alejofar
Oud Addict
Posts: 38
Registered: 9-23-2011
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Sandi Kit Project
Hello Ouders,
I built this oud a few years ago from a Sandi kit and it came out less than perfect so I'm revisiting it now to try to fix some problems.
First off, the neck angle is wrong and I didn't realize this until it was finished and strung up. So my action is low at the nut and rises
dramatically towards the body.
Second, the neck is pretty wide. 4.2 cm at the nut to 6.3 at the body. Again, I had little to do with this because the neck came cut like that and I
didn't realize how wide that felt until it was done.
A couple ideas I've heard for the action is to make a wedge that sits on the fingerboard to raise it gradually towards the body and compensate the
higher action there.
I also thought about taking the bridge off and sanding the bottom down about half a cm since it's about 1 cm thick. Then I could raise the nut a bit
to even it out.
As for the width, how crazy would it be to make this a seven string by just cutting a new nut and redoing the holes in the bridge?
Just wanted to get some ideas here. Let me know what you think.
Thanks!
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SamirCanada
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you can just sand down the correct angle at the neck joint. no need for a wedge. Getting the action right is the most complicated aspect of oud making
in my experience.
its not worth fiddling with the bridge as it wouldnt make a big difference.
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samiroudmaker@gmail.com
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alejofar
Oud Addict
Posts: 38
Registered: 9-23-2011
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This may sound ignorant but what's the best way to take the neck off? I put this together a long time ago and I'm horrified at the thought of having
to disassemble the whole thing to get the neck off.
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SamirCanada
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With a thin kerf Japanese saw. Cut it down on the glue line.
You wont be able to reassemble with a dovetail, you will need to use a wooden dowel drilled in the neck and where the old dovetail was.
if you used hide glue you may be able to inject heat and steam in the joint but you also risk loosening up some ribs by doing that.
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suz_i_dil
Oud Junkie
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Hello.
Just a thought for the neck size. I know this is a very personnal issue but do you really think it is so wide ? The measurement you are telling are
more less the same I settle my ouds to feel comfortable for playing. Don't you think it can be the neck thickness rather than its width that gives you
this sensation of uncomfort ? I settled mine at about 1.8cm thick at its thinner part (including the fingerboard thickness)
For the action, I join Samir opinion. I found it really tricky. You already know the two main options ( fingerboard or neck reset). I dont think a
work on the bridge would be a good option. If I understand well your bridge is 1cm high. Taking off a half centimeter would settle the strings to bear
of the soundboard and may involve a serious loss of volume
Good luck
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alejofar
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Posts: 38
Registered: 9-23-2011
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Suz_i-dil I think the thickness is ok. Mine comes out to be around 1.7cm at the thinnest spot, which is quite thin like most Turkish ouds.
Now that I've spent some time playing it again I think one of the things that makes it uncomfortable is that I didn't space the grooves in the nut
properly so the strings feel a little unevenly distributed across the fingerboard. But I think I should address the neck angle first.
Samir, so you say I cut the whole neck off where it meets the body, sand the correct amount to pitch the neck back a bit, and drill a dowel into the
neck block to reattach? Any tips on measuring the proper angle to sand the neck to correct the string height?
Also, were any of you able to see the pics I attached? I was hoping the BB Code would link it right in my post.
Thanks!
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newlife_ks
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 6-12-2016
Location: Germany, NRW
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Hello alejofar!
There are no clickable links to the photos, I had to c/p them into a new tab. But from the fourth photo it seems to me that the soundboard might not
be quite even. When I draw a line from the bridge to the point where the neck meets the body it is not parallel to the soundboard, it seems to go away
from the strings where the soundhole is. A photo from the nut towards the bridge might be interesting. Or put a long ruler onto the soundboard to see
if it is straight.
Btw for me the neck would be ok with 4.2 cm. Mine is about 3.6 cm, and I find it hard to play a C-major chord without my finger touching the open
g-string. Consider that, maybe you too want to play a chord from time to time. I'd trade my oud off any time for one with a wider neck.
Greetings from Klaus in Germany!
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SamirCanada
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I would say its about 87 degrees, so not quite 90 degree parallel.
Basically if you put the oud on a flat table (careful that the bridge is not resting on the table) the nut should be about 5 mm up from the table.
keep in mind these a generic guidelines, using a straight edge or even a string tied on the bridge that you pull by hand will give you a better idea
for your particular oud.
I didn't see the pictures of your oud so this is just the theory of it, in practice is a bit harder to achieve by hand because its hard to drill
perfectly straight in the neck and the body...
I should mention, you need a Forstner bit for the hole and you can buy matching wood dowel (maple or oak are good choices) that you cut to length.
1/2" is a good size for the bit and dowel.
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samiroudmaker@gmail.com
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alejofar
Oud Addict
Posts: 38
Registered: 9-23-2011
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Klaus, you're definitely correct. Good eye! The soundboard is sinking in a bit. Again, this is my first project and I'm not sure how that happened but
I think that's beyond my capabilities to fix for now.
I think it's a good point you make about the string spacing. This could just be my wide oud for chords.
Samir, thanks for the tip. Seems like a project worth trying. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress. Also, I attached the pics since the BBcode
wasn't working for some reason.
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MattOud
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 1-18-2017
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Mood: Feeling Pretty G'Oud
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"As for the width, how crazy would it be to make this a seven string by just cutting a new nut and redoing the holes in the bridge?"
Hi Alejofar,
This is my 7 course Oud. It measures 4.4cm at nut and 6.4cm at joint.
My personal thought is that it is a tad tight, but i am a new player and each may have a different preference. I think 4.2cm may be tight however.
Look like a fun project!
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