TriTone
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Registered: 8-19-2010
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Help shopping
I am an extreme newb to Ouds. I have played guitar and bass for 26 years and would like to play Oud. I am planning to buy an electric oud and have
been looking at a Najarian or some of the Sabers or Yissi ouds on ebay. My question, is where would you guys recommend I grab an instrument from. I
don't want a cheap beginner model nor do I want to spend thousands on a professional model. Your help is appreciated.
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
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Location: San Francisco, California
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Welcome, TriTone!
We are averaging one new oud player a day. Wonderful, but it makes it hard to keep going over the same issues. There are a lot of complex
considerations, including the fact that the oud almost demands, and certainly offers, an entree into a completely different theoretical foundation
called Maqam, whose roots go back a couple thousand years to ancient Greece and earlier. Most people here play acoustic ouds with piezos. Use the
search and get well oriented before buying anything. Enjoy!
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TriTone
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Thanks. I have been watching and reading over the buying and selling section of the forums. I certainly am in for the long haul. I have read about
some people having difficulty playing traditional bowl backed acoustic ouds due to size and what not and just feel electric is the way to go. I will
certainly do some more research and I appreciate you taking the time to answer a question that you have done hundreds of times before.
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Sazi
Oud Junkie
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Location: Behind my oud
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Mood: مبتهج ; ))
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One of our members recently made an electric oud...
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=10266&g...
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
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Location: San Francisco, California
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The full bowl is troublesome with feedback. The shallow bowl ones like the Nazarian 2000 are expensive, but nice. There's a fiberlass-bowled Sukar
electric that one of the members got and liked. He posted a picture and a sound clip. It's hard to find and not cheap.
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TriTone
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As I have been looking around, I am feeling I may want to get into the soul of the acoustic oud first. I have bookmarked this one for months on ebay,
any thoughts anyone?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280469060683...
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
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No idea --I have wondered about this listing, but never seen one or heard anything about these ouds. But I think I can give you some cud to chew on.
First of all, are you sure you want a Turkish oud? Turkish ouds are a distinct type with a specific design and sound. They are smaller, with a sizzly
timbre, long sustain, and don't project a strong bass. On the positive side they tend to be well -finished with low actions, and are more comfortable
to play standing up. You might find they don't feed back as much. Many mid-range Turkish ouds come with a built-in pickup and pre-amp, which would be
a plus for you.
But let us reason together, habibi. Labor in Turkey is way higher than in Arabic countries. All the serious Turkish ouds I've seen cost much more than
$500. The soundboard has to scooped just so, planed down to the thickness of an airmail tostada or some shirt-packing cardboard, etc. You're trying to
get a strong voice out of a smaller body, so making a decent Turkish oud is a bit of an engineering feat that arguably takes more time and precision
than building a passable Arabic. Of course the word "professional" means nothing. I would seem all ouds are "professional" and "high quality".
You might wonder: if the action is low, the neck straight and the pegs are decent, what could possibly be missing in a so-so Turkish oud,
that would make it cost a quarter of the price of a fine one? A Turkish oud is supposed to SING! One dude in Istambul started playing Rast in November
1979, before breakfast, and he reached Neva on the third course, and held it, teasing it with just a gentle vibrato, and ... it's STILL ringing!  A thick soundboard, a bad piece of wood, or inept bracing, critical where you
lack the full body of an Arabic, can make the instrument sound pretty inert and small, with little resonance or sustain ... a bit like their other
ouds that have video clips 
It's not easy to buy a good Arabic oud for $500. But if you do your homework, and have some patience, it can be done. We aren't talking about
"beginner ouds" or fern planters, or that lucky diamond-in-the-rough that will cost you another couple o' franklins in tools and sandpaper, we're
talking about an instrument you can string up and play with joy for years, with only minor "touch-up" ... and maybe a little pack of sandpaper. But
considering it's a challenge in the context of the cheaper Arabic labor, can you see why I'd rather doubt you can simply type www. yadda yadda and end
up with a good Turkish oud off e-bay at that price? Not impossible, but not very likely.
Plus I get very nervous when I see "No Returns". If YOU were proudly selling primo instruments, would YOU worry so much that people might want to
return one that you'd make "no returns" the rule? I'd never buy anything sight unseen without return privileges.
So, anyway ....
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
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This looks better if you want a Turkish, there are details that suggest it's more pro, but it's just my impression, nothing more. They also accept
returns, different "vibe".
http://cgi.ebay.com/Yissi-New-Professional-Turkish-Oud-Ud-Wenge-Pad...
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TriTone
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Thanks. That was one of the ones I was originally looking at. You have been so helpful. Thanks isn't enough. I am really thinking I am going to
acoustic for a while and then maybe order a Najarian or something later on if I decide to start gigging on it. I must admit Amos Hoffman was my
initial inspiration then Rabih Abou Khalil. So I am obviously at the beginning of the journey. Once again, thanks my friend.
What do you think about a hybrid like this then?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Yissi-NEW-Pro-Flat-body-Turkish-Electric-Oud-Ud...
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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 dunno. If you look carefully, you'll see that where the 1/4 inch jack sits, it seems two pieces of fake woodgrain fiberboard come together, not all
that pretty. Maybe that doesn't matter if you want an electric, but it says something about attention to detail you'd expect to be better at that
price. I seriously doubt it's usable acoustically anyway. A good acoustic oud is SUCH a joy, I'd get a decent acoustic first, tape a K&K dual disk
piezo on it for now, wear a little preamp on your belt if you need it, and worry about a pure electric later.
Take a look at the two I flagged at the end of a long post in the "I just
bought this oud" thread, OudProf is a correct guy, if he says it plays well, you can believe it.
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TriTone
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My Oud is on it's way from Germany. I hope it travels well. Looking forward to hanging with you cats around here once I get going.
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
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Location: San Francisco, California
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Mood: m'Oudy
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Did you cop OudProf's Turkish? It sure looked good to me, with a half-arabic sound. For once the shipping was reasonable, as he was in Germany. And
you get his DVD in the bargain, so you'll be swingin' Bayati in no time! Very happy for you. And for playing standing up, the smaller body will be
great. Scott, who was the other nubie du week, got a killer deal on the second ebay exceptional, a beautiful Sukar 205 in perfect condition, and his
DVD arrived too. So, we be not just hangin', we be COOKIN'.  have
you seen DuOud?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8gLo6t7x8w
SMADJ has a butterscotch soundboard finish to diet for, on his oud. He starts out saying it's his birthday, let's rock. MEHDI is just a monster, like
a racehorse biting at the bit!
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TriTone
Oud Admirer
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I do not intend to stand to play. I play everything seated when performing. I am not too concerned about it. I did buy OudProf's Turkish oud. Did
not see the Sukar? Nonetheless, I am looking forward to starting the journey.
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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I'm just very happy for you, it looks marvelous. And of course you should play however you are most comfortable. A very good (Turkish) teacher
was saying that practicing playing standing up, holding the oud without a strap, is a good exercise
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