Aptequar
Oud Admirer
Posts: 2
Registered: 6-3-2010
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Looking for an Oud as a beginner. (UK)
Hello all,
I'm looking to purchase an oud, preferably from a seller in the UK also although I wouldn't be averse to overseas as long as the shipping isn't too
much. As I'm a complete beginner, and a student no less, I need something relatively cheap, around the £100 mark.
Edit: An oud with position markers would be of great benefit, but not necessary.
I look forward to having a great time learning oud, it's simply a fascinating instrument for me.
Thanks alot!
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Sazi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 786
Registered: 9-17-2007
Location: Behind my oud
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Mood: مبتهج ; ))
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100 quid eh?
...you could try this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhN1vI0eZxQ
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Greg
Administrator
Posts: 926
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Location: Brisbane, Australia
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That is quite a low budget for an instrument of this type.
You will find instruments at that price online but you will be wasting your money. Most instruments at that price will be unplayable.
A cheap Turkish oud would, in my opinion, give you the best chance of success.
If you were in Turkey you could pick up a playable instrument for your 100 pounds. But as you are in the UK, you will need to buy one imported from
Turkey.
You will need to save a little more money, but for around £160 + freight, you could look at an instrument from CEM in Germany.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OUD-BUY-SELL-100-Handmade-UD-LAVTA-CEM-MC-SAZ...
(I should qualify the above - I have no personal experience with CEM instruments. A couple of folks from these forums have purchased from them and
were not displeased. But you should do your own due diligence before buying from this or any other source)
Good luck.
Greg
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Sazi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 786
Registered: 9-17-2007
Location: Behind my oud
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Mood: مبتهج ; ))
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That's exactly what I meant to say, but somehow it came out different! 
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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Mood: m'Oudy
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"I look forward to having a great time learning oud, it's simply a fascinating instrument for me"
Lesson 1. There are some ouds in this price range that make good planters, but you must choose carefully, as many of them leak and do not hold up to
regular watering.
Lesson 2. See Greg's post.
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Aymara
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1162
Registered: 10-14-2009
Location: Germany / Ruhr Region
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When I was looking for my first oud last October, we also discussed this Turkish Ebay seller from Germany.
As far as I remember only one person from the forums bought one of CEM's ouds.
I decided for myself (others might think different), that the risk is high, that I won't be happy with such a cheap instrument.
I would recommend to Aptequar to search the forums for older threads, because we discussed this "cheap oud" topic very often.
Greetings from Germany
Chris
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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Mood: m'Oudy
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Aptequar, all joking aside, the most generally accurate statement as to oud pricing is that anything below $300 is generally what in the US is known
as "a crap shoot", a throw of the dice. To improve the odds on this gamble requires some real know-how, and (also) some resistance to the forces of
conformity, like a crowd of oud players barely suppressing their smiles when you pull out your instrument. I have two ouds from this bracket that
serve me very very well, but they were picked out very carefully, I understood their limitations, and I had to put a bit of work into them, after
buying the tools and materials to do so. It's ironically the person who is most likely to reach for such an oud who is least able to spot the
differences between a "great find", and a total waste of money. So: information rules, and some people have more luck than others.
When Greg steered you towards low cost (Turkish) ouds, it was no doubt with the expectation that you would make full use of the archives of this forum
to develop the know-how you will need to navigate these treacherous waters. Do take advantage of the Search feature of the Forum.
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Oudini
Oud Addict
Posts: 32
Registered: 2-9-2009
Location: London
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Have a look at this one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PROFESSIONAL-FATHY-AMIN-EGYPTIAN-OUD-LUTE-w-B...
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alfaraby
Oud Junkie
Posts: 796
Registered: 9-18-2009
Location: Holy Land
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Mood: Cool
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I think a beginner deserves the best oud ever (taking into consideration his whole budget of course).
A professional oud player would eventually produce a relatively good sound out of a "shoo box", while the beginner needs an oud which would be
capable to push him forward, encourage him and make his playing lessons & practice more enjoyable.
Best oud does not mean the most expensive. One may find a very good oud for a couple of hundreds, but luck & help should be involved.
Therefor I'll advice our friend not to purchase an oud without help from a professional oudist, no matter if it's cheep or expensive, the oudist will
know if it's good or not.
Good or bad here should exclude the sound quality, since this is a matter of taste and experience, the beginner hasn't obtained yet. Look for the best
size, grip, hold, fingerboard, measurements, buzz-free, nice oud and go ahead. Learn & practice on daily basis.
