licensetokrill
Oud Lover
Posts: 14
Registered: 2-16-2018
Member Is Offline
|
|
SalaMuzik Ouds any good?
I'm looking for a good quality but reasonably priced Turkish oud, 600$ is around my range. I found Salamuzik via this forum and was wondering if
anybody has any experience buying from this seller or knows about them via reputation. I've come to realize that the vast majority of ouds ive found
online for 500 and below seem to be pretty low quality or are sold by vendors of low repute.
Thanks for the help all! 
|
|
|
Amu Daria
Oud Admirer
Posts: 7
Registered: 7-21-2017
Member Is Offline
|
|
I am a beginner and I bought my oud from SalaMuzik last summer. My professor inspected the instrument and told me it was much better than the average
student oud. It is well built and the quality of the wood is very good. The transaction with this music store went very well. I am very happy with
my instrument, the sound is excellent.
A good quality instrument is important. As a beginner, you also have to remember that a excellent professor is also required in your learning.
Of course, once you receive your instrument, you will have to tune it.
Regards
|
|
|
licensetokrill
Oud Lover
Posts: 14
Registered: 2-16-2018
Member Is Offline
|
|
Good to know!
Thanks Amu Daria! I am at the moment doubtful that i will find an in-person teacher here in Sacramento, California. I'm hoping to do a lot of
self-study via practice books and youtube and hopefully finding a teacher who can give lessons over skype.
|
|
|
Doc139
Oud Junkie
Posts: 173
Registered: 2-23-2013
Location: Winterthur Switzerland
Member Is Offline
Mood: oud-sick
|
|
Dear friend,
In fact, that's the most important in the beginning: to find a good teacher who guides you and follows your progress! (I am very lucky and happy to
have such a teacher around!!) Ask our friend Dr. Oud (on this forum) who lives in Sacramento - he might know a local teacher?!
On Skype you will find another couple of good teachers, like Mavrothis from N.Y.C. (also on this forum) just as an example. I remember there was a
thread on this forum last year about teachers who teach through Skype, maybe you just try to find it.
And secondly: try to buy a REALLY good instrument, it's worth also as a beginner, not to get frustrated with a bad instrument, it's so nice to have a
decent, good sounding instrument with good playability... !!
Good luck!
Alexander
|
|
|
ChanningPDX
Oud Maniac
Posts: 96
Registered: 10-15-2016
Member Is Offline
|
|
When I was initially seduced by the oud a couple of years ago, I was also seriously tempted by the SalaMuzik ouds. I was a bit put off by the way
that someone from Sala tried to pose as a learner on this forum to drum up business for them. (Do a search in the archives.) I've still never tried
one, so I can't comment on their quality, but if you can manage to save a bit more, I'd strongly recommend ordering an instrument from a luthier with
an established reputation. You can get one of Bülent Eryalman's standard ouds (walnut or mahogany bowl) for $900 including shipping to the US. The
waiting time is about three months, which could give you some time to get a bit more cash together. (Note: This was the information Bülent quoted me
last year. Check with him yourself to confirm.)
I was about to order one of Bülent's ouds myself last month when by chance a used oud by Ali Nişadır turned up on eBay in the US for $900.
I went with that and so far have been very pleased with it. In my case, I was able to get advice from an expert player down in Southern California who
checked it out and said is was probably a good deal for the price before I pulled the trigger. It doesn't hurt to have a look at what's available on
eBay, but be careful. All the more reason why you should probably contact a potential teacher first before spending your money. Forums like this are
great, but they're not a replacement for a personal relationship with an experienced musician.
There are several members on the forum in the Bay Area, so hopefully they will chime in with more helpful information, but even if you're just able to
make it down to Berkeley or the City once every month or two to meet with a teacher, that would very much be worth your time and money. There are
several good oud players in the area, and I know that Gerry Haggerty (who posts on this forum sometimes) has extensive experience with Turkish oud.
Not sure who else is actively teaching Turkish oud in Northern California right now.
I'm up in Portland, and although I'm ultimately interested in exploring Turkish music more in-depth, the two oud teachers up here both use Arabic
tuning, so I have my oud set up with Kürschner strings for Arabic tuning, but I am still dabbling a little bit in Turkish technique/intonation and
repertoire on my own, learning to read Bolahenk notation, etc. Mavrothi Kontanis's "School of Oud" book is good practice for this, but it does kinda
drop you in the deep end. If you're a complete beginner, I wouldn't recommend trying to tackle it, especially without a teacher. Eric Ederer's book
"Makam and Beyond" is also extremely helpful as it includes explanations of all common Turkish Makams written in Bolahenk notation but with
"translations" both to concert pitch _and_ a step down to "Arab level" for musicians who want to play Turkish music on Arabic-tuned ouds or other
instruments, though again, if you don't have previous musical experience, it's probably a bit much to digest early on.
Bottom line: find a teacher--or at least an experienced player willing to help--first!
|
|
|
licensetokrill
Oud Lover
Posts: 14
Registered: 2-16-2018
Member Is Offline
|
|
very good info to have, thanks a ton ChanningPDX. Instruments can often be a risk; the shipping portion alone is terrifying to me haha.
I'm thinking I may go for an arab oud, afterall. The Zeryab Syrian ouds seem to be very high quality for the price. I've always really loved the
persian style and tuning, so an arabic oud would be more in line with that anyway, no?
A search of players/teachers in SF or Berkeley is a fantastic idea, actually, as its no trouble at all for me to head down that way occasionally.
|
|
|
CumbusOud
Oud Maniac
Posts: 70
Registered: 9-16-2014
Member Is Offline
|
|
Hello,
I am Veysel from Sala Muzik.
All makers and sellers recommend their products. So that I don't want to say anything about our products.
But there are many customers who bought from us instruments, you can read their reviews.
Please check this link for some reviews about AO-101M oud:
https://www.amazon.com/Turkish-Quality-Mahogany-String-Instrument/dp...
You can check our HSO series ouds. HSO series ouds our has deep sound for Turkish Ethnich music.
Best regards,
Veysel
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
