kamran
Oud Lover
Posts: 20
Registered: 2-17-2004
Location: NY
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Looking to purchase an Oud in Beirut, Lebanon
Dear all,
I'm here in Beirut for a while and decided to travel without my beloved oud -- thus, I'm keen to find a decent-to-professional quality oud from the
region (Lebanon/Syria), but haven't found the right instrument in my visits to local makers here. If anyone has a tip on where a very good used oud
may be found in Lebanon I'd be very grateful.
Thanks!
Kamran
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2916
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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This:
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=12407
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kamran
Oud Lover
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Thanks Brian -- I'd already sent a note to the seller and am waiting to hear back... I appreciate your suggestion, tho!
K
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naddad
Oud Maniac
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Oud makers in Lebanon I've heard of thanks to this forum: Fadi Matta, Nazih Ghadban, George Bitar.
Nazih Ghadban's workshop is in Baalbeck, pretty far from Beirut. George Bitar's is in Zalka, 20 mins from Beirut. I don't know where Fadi Matta's
is.
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Microber
Oud Junkie
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Location: Belgium - Liège
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Contact for Fadi Matta
http://www.fadimatta.com/extranet/contact
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kamran
Oud Lover
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Thanks to all... will report on what I find.
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Aymara
Oud Junkie
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If I would have the chance to visit Beirut, I would definitely give Nazih Ghadban a visit too. Fadi Matta would be the second on my list.
The question is, if they have an oud to sale at that time of visit, so it might be wise to contact them first.
Greetings from Germany
Chris
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kamran
Oud Lover
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So for those who are at all interested... I ended up purchasing a new oud from Fadi Matta, 7 courses, floating bridge, and really an amazing
instrument. I tried an oud by Nazih Ghadhban (through a friend who had one made by him) and also went to Alber Mansur's workshop and tried out a few
of his (very expensive) ouds. While I would certainly recommend the instruments of both of these oud-makers, depending on taste and budget, however my
own preference was clearly with Matta's work, which I found to be not only the closest to what I had been looking for in terms of quality and sound,
but also the right match in terms of price. If there's any interest I'd be happy to post photos, etc. Thanks to all who offered their advice here...
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Aymara
Oud Junkie
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Location: Germany / Ruhr Region
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You make us curious and ask, if we want to see photos? 
Shure ... let us see the beauty.
Greetings from Germany
Chris
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naddad
Oud Maniac
Posts: 87
Registered: 6-14-2009
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congrats 
yes please post pics and sound clips!
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kamran
Oud Lover
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Pics, etc.
Ok... since I have an audience!
The oud I purchased is based on one of Fadi Matta's standard designs, but is slightly different in that it features a shallow semi-cutaway at the end
of the neck, a feature I'd not seen before with his work. Also, the instrument's bowl (body) is made of dark ebony wood. When I visited his shop I was
initially taken by the one finished instrument he had available, which was one of his standard models (the same that Charbel Rouhana uses). But then I
saw another half-completed oud in the workshop, and expressed interest in seeing it when completed. Ten days later, I was the first to play it once it
came out of the workshop and fell in love with it immediately. While I haven't usually had interest in the cut-away designs of some ouds, as
implemented here it's a subtle element, and I can see myself using it to access the upper range, since the entire instrument is so well balanced.
Playing the instrument is a new experience in that I've never owned a 7-course oud before and having the upper F string is very novel to me... with
the cutaway I easily can have 3 octave options for most melodies, something that is really nice when playing in a group setting.
I don't have sound-files yet but will post something later. For now, here are a few photos.
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naddad
Oud Maniac
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Gorgeous looking instrument. I always love innovations, such as the semi cutaway design in this oud, very nice.
You mentioned the upper f, I suppose you mean the treble f? Is a typical tuning CFADgcf?
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ExtreamTarab
Oud Junkie
Posts: 185
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Location: Montreal, Canada
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Nice oud kamran, congratulations...
I see a lot of resemblance to Al-Tayyar ouds in this instrument. looks like Matta's emulating Al-Tayyar brothers specially with the cutaway and bridge
saddle designs. What I hope is that Mr. Matta's giving Al-Tayyar brothers the credit they deserve in respect to these designs...
Enjoy your new oud and play it in good health
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kamran
Oud Lover
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Location: NY
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Thanks for the replies, and for the photos ExTarab. I can't offer much insight into the question of design inspiration, but it's an interesting topic.
If I recall correctly, Fadi Matta was trained as a luthier mostly in Europe, he mentioned studying in Spain and France, I think both guitar and
especially lute making. I'm sure all contemporary oud makers, especially younger ones, are keen to take in inspiration from new sources, as well as
each other, and it can be difficult to trace the origin of some of the ideas that become widely accepted. Many younger oud makers seem to have moved
to the floating bridge design, for example...
In my conversation with Fadi I was impressed that he was unfailingly polite and complementary towards other oud makers whose names came up in our
conversation (something not always the case with instrument makers in my experience). He also mentioned several instrument makers whose work he
admired, but I can't recall if he mentioned the Ikhwan Tayyar or not.
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kamran
Oud Lover
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Location: NY
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Quote: Originally posted by naddad  | Gorgeous looking instrument. I always love innovations, such as the semi cutaway design in this oud, very nice.
You mentioned the upper f, I suppose you mean the treble f? Is a typical tuning CFADgcf?
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Yes, the tuning is CFADGCF, with the "high" F being the most treble.
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Oud Freak
Oud Junkie
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| Quote: Originally posted by ExtreamTarab | Nice oud kamran, congratulations...
I see a lot of resemblance to Al-Tayyar ouds in this instrument. looks like Matta's emulating Al-Tayyar brothers specially with the cutaway and bridge
saddle designs. What I hope is that Mr. Matta's giving Al-Tayyar brothers the credit they deserve in respect to these designs...
Enjoy your new oud and play it in good health
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Congratulations for this gorgeous oud! You have definitely made a good choice.
I have found this link (cutaway) (thabet el bassry?)
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=7909&pa...
I think the credit that Matta has to give to other makers is negligible compared to the credits he should be given:
For example, it is never to forget that Mr. Matta has made the following huge challenge in oud building:
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=6543&pa...
In addition to the invention of a very easily adjustable neck from outside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s09aZgHejE8
Cheers!
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GeoRgEstan
Oud Admirer
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Registered: 1-6-2012
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I was impressed that he was unfailingly polite and complementary towards other oud makers whose names came up in our conversation (something not
always the case with instrument makers in my experience). He also mentioned several instrument makers whose work he admired, but I can't recall if he
mentioned the Ikhwan Tayyar or not.
GeoRgEstan
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