jshead
Oud Junkie
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Where do you buy lute strings?
I have often heard that lute strings are the best. Who do you buy them from? What guage do people recommend?
I think usually people say get them for the top two strings?
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Dr. Oud
Oud Junkie
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jshead
I have often heard that lute strings are the best. Who do you buy them from? What guage do people recommend?
I think usually people say get them for the top two strings? |
http://www.vanzandtviolins.com/vn-strings.htm
http://www.kuerschner-saiten.de/english/start.htm
http://gamutstrings.com/
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jshead
Oud Junkie
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Thanks, Richard.
Do you know any thing about which guage should be used?
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Dr. Oud
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jshead
Thanks, Richard.
Do you know any thing about which guage should be used? |
The gauge can vary according to the string material and stiffness of the soundboard. Here's a link for a string calculator.
Some string makers will calculate the gauge for you if you give them the string length and pitch, then ask for a light gauge for a thin top if your
oud has a thin face (2mm). Turkish ouds would use light gauge, but some Arabic ouds have thicker soundgoards (3mm) and sound better with slightly
larger strings.
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billkilpatrick
Oud Junkie
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synthetic gut strings available here:
http://www.aquilacorde.com/
- bill
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tsugumi
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Site that I have ordered.
http://saitenkatalog.de/catalog/
http://www.lutes-strings.de/
tsugumi
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dubai244
Oud Junkie
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hi,
I recommand "Pyraminds" lute and oud strings, made in Germany. i use them and they are very soft.
Thanks
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oudmaker
Oud Junkie
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Gentlemen
Here is the gages of my Pyramid lute strings set for 585 mm string length:
1st: 0.55 (PVF)
2nd: 0.66 (PVF)
3rd: 1008
4th: 1013
5th: 1020
6th: 1440
I don't sell them but you can order from Germany or for the people in USA can order from:
OLAV CHRIS HENRIKSEN/BOSTON CATLINES
34 Newbury Street
Somerville,Massachusettes 02144 USA
(617) 776-8688
Catlines@aol.com
One time Mavrothis used to sell them too!
Regards to all
Dincer
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jshead
Oud Junkie
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Thanks for the great advise.
So people would recommend using lute strings for all 6(in my case) course not just the nylon strings? Somebody told me this.
I once bought a "Pyramid" lute set on Mohammed Ali street in Cairo. Turned out to be bogus. Good joke on me.
I got discouraged. However, armed with this great info I will give a shot.
I have a 1937 oud made in Cairo that is very nice and longing for good strings.
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Greg
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jshead,
I know you have a Turkish oud, tuned to Arabic and an Iraqi Bashir style oud. I guess you are considering the lute strings for the Bashir style
oud.
I recommend you contact Pyramid direct and give them the tuning and the vibrating string length of the instrument.
It may also be a good idea to give them an idea of your tension prefereces.
They will advise which gauges of lute strings are best for your purposes.
You can email Sabine Holz at <s.holz@pyramid-saiten.de>
Regards,
Greg
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fyenix
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jshead i sent u a u2u msg. . .
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Jameel
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jshead
Thanks for the great advise.
So people would recommend using lute strings for all 6(in my case) course not just the nylon strings? Somebody told me this.
I once bought a "Pyramid" lute set on Mohammed Ali street in Cairo. Turned out to be bogus. Good joke on me.
I got discouraged. However, armed with this great info I will give a shot.
I have a 1937 oud made in Cairo that is very nice and longing for good strings. |
Pyramid sells fine strings, and they are easy to deal with. Just tell them what Greg said. Any chance you'll share some pics of your 1937 Cairo oud?
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jshead
Oud Junkie
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Yes, I will share oud pictures. I have 5 ouds. All with different personalities. Probably my second favorate is 1978 made by Gamil George or at
least someone in his shop not sure which. It is my AX. I played in a rock band in my younger days. The story of how I got it is worth telling,
hopefully. I was visiting Cairo and spending the evening with Mahmoud Reda former cultural minister or asst. cultural minister once removed or
something like that. He created the Reda Folk Lore company that performed at the Baloon theater. So he took me to visit his dear frend who was a
great oud player ( I will skip the part about backing on a fast moving 6 lane highway). His freind offered me this cool oud which I bought for
$300.00. Reda was embarazed that I paid "so much" so he took me out for the evening. We stopped for incredable shrimp sandwiches in Heliopolis then
spent the eveing at other freinds house where there was this fabulous tacht group practising. He made me a tape of the of the music which I still
have.
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jshead
Oud Junkie
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Greg
jshead,
-I know you have a Turkish oud, tuned to Arabic and an Iraqi
-Bashir style oud. I guess you are considering the lute
-strings for the Bashir style oud....
-----------------------------------------------------
You are right, Greg, about the Bashir style oud being my main concern. I got it in Jordan after spending time with Saker Hatter. He had this
fantasic Bashir style oud. Mine is beautifully built but I really don't understand how to string it to get it to sound right.
The '37 oud sounds great no matter what I do to it. |
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AGAPANTHOS
Oud Addict
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The hand made Pyramid set for lute is really a good choise. They have a very good response from any point of view. The only disadvantage with them is
that they don't last for a long time since they made for rennaisanse/baroque lute which is playing with fingers and not with a pick. The gauge of the
set depends on the type of oud you have and the tuning/s you use. In case that you have a Turkish oud the suggestion of my friend "oudmaker" is the
right one while the instrument is tuned D A E B A E. In the case where the instrument is tuned in forths ,all the way up,you have to alternate the
fifth and the sixth string ('bam teli') with strings which must have a grater gauge.
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