mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
Registered: 6-5-2003
Location: NJ/NYC
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Mood: big band envy
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2nd of 2 new instruments - Electric hollow body oud
And this is a new experimental electric oud from my friend Andrew Bradshaw, who makes really gorgeous acoustic and electric guitars.
I was telling him how an acoustic oud often can't handle higher volume situations without feeding back, while a solid body electric often doesn't
sound or react enough like an acoustic instrument.
He suggested we try a hollow body acoustic with no soundhole and see how it turns out. Even without the soundhole, the oud has very decent volume,
especially for practicing alone, and plugged in sounds just like an amplified acoustic oud, but with more feedback tolerance. Right now I have simple
K&K pickups installed, but down the road I may experiment with higher end pickups.
I know many of you won't like the guitar headstock on this oud, but it is truly a work of art, and for future electrics can be replaced with the
traditional pegbox and peghed pegs.
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Sazi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 786
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Location: Behind my oud
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Mood: مبتهج ; ))
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Looks like a good idea, which K&K pick-up model are you using? Pre-amp?
Can we hear it?
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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Right now all I have is the K&K twin spot internal. The best sounding preamp I have is a presonus model, which combines tube and solid state
sound.
The pickup I want, but is out of my price range right now is this one:http://tranceaudio.com/
I can't afford it right now, but a friend of mine has it in his guitar and it really is a great pickup.
I've plugged in the electric oud directly into an amp, and it sounds nice. It basically acts like an acoustic oud, but doesn't feedback as easily.
What I never liked about the solid body electrics is not just the sound of the pickups, but also that the notes did not decay fast enough, like on an
acoustic. They run into each other, which is fine if you are not really going for a typical oud sound (I might even try for a steel string electric
some day with humbucker pickups or something), but for simple amplified oud sound, it didn't work for me.
I highly recommend my friend Andrew's work. His treatment of the woods is just gorgeous, and I need to upload more pictures for you to see the detail
better - the headstock in the photo above is still unfinished.
Also, if you notice the bridge has a saddle, but not huge like on a classical. It works very well, and is great for better control of the action.
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
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Location: NJ/NYC
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Mood: big band envy
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Some more pics from construction and also completed. I really love this oud!
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spyros mesogeia
Oud Junkie
Posts: 896
Registered: 9-10-2003
Location: WASHINGTON DC
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congratulations mavroudi,
great purchase bro.
I wish you to be Kaloriziko and kalopaixto file mou
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adamgood
Oud Junkie
Posts: 499
Registered: 6-27-2005
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Dude super cool, super practical, I can't wait to try it 
Curious how the tuning machines work. more pix and vids?
I'm still in Istanbul, my last night here. Today I got to play an ud from Mustafa...some new experiment with a different placement of the brace near
the bridge. It was L-O-U-D er than usual, he's on to something.
Adam
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paulO
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 9-8-2004
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Very trippy lookin axe Mav. How's the weight distribution, is it comfy to hold ? Beautifully made, obivously -- looking forward to a sound sample,
since I'm always looking for an electric oud that actually sounds like an oud. Enjoy.
Regards..Paul
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
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Hey thanks guys, I'll try and get a sound sample up for you soon. I was plugging it into my little crate amp last night and it is just sounding great
- very acoustic, very nice, but I could have the amp turned all the way up with the oud in front of it without feedback. Probably if I had the preamp
hooked up that wouldn't be the case, but I thought it was pretty cool.
The tuning machines work great, I got top of the line Schertler machines. Man, it tunes so easily! Really smooth.
That new Mustafa oud design sounds interesting. Is the top really thin?
The electric oud body is practically weightless - the weight is really all in the headstock. Still, it is all in all probably a little less than 3
lbs - it's light! My friend Andrew did just a gorgeous job, I'm really impressed, and it was really nice being a part of the building process, and
helping get it set up the day I took it home.
Whether I'm standing or sitting, I use the guitar strap so the weight distribution is perfect, and still wouldn't be that bad without it. I just need
the strap either way b/c this body is much thinner than a regular oud, so the strap takes away any awkwardness I have with my posture.
Like I said previously, if for any reason you don't go for the guitar style head stock, you can go for a traditional pegbox - I recommend pegheds if
you do that.
I'll try and get some sound up for you before too long. Here are a few more pics from the night I picked it up 'from the shop.'
Thanks guys!
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Ararat66
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1025
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Location: Portsmouth, UK
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Hi Mav
Do you work for/as a sculptor or have you just sold all your furniture to acquire more instruments GAS can be a serious affliction.
That's a great looking oud I'd be interested in hearing it's plugged-in sound - how 'oudy' is it plugged in? if that makes sense.
Cheers
Leon
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
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Mood: big band envy
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Here's a vid - not a great performance, but you can hear how nice the oud sounds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG7Kgshok3Y
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adamgood
Oud Junkie
Posts: 499
Registered: 6-27-2005
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Mood: 2.7 koma flat
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Mav is that acoustic?? It has some sound! Very very nice wow I'm impressed.
If you used a combination of plugged in plus your current microphone system you should be able to get a really nice amplified sound ja??
really really wanna try next year...
adam
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
Registered: 6-5-2003
Location: NJ/NYC
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Hey Adam,
This oud does have pretty good acoustic volume unplugged - in this vid I'm plugged into an amp, just not turned up very much.
Definitely though, if I combine the internal pickup and my DPA mic, it will be great - it's also a great sound just with the pickup.
Very excited about this instrument.
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Ararat66
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1025
Registered: 11-14-2005
Location: Portsmouth, UK
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Mood: mellow yellow
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Hi Mav
That sounds very good, more 'oudy' than I expected. It will be interesting to hear how it sounds when, as you say it is amplified further. I think
the oud has such a distinct acoustic that this semi-acoustic approach may well be the answer to retaining some of the subtleties that can be lost in
other 'electric' ouds I've heard.
I know you are only noodling but lovely playing regardless ... it is never complete noodling, the instrument and music will always take over in the
end
Leon
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spyros mesogeia
Oud Junkie
Posts: 896
Registered: 9-10-2003
Location: WASHINGTON DC
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Mood: play my ouds
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Microber
Oud Junkie
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Incredible sound.
It's really the best electric oud I ever heard !
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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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Definitely! Good compromise, far more 'oudy' than any other electric I've heard.
Congratulations Mav.
Andrew, I think you've got a winner there.
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norumba
Oud Junkie
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Location: Taos
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very cool! i might have to talk to him about getting one!
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MatthewW
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1031
Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
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Hi Mav-
do you have an email address or website contact for Andrew Bradshaw? thanks, MW
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
Registered: 6-5-2003
Location: NJ/NYC
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Mood: big band envy
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Hi Matthew,
Andrew Bradshaw's email address is: abradshawa@hotmail.com
I'm sure he'll be happy to talk with you and see what you are in the market for.
Take care,
Mavrothi
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