chrisyost
Oud Admirer
Posts: 1
Registered: 11-17-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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What do I look for in buying an oud?
Hey people, I'm really interested in getting a quality oud that will last me in the long-term but I dont know what specs to look for. Being a
guitarist I realise the desired specs probably depend on personal preferences, but I was hoping someone might be able to give me a general idea of
high quality oud specifications.
Also, I live in Australia and am finding it extremely difficult to find any oud dealers in the country. If anyone has any ideas about websites that
sell quality ouds (particular Ghadban), I would really appreciate if you let me know.
Cheers,
Chris
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Greg
Administrator
Posts: 926
Registered: 7-22-2004
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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Mood: Serene
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Hi Chris,
Let me be the first to welcome you to the forum.
I am also in Australia and I own an oud made by Nazih Ghadban. I will U2U you my email address. Please contact me by email if I can assist you in any
way.
Regards,
Greg
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palestine48
Oud Junkie
Posts: 448
Registered: 6-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Free Palestine
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Greg, Id also love to hear about Ghadban oud. I beleive I have read some of your posts. If I am not mistaken, you have a floating bridge model with
open sound holes. My U2U doesnt seem to work but I would love it if you emailed me at rkb_181@hotmail.com
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spyros mesogeia
Oud Junkie
Posts: 896
Registered: 9-10-2003
Location: WASHINGTON DC
Member Is Offline
Mood: play my ouds
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Hello my friend,
here you can contact and see the work of many oudmakers,
I personally have and represent the work of a Greek oudmaker[luthier]
Best regards
Spyros Koliavasilis
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Faladel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 339
Registered: 6-12-2004
Location: Spain
Member Is Offline
Mood: ya salam
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Hi :
Nazih Ghadban is the best Luthier, is most Scientist and the one that applies the last advances with the best wood and sound, my OUD nª 1000 affirms
what I say.
regards
Oud Player
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walkad
Oud Junkie
Posts: 102
Registered: 6-27-2004
Location: Sweden
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Mood: No Mood
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Well there are lots of really good oudmakers, depends on your preferences and how much you want to pay.
You can check http://www.iraqi-oud.com, maybe you find something that suites your pocket and your tase.
regards
Regards
/Walid
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FredB
Oud Admirer
Posts: 5
Registered: 1-15-2004
Location: Redmond, WA
Member Is Offline
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Oh come guys, be helpful here.
Let me rephrase the question. If you didn't know how to play an oud, how can one determine if at least the instrument was well built? I would
like to know too because I suspect this is how I will end up purchasing one.
For example, if you bend the instrument and you see the neck separate slightly from the body then you know it's faulty. If you pluck the strings
and they rub or buzz on the neck then you know...
From exhaustive reading on this forum I know that a heavily decorated oud is just for show and will not project sound properly. What else can you
tell us? 
-Fred
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Jonathan
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1582
Registered: 7-27-2004
Location: Los Angeles
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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I am no expert, so others can feel free to correct me.
But, most importantly, look at the face of the oud. The wood should be tight grained, as a rule. I know, there are some ouds with widely spaced
grain that sound fine (I have one), but it is a good general rule. Obviously, there should be no major imperfections in the face wood. This is
crucial.
If you can compare multiple ouds, as a general rule, avoid the ones that are very heavy. They may conceal sloppy workmanship, and somehow just never
seem to sound all that great.
Look down the oud from the base of the bowl to the neck--check for warps. Make sure that there is not a great curvature to the neck.
Look at the workmanship. If it looks sloppy (glue where it shouldn't be, whatever), the oud will probably be second rate.
Don't rush in to buying one. There are a more things to look for, but there are a lot of people here that are a lot more qualified than I am to
advise you.
Good luck!
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