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DaveH
Oud Junkie
Posts: 526
Registered: 12-23-2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Cold snap
Just a quick observation: is anyone else in the UK particularly enjoying their oud playing at the moment? It's been a few years since we've had much
of a proper winter. Outside all is white, crisp and clear, inside the wood stove is going and the long evenings are giving loads of practice time. My
oud is singing like a bell with the cold, dry weather.
Long live the proper British winter!
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1463
Registered: 8-26-2004
Location: California, USA
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Mood: Oud-Obsessed
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On the other hand, most of our instruments were built in warmer climates. I have heard many tales of woe from oud (and qanoun) owners whose
instruments suffered serious damage from changes in temperature and humidity. Beware!
Peace,
John
in (not so) Sunny California
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DaveH
Oud Junkie
Posts: 526
Registered: 12-23-2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Killjoy! 
Yep, I was bearing that in mind. Like most of us, ouds perform best near their breaking point!
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Ararat66
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1025
Registered: 11-14-2005
Location: Portsmouth, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow yellow
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At last ... a real winter, down here it as been freezing and clear as a bell but my oud is safe in a warm, dry house.
Leon
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katakofka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 811
Registered: 1-24-2008
Location: Cleveland
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Mood: Gypsy
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my oud looses its water in winter time when the heat is on at home . I am using a humidifer in these conditions. When the humidity reaches 50% "My oud
is singing like a bell"
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DaveH
Oud Junkie
Posts: 526
Registered: 12-23-2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
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Mood: No Mood
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John - just to reassure you, I'm keeping it well away from that fire!
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MatthewW
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1031
Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
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Mood: Al Salam
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Well let me say that I'd rather be playing and enjoying the weather in the country that my oud was made in.
Lads, though it's been cold, my oud has been sounding fine, that is when I can get my poor fingers warm enough to play it! Give me sunshine and warm
weather any day!
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Jameel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1672
Registered: 12-5-2002
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Mood: No Mood
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DaveH
Long live the proper British winter! |
Hear hear! As ouds go, that is. Don't you just love the sound that the dryness gives?
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
Posts: 3485
Registered: 8-2-2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Mood: No Mood
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Hey guys - if you want real cold and dryness, move to the Canadian Prairies.Current temperatures (with wind chill) are around minus 50 C. Hard to play
an oud when wearing mitts!!
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Melbourne
Oud Junkie
Posts: 354
Registered: 10-9-2006
Location: Mlebourne, Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: راحة الأرواح
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MatthewW
I can assure, its probably not much warmer than where you are in your oud's country of origin  Nazih's house is probably half covered in snow at the moment. Certain regions of Lebanon really cop it in winter.
Meanwhile downunder - summer has finally arrived, almost a month overdue. Not looking forward to the nightmares - jumping out of bed to the sound of
oud pegs slipping!
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katakofka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 811
Registered: 1-24-2008
Location: Cleveland
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Mood: Gypsy
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Correct me if I am wrong: humidity is important, Ouds should avoid dry weather and hot. These affect the wood and the glue of the oud.
in a 50% average humidity the oud would be in a good condition for its maintenance and sound.
Are these wrong statments? Because I am wondering how can one enjoy the oud sound in a dry weather? What is the humidity level surrounding your oud
dave?
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gregorypause
Oud Addict
Posts: 44
Registered: 10-20-2007
Location: Hungary
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jdowning
Hey guys - if you want real cold and dryness, move to the Canadian Prairies.Current temperatures (with wind chill) are around minus 50 C. Hard to play
an oud when wearing mitts!! |
Oh, come on. When I lived in Calgary I saw many a guitarists at outdoor concerts playing in mitts  If they could do it we can do it!
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DaveH
Oud Junkie
Posts: 526
Registered: 12-23-2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Kata, the general consensus seems to be that 50% is about optimum.
I should qualify my post by saying that the UK is still stuck here on the North-eastern edge of the Atlantic, surrounded by water so it's never going
to be bone dry, but the last two weeks the winds have been north-easterly so a bit of that continental feel has crept in. I like it but I can
understand Matthew's reservations!
I have a very dodgy garden humidity gauge which I should really upgrade. It's on about 40-45% at the moment. A woodburning stove does dry out the room
as it draws cold air in and warms it up, reducing the relative humidity. I do put trays of water in the hotspots in the room to stop it drying out too
much though and as we have the kitchen and living room in one, the cooking puts a lot of steam into the atmosphere. If it gets below 40 I start to get
nervous.
In my limited experience, it's also regular big changes that really hurt. I used to live in Bangladesh, which is about 90% in the summer when the
winds come from the bay of bengal and about 30 in the winter when they come from Central Asia. That was before I had an oud, but my lute popped a
brace fairly quickly and had to be sent home for intensive care. Central heating does have a similar effect though.
In short, it does worry me a bit but nazih makes his ouds pretty robustly, as you know. As Samer points out, this oud was made in the Bekaa which is
pretty dry, and cold in winter, and I think is happiest in similar conditions (which are rare here) so I think I'm OK - touch oud - and I'm just
loving that dry weather ring!
