the case.
Can you measure the action at the neck-body joint?
First of all it is not a repair case, it's more a string case for me.
Also can you put a ruler from the saddle to the soundhole? Do you see light between it at the neck-body joint?
Also can you put a ruler from the saddle to the soundhole? Do you see light between it at the neck-body joint?
Yeah. It's definitely not flat. The surface is concave between the saddle and the soundhole, and again from the soundhole to the neck joint.Matthias - 6-21-2019 at 04:48 AM
2mm are good but only if it is not concavecrmdgn - 6-21-2019 at 06:52 AM
Here are two photos of the soundboard with a ruler alongside:
PS. How much could the weather affect this situation? For several days it was very humid and rainy; today is much drier, and the problem doesn't seem
to be there any more.Matthias - 6-24-2019 at 10:16 PM
Is this better?
[url]https://photos.app.goo.gl/8hwQ1AqaSHQ5hpx49
[/url]
No, as I said I need pic with the ruler from the saddle to the soundhole. And it would be good you lift the strings so that the ruler and the fb can
be seen.
