mham
Oud Addict
Posts: 41
Registered: 12-21-2016
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Buzzing sound and high action on newly build oud
Hi everyone !
I have been playing oud for a few months on a moroccan oud made by Zitouni (workshop close to Casablanca).
I have started noticing some issues like buzzing (located in the head), and loss of sustain in high pitched notes, probably due to high action (around
2-3mm close to the head, around 7-8mm at the end of the neck).
This all seems very weird to me since it is a handmade instrument ... Do you guys have any advice on what i should do ?
Cheers !
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Chococumba
Oud Lover
Posts: 18
Registered: 11-23-2016
Location: London UK
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Mood: Curry
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Is the fingerboard flat or is there a bump on the fingerboard where it meets the body?
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mham
Oud Addict
Posts: 41
Registered: 12-21-2016
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I am not sure I understood your question, but here is a side picture of the neck.
What do you think ?
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Edward6311
Oud Maniac
Posts: 94
Registered: 8-29-2014
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With the action that high and there is still buzzing, there must be something wrong the the construction of the Oud. Usually, high action eliminates
buzzing, but you are deeling with both.
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ma_sabba
Oud Admirer
Posts: 8
Registered: 3-3-2016
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Hey,
1. Buzzing in the pegbox is a common issue regardless of the quality of the oud due to sympathetic resonance of the strings past the nut. You can
solve this by placing an object to cover the strings in the pegbox; some people tie rubber bands but a solution that works nicely is to place the
excess string from say, the F string, at the side of the C string to suppress its vibration.
2. Notes higher in the fingerboard may "choke out" due to a neck angle that is too high relative to the action. However, from your pictures the neck
angle is substantially lower than the action so this cannot be the problem. As sustain is proportional to string length, it is natural for high notes
to decay faster but poor sustain points to a problem in the strings or the oud. Have you changed the strings the instrument came with? Thicker strings
will be beneficial for this problem, and typically PVF strings, being of higher density, will be better than nylon with regards to sustain. This would
be the first course of action.
If the problem is in the oud, then there could be:
1. A dampening factor robbing the vibrations; e.g. a loose brace (which would also cause buzzing in the body of the oud if this is what you meant by
"head!") Look around the oud to see if there are cracks or splits. As the oud is made out of wood which expands and contracts, the problem may
spontaneously resolve or require the service of a luthier.
2. A fingerboard which is not flat or smooth. If this is the case, then you can sand the fingerboard with a flat sanding block and 200-2000 grit
sandpaper.
As for the action, which is extremely high, you can adjust it somewhat by adjusting the string knot near the bridge as follows: https://youtu.be/e4bddDB03C4?t=6m30s
This may not lower the action enough, in which case you can attempt either a fill-and-redrill of the string holes in the bridge (if it is fixed) or a
sanding of the saddle (if it is floating bridge model.)
Keep us updated.
Cheers,
Mohamed
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mham
Oud Addict
Posts: 41
Registered: 12-21-2016
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Hello guys,
First thank you for your comprehensive answers !
1. The buzzing sound indeed comes from the pegbox (what i called the head  ) ),
but i am not sure i understand what you meant by "place the excess string from say, the F string, at the side of the C string to suppress its
vibration".
2. It seems to me that the lack of sustain is due to the high action (i really need to apply pressure on the string to get the sound). Of course very
high pitched notes have less sustain, but I even notice this lack of sustain on the lower notes of the high C string.
3. The oud is a fixed bridge model, so i guess drilling new string holes would be a solution. However I am not comfortable doing it myself. Same goes
for sanding the neck (even if it looks smooth to me). I will go back to Morocco soon and bring the oud with me. I will check it with the luthier who
made it, and hope it can be fixed !
Cheers !
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mham
Oud Addict
Posts: 41
Registered: 12-21-2016
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Hello everyone,
Here is a small update : I brought my oud back to its maker )
He completely changed the neck, now the action is more than reasonable (around 3mm at the junction between the soundboard and the neck, around 1-2 mm
at the top of the neck)
It is much easier to play, sounds better (better sustain !), except the small occasional buzzing on the C - F - A - D strings which is due to the
lower action I guess.
Thanks again for your advices !
Cheers
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