Originally posted by Jake
What if you want to buy an oud? What if there are no ouds in shops where you live? What if you decide to invest in a top notch oud for it's sound,
it's playability, it's stability, and even it's re-sale value? What if you find a maker that is recommended, is said to be honest, has an oud that
catches your eye, answers your doubts, assures you of it's quality? What if he sends you garbage?
What follows are a few things to think about before you pull the trigger, send the money and wait like a child on christmas eve for that oud to
arrive. A description of my experiences buying my first oud are contained in the topic titled "The horror of buying my first oud"
It is very possible that what is acceptable to the maker or in general in terms of the degree of cleanliness, workmanship, precision and polish of an
oud is not acceptable to you. Be sure you understand what you are getting. Having said that, at the end of the day, the only things of real
consequence to a player and not just a collector are sound, playability and stability. Be utterly convinced you understand what you are getting in
terms of sound, playability and stability and then
realize that those fundamental things are still at risk. You will never know untill you get the oud or if you have personally dealt with the maker
before.
Do not completely trust any mail order vendor even one with the best reputation. If you don't ask questions about your concerns they will have no
reason to resolve your concerns. And you will have no recourse to complain about a breach of trust. Even if they send you a tooth pick you may have no
recourse. In the worst case they may give you lies or over-spun half truths in order to close the deal. Seriously ask your self if you are risking
anything you can not afford to lose.
A vendor's job; or in most cases a maker's, is to get their products out the door in exchange for money. Money is at best the thing that allows them
to build instruments and at worst the reason why they build or sell instruments. Even a master luthier who loves music and those who play it, long ago
came to terms with the fact that they may never see the instrument or you again. The money is an entirely different matter.
You may never know if they care about your satisfaction untill long after the dust has cleared and the onus and the power has changed hands along with
the instrument and the money. The onus is on them to prove that the instrument is worth the money and the power is with you because you can say no
thanks. But once you have made an exchange of goods and payment the onus is on you to prove that the transaction is worthy enough of being voided that
they would agree to take back something they were happy to part with in the first place and willing to part with something that was the whole reason
for them offering it in the first place.
Suffice to say that even if they send you a tooth pick and call it a Nahat, the responsability is with you, the losses are with you because they did
not take your money, you gave it to them. And as far as re-gaining the money you have paid for shipping, banking, importation, etc., etc., etc., The
line between salesmanship and deception can be a fuzzy thing. And it won't be you who sets the standard. If there has been immoral tactics; how hard
would it be for a person who has committed them, to deny them?
What if the worst case is possible in your case? Well........
Do what you can, to minimize the risk, before you have parted with your money. And having done that, if you are still risking more than you can afford
to lose; DON'T DO IT.
Ask questions, ask for sound samples, ask to hear the oud over the phone, ask for photo's, ask for more photo's, make sure they answer every question,
get a translator or a broker if you feel it is needed. How loud is the instrument? What kind of strings, guages, tensions, tuning; did it have on it
for the sample? Does the instrument have a balanced response from the lowest note to the highest note? Are there any scratches, dents, flaws, gaps in
the wood, the finish, the glue joints? Is the wood as stable as it should be? Are the tuning pegs as stable as they could be?
Even if you are satisfied with what you have seen and what you have heard; please remember, the way you perceive it may bear little resemblance to the
ouds appearance, live acoustic sound, performance and longevity.
An honest luthier or vendor may feel a little uneasy about your questions. They may feel that your expectations are unreasonable or at worst that you
are someone who entertains themselves by being a pest ( I have been accused of both despite the photographic and conversational evidence that the oud
I have recieved is flawed by any standards). A dishonest maker or vendor will use this perception to prevent you from asking questions. If you feel
that the negotiation is being sidetracked or even de-railed then drop out. Never let your desire for the instrument you imagine, cloud your perception
of the instrument you are buying.
Ask about return policies. If the maker is offering quality products and is confident of your level of commitment to that particular instrument, this
should not be a problem.
Ask about shipping options. Is it a company that has branch offices in the place where you live? Will it travel to you via a single carrier? Will the
shipment be insured? Who will carry the insurance? Does the insurance apply to the whole journey?
At the end of the day you may do everything you can think of to gain a clear picture of the oud you are interested in. You may take every little doubt
and fear seriously and not proceed untill your concerns have been resolved. You may feel, despite a clear head and a desire to remain objective, a
little bit of elation creeping into your consciousness. You may allow yourself to believe that one day quite soon you will have a new musical
instrument, full of possability and potential. Even then you may end up with a toothpick, that amounts to a boot in the head.
And there may be nothing you can do about it.
If you can live with that.........proceed. |