Mascun
Oud Maniac
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Registered: 12-28-2005
Location: Dordogne, SW France
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Ouds by Maurice Shehata
Hi oud-lovers,
Can anyone offer an opinion about lutes made by Maurice Shehata?
I've seen some of the posts on the Forum, but I'm interested in knowing about Maurice's current production.
Thanks 
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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I have a Shehata and have played a couple of others. They are considered among the best modern Egyptian ouds, and are carefully finished. The pegs
are ebony, nice. He uses a thick synthetic varnish on the bowl, pegbox and neck, and the soundboard is generally french polished or lightly varnished.
Whereas Sukars use a standard template and are both very powerful and consistent, relatively plain in appearance, Shehatas seem to vary much more. My
Shehata has a very narrow and thin/flat neck compared to a Sukar, and is much quieter. The timbre paradoxically retains a lot of the classical
Egyptian percussive character, yet with a rich "buzziness". The action is quite low. The neck is reinforced internally with something like a metal "I"
beam, or it could never stay straight given its flat profile, but unlike a Sukar or a Fadi Matta, it's not adjustable. Mine has a saddle in the
bridge, which can be replaced or shaved to adjust the action, with a pickup, a pre-amp with 2 EQ bands and an end-pin jack. The pickup and electronics
are Korean ARTEC, not very high end, but serviceable. It's a very attractive instrument.
[file]24998[/file]
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Mascun
Oud Maniac
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Thanks for your report, fernandraynaud, it agrees with most of the comments I have read in this forum. Do you think $1500 is the right price to pay
for a Shehata Algieba? This is the price that a parisian merchant is asking.
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naddad
Oud Maniac
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I've had a shehata, had lots of problems with it, it basically fell apart. I wouldn't recommend it although this is just based on my own experience of
one shehata oud.
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SamirCanada
Moderator
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Registered: 6-4-2004
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1500$ is probably the right price.
I have had several of them and I love them. Definitely they have a unique sound that not everyone loves but the playability is unmatched in most ouds
I have played.
When this man uses your ouds only it means you must be doing something right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qeHrpCE4tA&playnext=1&list=...
@samiroud Instagram
samiroudmaker@gmail.com
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Mascun
Oud Maniac
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Registered: 12-28-2005
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Thanks, fellow-oudists, this really puts me on the tracks 
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naddad
Oud Maniac
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Having consistent quality and making a few high quality instruments are two different things.
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Alfaraby
Oud Junkie
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Here's one of Maurice's most beautiful ouds
Enjoy
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
alfarabymusic@gmail.com
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Mascun
Oud Maniac
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Registered: 12-28-2005
Location: Dordogne, SW France
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Ouds by Maurice Shehata
I see your point, naddad: I have a Sukar, which I found very disappointing. Nevertheless nobody denies that the Sukar production is normally of fine
quality.
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Mascun
Oud Maniac
Posts: 53
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Location: Dordogne, SW France
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Thanks for the pix Alfaraby, a splendid instrument indeed. My taste, particularly for the belly, is more conservative, but the craftsmanship and
artistry involved in making this oud is quite considerable.
All the best
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