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MatthewW
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1031
Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
Member Is Offline
Mood: Al Salam
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Melbourne
MatthewW
I can assure, its probably not much warmer than where you are in your oud's country of origin Nazih's house is probably half covered in snow at the moment. Certain regions of Lebanon really cop it in winter.
Melbourne you got a good point there, maybe I'll pass on Lebanon at this time of the year....how about Hawaii?
Now I don't mind a bit of cold weather, but today is forcast at -12 C ( yes, MINUS 12 C!)...brrrrrr
enjoy your summer while you got it mate! |
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abusin
Oud Junkie
Posts: 442
Registered: 3-23-2006
Location: Manchester England
Member Is Offline
Mood: Ya Fuadi La Tasal
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Hi Dave and folks,
Man its freeeezing here
the good thing mate is for the last 2 weeks my playing arena the kitchen
always warm plenty to eat and nice smels and the misus is always happy to have me around)
Best Regards
Awad
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littleseb
Oud Junkie
Posts: 224
Registered: 10-14-2008
Location: london - uk
Member Is Offline
Mood: high
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Yes Dave,
I find the cold very inspiring. I love being at home with a good ol' cup of tea, plugging away on my oud....what a great excuse to cancel all
appointments and to stay at home, practising maqams.
Plus, I don't know what all the fuzz is all about - 10 years ago it was perfectly normal to have sub-zero temperatures in Jan!
The only down-side: I have spent all my money on my new oud, strings, and lessons - hence I haven't been able to pay my long overdue gas bill! Touch
wood they won't cut off my supply before it gets warmer, because playing with gloves is impossible.....maybe some bright brain will invent a heated
neck with hot strings!
Seb
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MatthewW
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1031
Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
Member Is Offline
Mood: Al Salam
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Awad, better be careful about playing too much in the kitchen mate, with all that good cooking and smells going on your oud may end up smelling like a
shish kebab!
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Ararat66
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1025
Registered: 11-14-2005
Location: Portsmouth, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow yellow
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Hey guys
notto mention the shisha - remember that Awad
lol
Leon
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abusin
Oud Junkie
Posts: 442
Registered: 3-23-2006
Location: Manchester England
Member Is Offline
Mood: Ya Fuadi La Tasal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Ararat66
Hey guys
notto mention the shisha - remember that Awad
lol
Leon |
Man that was the best memory mate
can't wait for the next one,
Best regards to you and family, we'd a little'n recently
Best Regards
Awad
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billkilpatrick
Oud Junkie
Posts: 563
Registered: 1-3-2004
Location: italy
Member Is Offline
Mood: what?
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can't say i miss the british winters but i do wish there were more of you(se) here in not all that sunny - or warm, even - italy ...
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1463
Registered: 8-26-2004
Location: California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oud-Obsessed
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Just wanted you all to know:
California's cold snap has turned into a heat wave: Today's high temperature in my city was 70°F/21°C. Just had to share that...
Peace,
John
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oudplayer
Oud Junkie
Posts: 849
Registered: 5-9-2004
Location: new jersey/ Israel
Member Is Offline
Mood: ouds up
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john
Rub it in lol. thursday is going to be coldist it has ever been in 10 years they said in new jersey, its ganna be -10 to -20 below 0 .
man i cant wait lol. ahahahah anybody wanna jam outside :>
we are lost camels in the desert and wanna find our way to water and the water is in aden
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1463
Registered: 8-26-2004
Location: California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oud-Obsessed
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Hi Sammy,
After 3 weeks of unusually cold weather (at least cold for us), we are now having record high temperatures in Northern California. At a rehearsal
Monday night, the non-wound strings on my oud were going crazy from the change in temperature and humidity. I had to keep retuning my upper 2 courses
all evening. 
Peace,
John
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billkilpatrick
Oud Junkie
Posts: 563
Registered: 1-3-2004
Location: italy
Member Is Offline
Mood: what?
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i detect a solar-enriched, fahrenheit-ist attitude here ...
| Quote: | Originally posted by John Erlich
Hi Sammy,
After 3 weeks of unusually cold weather (at least cold for us), we are now having record high temperatures in Northern California. At a rehearsal
Monday night, the non-wound strings on my oud were going crazy from the change in temperature and humidity. I had to keep retuning my upper 2 courses
all evening.
Peace,
John |
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John Erlich
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1463
Registered: 8-26-2004
Location: California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oud-Obsessed
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Perhaps we should attibute the U.S. abandonment of its plan to switch over to the international celsius/centigrade system (promised incessantly during
my [mis-spent] childhood in the 1970s) to our strong plurality of German ancestry, and, therefore, affinity for Herr Fahrenheit. Also, there may be
some anti-Swedish prejudice involved, as well as anti-French, with the centrigrade system being (perhaps unfairly) associated with the metric system,
which is "tainted" due to its French origins.
With respect to the other matter: I am shedding my warm coat, which is not going to be necessary today. Maybe for lunch I will eat at one of the two
best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area (one Palestinian, one Israeli) which are both within easy walking distance and both have outdoor
seating.
Peace out,
John
Current Location: Albany, CA, USA
Latitude: 37.8869444 ≈ Athens, Greece
Attitude: Satisfied ≈ Smug
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