Nevertheless, Why not to try model 1 Sukkar's ? It's cheep & not bad at all ! They ship all over the globe. Look up in their site.
Good luck
You're gonna`need it
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
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Greg
Administrator
Posts: 926
Registered: 7-22-2004
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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I suspect Aptequar's interest in the oud was a momentary fascination and the moment has now passed. Five days and several helpful responses later, he
or she has not followed up. This is not an unusual occurrence with posts of this type. In retrospect, I think Sazi's response was the most
appropriate.
Regards,
Greg
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malvern
Oud Admirer
Posts: 3
Registered: 6-9-2010
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Hi, I'm also looking for a low budget Oud as a beginner in the UK. I'm an experienced guitarist and was lucky enough to borrow a friend's Oud for a
short time to get the feel of playing it. It had to go back many months ago, but now I have been trying to find an Oud on ebay, but I'm not finding
this at all easy.
I've been told that Iraqi Oud's are the best, but I can only afford a couple of hundred pounds and don't know how to get one. Can anyone help me
please?
many thanks
malvern
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Aymara
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1162
Registered: 10-14-2009
Location: Germany / Ruhr Region
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Hi Malvern,
welcome to the forums.
Quote: Originally posted by malvern  |
I've been told that Iraqi Oud's are the best, but I can only afford a couple of hundred pounds and don't know how to get one. Can anyone help me
please?
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I think it's wrong to say, that Iraqui ouds are the best, because there are many good ouds on the market with different origins. You will find good
and bad ouds no matter, if their origin is Iraq, Egypt, Turkey or another country ... it's a matter of taste and the quality of each instrument
itself.
Most Iraqui oud's have a floating bridge and some people like me feel much more comfortable with a fixed bridge.
With a couple of hundred pounds I think you have good chances to get a descent instrument.
Maybe have a look, what Sabbassi has to offer from time to time or maybe you have luck to get a Sukar oud?
The problem is, it's not the easiest task to get a nice oud in Europe.
I think the best is, you first search Youtube for "oud" and check out how many different ouds are available ... maybe show us examples of videos you
like. Then we can try to find out, which type of oud would be right for you.
Greetings from Germany
Chris
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bibo10
Oud Junkie
Posts: 300
Registered: 11-10-2008
Location: New Jersey, USA
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Mood: No Mood
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Malvern,
I been through this already recently, so if i may give you some insight.
First, you have decide what is your favorite style of playing. That means whether traditional arabic, turkish, greek, bashir or whatever else exists.
To do so, you must listen ALOOTTTT to all these different ones. This shouldn't be too hard, at least for me it wasn't. Once I started listening I knew
right away I would fall for the traditional arabic playing. I also liked the armenian style but i got more attached to arabic (maybe it has to do with
my egyptian origin). At any case, once you find out what style you wanna play, then you are about 40% into the road.
Second, you should get some professional advice. That is where this GREAT forum comes into play (you really appreciate this forum at this stage). You
should then start asking for recommendations regarding the makers and the woods, scale lenght and what not. I was really fortunate to have someone
like Mavorthi to live only 15 mins away from me. I consulted him on which ouds to buy and he was of great help (Even though Mav is of greek origin, he
is very knowledgeable about all the different styles).
Third, which is the most exciting part, is when you have to contact the makers or sellers looking to sell older ouds. Again mikeouds has soooo much
info when it comes to this. Again I got lucky and had Mike Malek help me oud get a decent oud from Egypt.
I hope this wasn't too long and boring. If you need help, ASK
Thanks to Mike and everyone on this forum.
+++++++++++
Michael-GOD BLESS EGYPT
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musiccorner
Banned
Posts: 14
Registered: 7-1-2010
Member Is Offline
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PLEASE SEND YOUR EMAIL TO MUSICCORNER2009@YAHOO.COM
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malvern
Oud Admirer
Posts: 3
Registered: 6-9-2010
Member Is Offline
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Hi bibo10,
Many thanks for your help and apologies for so late a reply, as I am in the process of moving house.
Yes, I am wanting to make the arabic sound with an Oud.
I will consider your advice carefully.
many thanks friend,
malvern
| Quote: Originally posted by bibo10 | Malvern,
I been through this already recently, so if i may give you some insight.
First, you have decide what is your favorite style of playing. That means whether traditional arabic, turkish, greek, bashir or whatever else exists.
