cjmichael
Oud Junkie
Posts: 117
Registered: 4-22-2007
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Member Is Offline
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My oud mishap finally resolved.
When I first joined this forum, I was a complete stranger to the oud. I wanted to buy a cheap one to see if I could play it at all and asked for
advice here in the forums. Of course, many people here advised me to not waste my money on a cheaply manufactured oud, because after all I'd probably
regret not getting a quality instrument. I was reluctant to take this advice because I'd never really played an instrument in my life and didn't want
to spend ~1000 USD on a quality oud that I didn't even know I would enjoy playing.
So I ordered the cheap oud, and as soon as I got it I immediately regret it. It buzzed... BOY did it ever buzz. The lower note strings did not
sustain at all near the middle of the finger board. I tried this and that to work around the problem, but in the end I resolved it was completely
unplayable.
On a whim, I took it to a luthier named Keith Davis in Hammond, Louisiana. It was his first ever oud, though he had worked with lutes before.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I brought it in he started working on it right then and there while we had an interesting chat. He found that there was a
defect in the manufacturing of the neck and that caused the fingerboard to slope inwards. He plained the fingerboard for me and cut me a new bone
(the one that came with it was horridly cut). I'm super satisfied with his work. The fact is that since the neck is warped, the slope of the
fingerboard could reform in time. He said if that happens, then it isn't worth repairing because it will probably keep happening.
Nevertheless, I've been happily playing it. It's still a cheap instrument (far inferior to my Haider Najm oud) but I can't believe I'm playing notes
instead of buzzes on this thing! I like having a oud that I can carry around with me everywhere without being paranoid. Sure beats the purpose it
was serving before I got it fixed: a mold farm.
I think it sounds like it should have sounded when I bought it. There is a little bit of buzzing, but it hardly effects the sustain so it doesn't
bother me much. I'm always reluctant to post a clip, but I'm trying to get over it. It's just that 99% of the people who post clips here are such
amazing players and I'm so horrible. Anyways, here is a clip.
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OudandTabla
Oud Maniac
Posts: 81
Registered: 2-21-2008
Location: Eugene, OR
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oud-a-licious
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That oud sounds fine, and your playing is nice too!
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