Originally posted by Jonathan
OK, I am going to be the devil's advocate here.
It might not be as bad as you think. Yes, it does sound like there are reasons for concern.
But...
The "alarming bulging" on the face might be normal. Sometimes, it can look like the whole thing is going to break. That can be normal. I am not
saying that it is in your case, but it might be.
The strings are buzzing. Hmm. When? Ouds from some places buzz more than from others. And that could be normal for that area. I hate buzzing. I
absolutely hate it. But, some slight buzzing could be normal.
The holes on the bridge are uneven. No biggie. They almost always are.
The holes on the bridge are too low. Are you sure? When you make the saddle for the string to sit in, it might be fine. String height on an oud is
adjustable in that way.
The nut is ill fitting and poorly carved. You really would have to compare this to other ouds. It is not a mass produced instrument. Variables are
OK.
The pegs have more than one hole. No big deal. I like that. Common.
The pegs are too short. Very short? With time, the peg box holes will likely get slightly larger.
It does sound like there are problems with the oud. But, it might not be as bad as you think, and it might help to have it checked out by somebody
who plays the oud before jumping to conclusions. |