Edward6311
Oud Maniac
Posts: 94
Registered: 8-29-2014
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Oud strings
I have been using and like very much Kurschner C-Arab1 sets for my 60cm Ouds and C-Arab2 sets for my 58.5cm Ouds. Recently I tried to order more but
had trouble finding them. I have seen Kurschner strings but lacking the 2 dots above the U and in different packaging and no designation of C- Arab1
or C-Arab2. The sets I have gotten in the past were made in Turkey, the sets I see now I don’t believe are. Is it the same manufacturer? Also, I
have a Faruk Turunz Arabic Oud that I love but I think it sounds more Turkish than Arabic. Like the Zeryab Turkish Oud I bought that sounds Arabic
 is there a set of strings someone might recommend that have a nice traditional
deeper Arabic tone for my Tururnz Oud? I recently tried a set of Sala Arabic Deep-c strings, but the tension was a little too heavy. The lower strings
are so large in diameter they barely fit through the tuning peg holes. Any help is much appreciated.
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MyStringsDoLie
Oud Admirer
Posts: 9
Registered: 2-17-2023
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Hi Edward! I am a beginner, so I might be stepping out of my boundaries here. I have been asking questions and looking into posts about strings
because I am looking into changing my current (aging) Kurshner strings on my Arabic Zeryab Oud. Maybe you'd find the below links helpful:
1- This is a link to my questions about strings. Brian Prunka gives a detailed response and addresses the different Oud
sizes:https://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=19297
2- Here are a couple of other links to posts that I found to be useful:
https://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=19083#pid12...
https://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=18435#pid12...
Hope this helps!
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2916
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Mood: Stringish
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Kurschner has for some time had what seems to be a "German" version and a "Turkish version. Even selling the strings at one time, it was confusing
and difficult to figure out what was what. They also seem to have some different packaging now.
Regarding the Turunz sounding "Turkish" and the Zeryab sounding "Arabic" — strings are not really the thing that contributes the perception of tonal
quality, so changes in strings will likely make minimal difference to these perceptions. All strings are fairly similar inn general construction,
though stiffness and sustain can be noticeably different.
The plain strings have the most variation. My perceptions are these:
Plain nylon has long sustain, a bit of brightness and complex harmonic content. It can get a bit dull or nasal at thicker gauges.
Rectified nylon has shorter sustain, is a bit darker and more percussive. The harmonic content is focused more on the fundamental, giving a very clear
and punchy sound but fewer complex overtones.
PVF ("carbon") has very long sustain and is quite bright and harmonically complex; this is often associated with Turkish preferences but plenty of
Arab players like these qualities as well. It can sound "plastic-y" or "brittle" on some ouds but generally is warm and balanced.
Aquila "nylgut" has been available in a number of formulations, so the qualities can vary a fair amout depending on which version you are using.
The classic plain version (non-rectified) had good sustain (similar to or a bit longer than equivalent nylon) and a warm, dark tone. The harmonic
focus is on the fundamental a bit more than plain nylon, but not as much as rectified nylon. These could sound a bit "plastic-y" on some ouds but
worked quite well on most.
The rectified ("lute") nylgut is rectified, and has a bit shorter sustain than the plain version, but longer than rectified nylon. It's fairly
fundamental-heavy and somewhat percussive, though not as percussive as rectified nylon. Both make for a smooth transition between plain and wound
strings. These are the closest to a "gut" sound in my opinion and really nice on Arabic ouds.
So for Edward, I'd consider using Aquila lute strings for the trebles if you want to make it less "Turkish" sounding, and PVF trebles for the Zeryab
to get a little extra brilliance. For wound strings, you may just have to experiment to see what balances best on the particular instruments. I find
Pyramid lute have a warm, neutral sound and a lot of options for experimenting. Savarez has the shortest sustain on their wound strings, which could
be something to try if the Turunz is too "echoey".
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Edward6311
Oud Maniac
Posts: 94
Registered: 8-29-2014
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Thank you both very much. For my Turunz Oud, I think I will give Aquila Lute strings a try.
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