Jake
Oud Addict
Posts: 25
Registered: 7-14-2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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amount of bulge/buckle in soundboard
Oops you can tell I'm a newbie. I started a topic in the wrong forum. I asked a maintainance question in ouds ouds ouds.
The question was about the amount of bulge/buckle in a soundboard. I have this new oud, which I have described as my horror in the other forum, that
has some problems. With ultra light strings (av. 1.8kg per string) it is bulging behind the bridge and buckling in front of the bridge by as much as
5mm. The top wood is very soft and so is the treble sound. The bridge is peeling away from the soundboard at the back and also at the sides. Could
this mean that the tension of the strings is not being distributed? Maybe this is a normal state of affairs for an oud (not the bridge), I don't know.
I know that a new guitar will vibrate to high frequencies quite well but will need some time to loosen up to the big movement of low frequencies. Is
this the reverse case for ouds?
Many thanks
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Elie Riachi
Oud Junkie
Posts: 582
Registered: 4-9-2004
Location: Kansas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gebran Tueni Lives For Ever, 12-12-05.
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How do you know that this is the current tension? This sounds like the string tension is higher or the oud has been rigged with higher tension
strings in the past hence the peeling bridge. The buckling/bulging indicates that the braces near the bridge might also be lose which is another
indication that the oud has been exposed to high tension. Once the bridge peels and or the soundboard bulges/buckles then the tension is relieved.
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Jake
Oud Addict
Posts: 25
Registered: 7-14-2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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They are Aquila strings and I was told the tuning and guages. I calculated the tension. The oud is new and I have examined the braces they do not
appear to be loose but how is this tested? I have never had it tuned to a higher tension so if it was not me it was the maker.
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SamirCanada
Moderator
Posts: 3404
Registered: 6-4-2004
Member Is Offline
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Aquilas in the regular version strings exhort a verry high tension on a oud... Most members myself included that were using the regular set for arabic
tuning started noticing it was actualy damaging the oud in the long run.
Altough it isnt acceptable for a oud you have purchased brand new, it could be a reason.
Try the low tension versions offered by the member named Jameel. They are amazing.
By the way I live in Ottawa, I dont go to Toronto much but If you have a chance to make it up here sometime be my guest.
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Jake
Oud Addict
Posts: 25
Registered: 7-14-2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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the strings are lower tension than aquila's light tension sets or so I have been told. These strings are too light for me, I prefer a firmer feel and
a tighter sound. The maker told me I could use higher tension strings (within limits) with no problem. I was going to experiment with different
combinations of guages to find the best balance of sound and feel but now it appears that even light tension is too much. The problem appears to be
that the wood used for the soundboard is bad. There are portions of the soundboard that visibly depress with only the lightest touch.
I am just visiting my parents for the summer and will be heading back to europe in a month or so. I don't think I'll get to Ottawa but thanks for the
invitation.
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