Rufi
Oud Addict
Posts: 46
Registered: 12-19-2003
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Mood: Knowlege seeker
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I made my first oud
I have made my first oud
I have been a luthier for 11 years now. I fell in love with the oud after repairing a Hana Nahat oud Built in 1926. Since then I have had the honor
of working on and oud for Hamza El Din, and also another Hana Nahat oud from 1912, a beautiful Gamil Gorges oud and Many others.
I met you Mike in Pasadena at Wael's house do you remember?
I have detailed drawings that I made of both Nahat ouds and used them as a starting point for Making my oud. Also I must Thank Richard Hankey for
his helpful book and Jameel Ibrahim for his website, you both have done us all a great service!!
My oud is a combination of and egyptian, syrian, and american oud. it has a 25" scale, a 1/2" square hollow pulltruded carbongraphite
rod down the middle of a walnut veneered vertical grained spruce neck which connects to the closest brace in the top, the neck to body joint is made
with a dovetail joint, the german spruce top is braced between a Nahat and a Gamil Gorges oud.
I have it strung up now and have been playing it but I still must complete the roses and some other inlay work and the finish is still yet to be
applied in full. I am very happy with the sound!!
Because of the neck to body joint it has tremendous sustain. I Made it this way because I am always repairing ouds where the neck joint has
failed! I Know in reniassance lutes some players like the weak neck joint because of the lack of sustain is it the same with oud players?
The sound is not as loud as the gorges oud but is louder than the nahat and has Much of the Nahat's complicated sound. i built this one Light
.
I am hopping that the Picture that i try to post come out and I will try to post some sound clips later as I figure this stuff out.
I would like to meet up with you again Mike and have you and wael play it and tell me what you think. I work at the Folk Music Center In claremont so
get in touch eh?
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Rufi
Oud Addict
Posts: 46
Registered: 12-19-2003
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Mood: Knowlege seeker
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another pic
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Jameel
Oud Junkie
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Rufi,
Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience with us. And thanks for you nice comments about my site. Your oud is fantastic looking! I am getting
very inspired by your work to make another oud. Would you mind dropping me an e-mail? I'd like to talk a bit about those detailed drawings you
have and brace measurements, since my next oud must be larger than the one I built previously. I look forward to hearing from you. Keep building!!
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mavrothis
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1674
Registered: 6-5-2003
Location: NJ/NYC
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Mood: big band envy
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Congratulations Rufi, this oud looks beautiful. You can see the influence of the past makers, but it is also very original looking. Please make
more!!
Whenever you can please post some sound clips. It will be really great to match the voice to the pretty face. 
Thanks for sharing,
mavrothis
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Mike
Super Administrator
Posts: 1568
Registered: 12-3-2002
Location: California, USA
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Mood: Happy
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Hey Rufi,
Yeah man, I remember you. I remember you telling me about how this oud was in the works then too. It's cool to finally see it. It looks excellent
my man. I would love to hookup again. I will email you soon.
Nice job,
Mike
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TruePharaoh21
Oud Junkie
Posts: 789
Registered: 3-17-2003
Location: California, USA
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Mood: Loving the Oud
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Wow Rufi, I'm impressed. I'm wondering how the sound will be. By the way, what do you characterize as an American oud?
Looking forward to hearing it.
TP21
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spyros mesogeia
Oud Junkie
Posts: 896
Registered: 9-10-2003
Location: WASHINGTON DC
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Congratulations
Congratulations my friend,
Keep the good work.....
Regards
Spyros
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Rufi
Oud Addict
Posts: 46
Registered: 12-19-2003
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American Oud ?
Thank you all for your responses !!!
I am happy that you remember me Mike!!
I hope that you can come out to claremont soon and visit!!!!
Afif I am a big fan of your playing!!
I would love for you to come out with Mike some time and Play my oud. Mike you could help me post a sound clip?
If not I will try to make it back out to Pasadena to visit you soon.
As for your question, I am an american and I cannot help but break with tradition a little. The neck joint and bridge are completely my own design
as well as the hollow graphite rod in the neck. These are the things that I belive make my oud american.
