Hasan
Oud Addict
Posts: 35
Registered: 11-17-2014
Member Is Offline
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slim turkish soundboards.. dieting or dying?
- intro: those pretty looking attractive slim models could be starving, ill and dying from inside.
- I have to say this: i like turkish ouds, turkish novelst Orhan pamouk, turkish coffe and tea and i have nothing against turkish kabab.
to the subject now
turkish ouds come with noticeably thinner soundboards than the average arabic ouds.
a friend with many years of experience who laterally lives and sleeps among ouds says these tops are weak, they develop all kind of bends over a very
short time .. "don't buy turkish ouds" (this may seem radical to you but it's a very common arabic way in giving opinions  )
leaving the effect of thickness on the sound aside, i think it's logical that thinner faces are easier to bend under string tension and weather
change.
last night at the above mentioned friend's house i saw a beautiful shinny turkish oud that he received to check. the soundboard has developed nasty
bends in many areas specially in the bridge area and whether its related or not there was a very annoying buzz in all strings. changing strings,
sanding fingerboard , raising nut and some other common tricks didn't solve the problem.
the oud is 2 years old.
thats too young for a face job.
and too scary for someone who's looking for a new turkish oud.
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
Posts: 3485
Registered: 8-2-2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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How thin is thin and for what sound board material?
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ALAMI
Oud Junkie
Posts: 643
Registered: 12-14-2006
Location: Beirut
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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A good oud is a fragile formula between "strong enough' not to collapse under strings tension and "light and thin enough" to vibrate under the
slightest risha stroke. .
Mastering this equilibrium is an art, Turks are very good in this art.The sinking tops are made on purpose and it is not necessarily a bad thing and
might remain stable forever if well done. On the other hand, the buzz can be part of this Turkish sound, you may not like it but it is music to many
ears.
So even if radical opinions can be "very Arab", in the sensitive and sensible world of oud "less radical" opinions would be nicer.
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paulO
Oud Junkie
Posts: 531
Registered: 9-8-2004
Location: California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Utz
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Hi Hasan,
Well built ouds from any part of the world, no matter what the style, can develop problems without regard to the thickness of the top, or any other
specific design choice.
You buy the oud you like, you play it, and maintain it, and get it repaired when needed.
I know of two Karibian ouds, built in Istanbul in1952 with very thin soundboards that have not had their tops modified or replaced and sound great.
Read ALAMI's post - very well put.
Cordially..PaulO
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bulerias1981
Oud Junkie
Posts: 763
Registered: 4-26-2009
Location: Beacon, NY
Member Is Offline
Mood: John Vergara Luthier Lord of the Strings instrument making and repair
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What ALAMI mentions "A good oud is a fragile formula between "strong enough' not to collapse under strings tension and "light and thin enough" to
vibrate under the slightest risha stroke." is very true. The perfect balance, too thick and your tone is dead, too thin it won't last long, unless the
bracing is good, the density of the wood isn't too flexible, and if the soundboard isn't properly concaved (for a lack of a better term) a concave
face means the relentless pressure of the strings on the bridge is well place and the soundboard won't buckle up on the soundhole, rendering it very
strong, like a Roman arch. Most Turkish makers do this and it also why Karibian ouds (built in any year) usually hold up over the years. I focus
mainly on Arabic instruments, however I do build this feature into my soundboards as I feel its important structurally and important for the tone as
well.
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