To do so, you must listen ALOOTTTT to all these different ones. This shouldn't be too hard, at least for me it wasn't. Once I started listening I knew
right away I would fall for the traditional arabic playing. I also liked the armenian style but i got more attached to arabic (maybe it has to do with
my egyptian origin). At any case, once you find out what style you wanna play, then you are about 40% into the road.
Second, you should get some professional advice. That is where this GREAT forum comes into play (you really appreciate this forum at this stage). You
should then start asking for recommendations regarding the makers and the woods, scale lenght and what not. I was really fortunate to have someone
like Mavorthi to live only 15 mins away from me. I consulted him on which ouds to buy and he was of great help (Even though Mav is of greek origin, he
is very knowledgeable about all the different styles).
Third, which is the most exciting part, is when you have to contact the makers or sellers looking to sell older ouds. Again mikeouds has soooo much
info when it comes to this. Again I got lucky and had Mike Malek help me oud get a decent oud from Egypt.
I hope this wasn't too long and boring. If you need help, ASK
Thanks to Mike and everyone on this forum. |
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malvern
Oud Admirer
Posts: 3
Registered: 6-9-2010
Member Is Offline
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Hi Aymara,
Many thanks for your reply, friend. I apologise for so late a reply to you, but am in the process of moving house.
I'm aiming at producing some cross cultural music with a Sitarist, but in particular learning an arabic style of playing.
I don't have an Oud yet, but will keep looking.
many thanks and good wishes,
malvern
| Quote: Originally posted by Aymara | Hi Malvern,
welcome to the forums.
their origin is Iraq, Egypt, Turkey or another country ... it's a matter of taste and the quality of each instrument itself.
Most Iraqui oud's have a floating bridge and some people like me feel much more comfortable with a fixed bridge.
With a couple of hundred pounds I think you have good chances to get a descent instrument.
Maybe have a look, what Sabbassi has to offer from time to time or maybe you have luck to get a Sukar oud?
I think the best is, you first search Youtube for "oud" and check out how many different ouds are available ... maybe show us examples of videos you
like. Then we can try to find out, which type of oud would be right for you.
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: m'Oudy
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Just a word in passing on the idea of position markers on the neck. The ones that oud makers sometimes inlay in the neck are notoriously inaccurate
for some reason. And they tend to ruin the oud's appearance. You can at best use them as reference, like "I remember that the 3rd marker is a little
high, and the 5th marker is low, or was it the other way around". Not completely useless, but ...
Tape and dots get in the way, buzz etc. A much better way is to mark the strings with a felt pen after they have stopped stretching. No permanent
anything, and it works fine. I've explained that before, like here:
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=9584#pid636...
But a problem with any marker system is that it gets you used to playing with the oud's face at an angle, so you can glance at the
fingerboard, rather than with the face vertical (which is the correct position). It's a hard habit to kick
Another problem is that you get used to playing with your mind focused visually rather than on hearing. Arabic music in particular is
not obsessive on perfect pitch, but you need to concentrate on feel.
Now, I believe that markers, especially the string markers I prefer, are very very helpful if you are playing in the studio with fixed tuning diatonic
instruments, like piano, and your intonation is not (yet?) perfect by muscle memory and ear. It's easier than touching up pitches on your DAW. And as
they wear off you find you no longer need them except on occasion. But if you can immediately learn playing with good intonation the right way, with
the oud face vertical and without looking at the fingerboard, that's better. If Stevie Wonder can do it, so can you.
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Aptequar
Oud Admirer
Posts: 2
Registered: 6-3-2010
Member Is Offline
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Hello all, thanks for the detailed replies, and apologies I didn't get back to you sooner. I've had a bit of a hard time recently and this single
thread on a forum that I'd just joined obviously slipped my mind.
Just thought you'd like to know, I'm talking to a friend-of-a-friend who has a Sukar No 1 and trying to negotiate. So hopefully soon I shall have a
good quality oud of my own.
I'm very aware of the perils of a cheap budget as I used to work in a music shop. The amount of people who came back having bought a cheap guitar
package or similar saying "they realised it wasn't for them" or something, when really it was because the cheap instrument was making it difficult for
them.
Thanks for the thoughts on the position markers too.
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Aymara
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1162
Registered: 10-14-2009
Location: Germany / Ruhr Region
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Sounds good ... good luck.
Greetings from Germany
Chris
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