farid nada
Oud Lover
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the braces
hi all
it is a splendid forum my congratulations,,,
i need an answer for 2 questions:
1)how many braces should be there?
2)what are the distances between such braces?
soundboard length is 52.5 cm.
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FastForward
Oud Junkie
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1- There are no two ouds that have similar bracing patterns, there can be as little as 6 (may be even less) and as many as 10 or even 11. How many is
not the only factor that determines the quality of the instrument.
However, if you search through this forum and other places on the net you will see that most ouds have 7 or 8 braces.
2- As for the distances, what is the scale length, the scale length will influence the brace locations as everything will be relevant to the bridge
location.
I have looked for magical numbers for a long period of time, there are NONE. Every maker has his own values that he obtained after years of trial and
error, sometimes driven by a scientific process and most of the time pure trial and error. I have seen ouds where the braces around the bridge were
only 5.5cm apart, and some that were 12cm apart and all produced beautiful sounds, with varying characteristics. 6cm, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, and 10 are very
typical numbers. Again, that will not be the only variable that influences the sound of your instrument. I have just finished building one, with a
scale length of 58.5cm, the braces around the bridge were 3.5cm ahead and 4.5cm to the back. The oud sounds quite nice, bassy, deep, and very clean.
I will post a clean sound recording soon, once the strings settle. I didn't get these numbers from anywhere, I had to make up my mind regarding a
geometry based on the numerous soundboards that I have seen and that there is only one way to know how is it going to sound. That way is: build it.
I would suggest going through the forums and there are several threads that talk about this in more details. You can also look at Dr Oud's book in
which he has a bracing pattern with distances and heights and the whole shebang. The oud has a 49cm long body with a scale length of about 61cm or
61.5cm, I forgot. I haven't tried that pattern and cannot attest to how well it works, but I trust Dr Oud and believe it to be a viable setup. I think
Jameel used this one on his first oud.
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farid nada
Oud Lover
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dear FastFotward thanks
now I am eager to listen to your new oud.
Iunderstood that the distance between the two braces around the bridge is 8 cm. am I correct?
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FastForward
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yes, it was 8, but uneven, 3.5cm ahead (towards neck) and 4.5 behind (towards tail block).
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farid nada
Oud Lover
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dear FastForward thanks so much,
I think the position of the bridge you have mentioned is very good to create a balance inbetween tribbles and basses.
do you agree me,do not you?
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FastForward
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I think it is all subjective, but I was hoping that it does, and combined with many factors it can.
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Jonathan
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If you take a look at the very last picture on this page:
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=2789&pa...
you will see the braces for a Manol. Actually, the best oud I have ever heard.
There's really no right and wrong, but this is the model that I usually try to use when I am making an oud.
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farid nada
Oud Lover
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thanks Jonathan for advice
I have already read all the,
I felt your suffering during your first oud construction. I admired it.
Iam planning to construc my oud. I read much about the subject.
I want to ask you please..what was the lenth scale ,as for me, I will use 60 cm.
2nd, how did you calculate the distance inbetween the braces what are such distances?
thanks.
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Jonathan
Oud Junkie
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I really do hope that somebody re-addresses this whole issue, because there is a lot that I need to learn.
But, Farid, here are a couple of things that might help.
There is a "rule of 3's" with the oud. The length of the neck, the length from the neck/body joint to the center of the rosette, and finally from the
center of the rosette to the front of the bridge--IDEALLY, these are all the same length.
So, back to the braces.
Take a look at that picture at the bottom of the link. You can see that, if you are making a traditional 3-hole oud, 5 (or 4, depending on how you
count the half braces) are placed in accordance with the location of the rosettes. It doesn't matter what the scale length really is--you have
pre-set positions for those braces in relation to the rosettes.
Now, lets move on to the brace a little higher up--seriously, in my limited experience, I really don't think it matters all that much where this brace
goes. I don't really think it affects the sound quality greatly. My approach is simply to put it midway between the brace below it, and the bottom
of the neck block.
But, let's get to what I think are probably the most important braces--the bottom two. Remember that rule of 3s? That's important, because you want
the bridge to fall somewhere between those bottom two braces. Definitely do not let the bridge be directly on top of one of the braces--it just does
not sound good.
PLEASE, there has got to be somebody out there with more input on this that me. I have made only a total of 5 ouds, so I am certainly not an expert.
And, if there is somebody out there that thinks I am completely off-base, please correct me--I am just a student at this, after all. It would be nice
to hear from others on this topic.
In particular--what is the approach to those bottom two braces? Some angle the bottom one a bit. Do most of you let the bridge sit in the center
between the two ribs?
Trust me--those bottom two braces are really important--especially with bass response.
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farid nada
Oud Lover
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thank you dear Jonathan,
I think you are right.
I built an oud and I considered that the frontblock is itself enough, so I put one brace on half the distance from the frontblock to upper margine of
the rosette to avoid more death of this reigon.
secondly, I have done the 3 regions inbetween the following braces  Brace infront of
the rosette, Brace passing the rosette center, Brace below the rosette, and the Brace in front the bridge) are equal. the distance between the brace
in front of the bridge and the brace below the bridge is the same as the distance mentioned above. The bridge is glued nearer to its upper
brace,nearly the third. I Fixed the last brace on middle of the distance between the brace below the bridge and the backblock.
I didn't get what 's rule 3's. please explain
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farid nada
Oud Lover
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Hi all hi dear Jonathan,
I forgot to tell you that the souned of the oud I composed is good.
the braces thickness is 2 mm. In your opinion what's the best thickness?
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Jonathan
Oud Junkie
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My point with the "rule of 3s" thing was just that the position of the bottom two braces depends on the location of the bridge, and with that rule you
can figure out where to put the bridge on the face. The length of the neck is the same as the distance from the bottom of the neck to the center of
the rosette, which is the same as the distance from the center of the rosette to the front of the bridge.
2mm brace thickness? That seems very thin. Mine are generally 5-6 mm.
Is there any way you could post a picture?
And, again, I am really an amateur at this
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