I have more plans for the future ouds that I am Making now. I hesitate to call these changes "improvements" because how can you improve on
a Nahat? But I am an inventor and an experimentor.
The Bridge I made has a saddle like a guitar. I cannot however lay claim to comming up with that. John Bilezikijian or Viken Najarian came up with
that. I did make my saddle taller and at a different angle than they do.
Jameel I will be emailing you soon with those measurements.
Peace to you all
Gratefulness for the Oud
Rufie
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sydney
Oud Junkie
Posts: 579
Registered: 12-9-2003
Location: Down Under
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Yanky Oud
Hello Rufie 
I'd like to congratuate you for making such a nice looking Yanki oud. I am sure we'd all love to hear how it sounds.
any thing for Micheal Jackson would be sweet ... just joking
All the best mate.
Emad from sydney
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Dr. Oud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1370
Registered: 12-18-2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, USA
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Mood: better than before
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Nice job Rufie, and thanks for the plug. I'm very pleased and proud to have helped you with your project in any way. It looks beautiful, and I
can't wait to hear it.
Let me know if you need some ideas how to get the big rose inside the hole.
Richard
http://www.droud.com
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Rufi
Oud Addict
Posts: 46
Registered: 12-19-2003
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Mood: Knowlege seeker
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I am working on some sound clips and will post some soon.
Thank you for all your positove comments
PS Mike, you heard it in person, could you describe the sound?
Rufi
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Mike
Super Administrator
Posts: 1568
Registered: 12-3-2002
Location: California, USA
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Hey Rufi,
Yeah, I was very impressed with the oud my man! I think it will sound even better with a set of Arabic strings on it. As it was now, I liked the bass
strings better than the trebles. I think you'll have more balance with an appropriate set of strings. Your craftsmanship was great, action was
perfect, no buzzing and just clean work overall. Once you're done with all the inlay work you have planned.....WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!! I can't
wait to see it when it's all done man. Build on bro.
Take care,
Mike
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nadir
Oud Junkie
Posts: 329
Registered: 12-29-2003
Location: USA
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CONGRATULATIONS RUFI!!!
WOW! what a knockout!
thats a very elegant oud you have made!! the soundboard too, which is supposedly the most sensitive part of the oud is BEAUTIFUL!!!
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Rufi
Oud Addict
Posts: 46
Registered: 12-19-2003
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Mood: Knowlege seeker
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Here is my sound clip
Nadir, thank you for your kind words!
I have a disclaimer to make before you listen to my sound clip. I am just begining to learn how to play the oud. I do belive the clip does give you
an Idea of the sound of my oud, however I wish i had a great player playing all the nuances instead of me improvising on my couch.
please let me know what you all think!!!
with abundant love for the oud
Rufi
P.S. Emad sorry I don't know any Michael Jackson, mabey next time?
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TruePharaoh21
Oud Junkie
Posts: 789
Registered: 3-17-2003
Location: California, USA
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Mood: Loving the Oud
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THE OUD SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL! Oh my goodness... Rufi, I'm very impressed. Nice job, man!!!!!!!! Jeeze.......
TP21
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Rufi
Oud Addict
Posts: 46
Registered: 12-19-2003
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Mood: Knowlege seeker
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sound?
Thank you TP21.
By the way I live in southern california.
Mike tells me that you know Afif.
Do you live here too?
Please any one describe what you hear.
I want to get feed back from some more of you!
Oud Be
Rufi
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TruePharaoh21
Oud Junkie
Posts: 789
Registered: 3-17-2003
Location: California, USA
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Mood: Loving the Oud
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Actually, I do live in So Cal. Not too far from Wael's place... 20 minutes or so. Same with Afif, he's not too far from me either. I usually
see them at least once a week (but this week I have midterms  Sucks when I miss
awesome meetings like that...)
The sound of the oud is amazing. Excellent projection on it, and it sounds crisp and clear. No buzzing at all. Strings seem to work perfectly
together. I'm very impressed, man.
TP21
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