torrevieja
Oud Admirer
Posts: 9
Registered: 7-10-2012
Location: Spain
Member Is Offline
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Oud recomendation
Hi!
I'm writting again. Afeter making my little research with ouds now I have three instruments that my budget can stands. It will be my first oud but I'm
pretty sure that I'll be playing this instruments for years. I know that in the future I'll want to upgrade the oud but I don't want to but a very
beginner instrument. I prefer something better.
First of all, I guess that this typical "oud for beginner" kind of topic may be redundant and boring for advanced players, but I'm felling really lost
in this (for me) new world.
Though I don't know almost anything about this instrument, I can tell I like bassy and deep sound of arab ouds. For example, I love Trio Jourban
sound, very mellow and deep.
By now the alternatives I have:
Syrian oud made by Fu'ad Haydar (Damasco). This is for sale in Spain (where I live), which is an adventage for me. Used. It belongs to (maybe) the
best Spanish oudist.
The second one is for sale on this forum. It sounds pretty good in the video and the price is very good. It's from Iraq.
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=13051
And my third alternative is getting a new instrument. I've been thinking that a Sayeed Fathi could be a good alternative in a price-quality
compromise.
Advices will be wellcome and apreciated.
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Giorgioud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 287
Registered: 11-18-2011
Location: United Kingdom
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Mood: Oudbsessed
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Hi Old Tower,
the first oud seems very good. And the second too, although it has some problems (cracks or something) which you'll have to fix by taking it to a
luthier. You have to bear that in mind. But it seems a very good oud.
As for the Fathy Amin, I am biased, but I have not one but two of them and I am really happy with their sound. One has a big bowl like the old ouds
and I keep it tuned in Standard Arabic (from thin to bass: cc, gg, DD, AA, FF, C), deep in bass. The other is a floating bridge which I keep tuned in
the High Arabic (ff, cc, gg, DD, AA, F). I know there are comments about how Sayed cannot compare with an old Fathy, and although I have never played
a vintage Fathy, I played other ouds and I must say the Fathys I have are brilliant!
I don't know if you're interested, but the guy who I bought my last oud from has another one just the same. I paid £350 for it, the equivalent of 450
Euros or so. Check it out, it's new http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=12091
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torrevieja
Oud Admirer
Posts: 9
Registered: 7-10-2012
Location: Spain
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Thanks very much Giogioud.
However the oud you're telling me is already sold.
It's good to know that the three alternatives are good. I have some time to make my decision, so I'll thinks about it.
If you know any other alternative please let me know
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Giorgioud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 287
Registered: 11-18-2011
Location: United Kingdom
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oudbsessed
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Ah, shame he sold it! It was a really good oud and you would have loved it. With a Standard Arabic tuning you would have been hit by its powerful bass
tones right in the chest. It is so loud the neighbourghs would have cued up to tell you to quit playing!
And now I realize I have given you the wrong thread! Dumbo! The thread I gave you was of a Fathy Amin I bought 7 months ago from the same guy! The
thread I was meant to give you was this
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=12905 I apologise profusely!!! It cost the equivalent of 450 Euros
The guy goes periodically to Egypt and comes back with excellent ouds, so when I needed another one I saw his ad and bought it. I have played the
other oud that (I hope) he (still) has for about 4 hours and I can tell you that it's beautiful to play and really loud.
Fuad Haydar seems good. Many people on the forum have it and they seem pleased with it. I have never had the pleasure to play it but I have no reason
to doubt that it's a good oud. I can see that it has missing rosettes. It is not a big deal, just for a uniformed look you'll might want to take the
other rosette off, unlless it has a specific need to be there.....
(the need for the rosette and the believe that removing the rosette will enhance the volume of the oud is as ancient as the oud itself, and the answer
is that.....no specific answer has been given as yet!)
The Iraqi seems good too. Floating bridges ones tend really to last a lifetime. When you'll experiment with various tunings you'll be able to make the
oud whitstand more pressure than normal because the strings are attached to the body instead of the bridge. But you'll need to fix the crack on the
bottom, and that is, depending from how big it is, from 100 to 200 Euros on the top of the price. You have to think about that.
But yes, a good choice in my opinion, you just have to make the decision.
I will let you know if there are other ouds around.
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Giorgioud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 287
Registered: 11-18-2011
Location: United Kingdom
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oudbsessed
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Just one from the "Buy and sell" section, another Iraqi oud sold in London complete with hardcase (don't know the price) http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=13142
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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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You have to decide if you want floating bridge or regular fixed bridge. If you like a deep traditional sound, I'd vote fixed. And any oud you can play
before you buy it is like the bird in the hand and not in the bush.
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torrevieja
Oud Admirer
Posts: 9
Registered: 7-10-2012
Location: Spain
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Thanks for your advices. I thought that floating bridge let the instrument resonate more, so more volume and more bass and more stability (according
with my amateur luthier knowlege) but I may be wrong.
What about neck lenth? It seems that short necks gives more bass, though less definied and tight than longer ones, am I right? It's difficult for me
to get conclusioons from youtubes with different oudes, players, mics, recording situations, etc.
Thanks again!
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