freya
Oud Junkie
Posts: 275
Registered: 2-8-2004
Location: Asheville NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy in the mountains of WNC
|
|
George Gamil Oud
Hi,
I just pick this up cheap on Ebay and I must say it's quite an unusual instrument. It could not be any plainer but is is very well built. Looks to be
a maple neck and pegbox and has ebony pegs that fit very well. The soundboard, though finished, seems to have a very light french polish, though it
could be thin nitrocellulose - in either case very well applied. All the joints are cleanly cut and joined though the bowl finish is a little
sloppy.
The action is nice and low without buzzing. 59.7cm scale.
The bracing is the most surprising, very shallow main braces (approx. 4mm), an oval support ring inside the soundhole, small scalloped braces at the
edge of the soundhole and (!!) diagonal fan-like braces under the bridge.
The soundboard has the deepest tap tone of any of my Ouds (I have five others but only one is really nice - a Shehata). I mean a REALLY deep tap tone,
like a small bass drum. Overall the tone is very nice.
I can't post any sounds right now as I've bad tendonitis in both hands but maybe I can get another player to do something for me.
I've also included a picture of the peghead to show a very clean way of stringing the instrument - like a lute - no crossing at all.
Oh, it has a Georges Gamil label on it but this is unlike any Eqyptian Oud I've seen. Is this what Gamil is bulding these days? Is the shop
experimenting with new designs?
If you know anything about the origins of this instrument, I'd love to hear about it.
Freya
|
|
|
Monawar Al-Jabar
Oud Junkie
Posts: 118
Registered: 1-16-2005
Location: Newcastle . UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: playing Oud
|
|
Hello friend
If it is made by Gamil Georges then it's a good oud becaues his is well know for makeing good oud 
|
|
|
freya
Oud Junkie
Posts: 275
Registered: 2-8-2004
Location: Asheville NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy in the mountains of WNC
|
|
OOPs - I meant Gamil Georges
Here's the label - Actually it say "The Sons of Gamil Georges"... I have not heard great things about that shop but I'm no expert by any means.
Freya
|
|
|
Mike
Super Administrator
Posts: 1568
Registered: 12-3-2002
Location: California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy
|
|
Hi Freya,
Yeah, this looks like one of the "sons of" ouds from that shop. Their ouds are kind of rough, but they are solid. If you have time and can sit and
play them, one can definitely find a nice sounding oud from them. I bought one for a relative during my last visit to Egypt. This one looks like the
previous owner did some work to it though. It looks to me like the neck, pegbox, and soundboard have all been replaced. That might not be a bad thing
either. Also, the pegs are not original, which is definitely a good thing. I think you did well my friend! 
Mabrouk,
Mike
|
|
|
walkad
Oud Junkie
Posts: 102
Registered: 6-27-2004
Location: Sweden
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I have heard that its not Gamil Georges sons whos running the workshop anymore, its run under a "franchize" similar consept (some unknown maker makes
the ouds, puts Gamil Georges name and pays roaylty).
Regards
/Walid
|
|
|
Mike
Super Administrator
Posts: 1568
Registered: 12-3-2002
Location: California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy
|
|
Hey Walid,
George Gamil Georges (the son of Gamil Georges) is still there, but he is probably around 80 years old. When they say, "sons of", it doesn't mean
biological sons. It's more like a respectful term used to honor Gamil Georges.
Take care,
Mike
|
|
|
Al Billings
Oud Addict
Posts: 46
Registered: 1-31-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I have one of those Gamil Georges ouds, a later model from the sons' shop. My teacher hand-picked it in Cairo. It sounds very good-robust, strong, and
very deep, and in fact, it sounds nearly identical to the original Georges my teacher owns. Part of the reason it sounds good is because I removed the
thick poly varnish from the top, which now vibrates much better than it did before. I also thinned the finish on the bowl. As funky as the pegs are,
they work pretty well, and I doubt that I'll ever change them.
I'm in the middle of recording a fingerstyle acoustic guitar album, and once I get closer to completion, I plan to record the Georges oud and my
Najarian Turkish model through the same set-up I'm using for my guitar--3 mics, 24-track analog, and a bit of delay and reverb. I'll post them here
when I finally get them recorded, which is a few months away.
|
|
|
walkad
Oud Junkie
Posts: 102
Registered: 6-27-2004
Location: Sweden
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Mike, making ouds on royalty doesnt have to be negative, take a look at Abdu Dagher for example.
The competÃtion is very hard, and there are many good oudmakers that never get the chance to show how good they are because they always have to sell
their ouds too cheap, so this fine craft transfers to a way of surviving and not as an art.
Regards
/Walid
|
|
|
Andy
Oud Junkie
Posts: 314
Registered: 10-5-2004
Location: MA
Member Is Offline
Mood: excellent
|
|
Harry, I enjoyed the concert very much and was very surprised and happy to meet you. Your Gamil Georges is definitely unique and did find it to be a
very good sounding instrument. You certainly got an excellent deal.
I'll be looking for you at the next concert.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
