Mike's Oud Forums

Oud saddles

Jameel - 8-23-2005 at 07:50 AM

What are your opinions (Faruk, Nazih, Richard, Dincer, Haluk, Samir) on using a modified bridge with a bone saddle? It would make adjusting the string height from course to course quite easy, but what are your thoughts on effect of sound? Is the adjustability (or lack thereof, really) the only advantage?

SamirCanada - 8-23-2005 at 08:08 AM

Did you see the tayyar oud Iam selling in the forrums has a bone saddle like on a guitar but the brige still looks like its made for a oud. It does make tuning more even in my opinion because Its hard to make 2 exact loops same size same height. I can send you dimensions and close up pictures if you wish.
Samir

Dr. Oud - 8-23-2005 at 08:41 AM

John Belezikjian uses a saddle bridge on one of his concert Karibyan ouds. It also has a custom made wound element pickup under the saddle for amplification. It doesn't comprimize the tone I'd surmize or John wouldn't use it. I think it's a development overdue as the traditional bridge is only just a tradition without any advantage other than it's simplicity to make.

Brian Prunka - 8-23-2005 at 08:49 AM

What about the sound? It seems that using a saddle would make the sound brighter (and possibly louder). Not necessarily a bad thing, but it seems to me that the "traditional" sound would be lost, resulting in something in between a bashir oud and a classic oud. Jameel, have you tried this?

freya - 8-23-2005 at 10:50 AM

It seems like the tricky part here is to get enough "break angle" across the saddle to firmly stop the string (usually 15-20 degrees if memory serves) while not exerting undue downward force on the face. I would be interested to know, for example, whether the Tayyar oud has any special bracing to accomodate whatever additional downward force might be being applied or whether the standard "ladder" bracing suffices.

Harry

SamirCanada - 8-23-2005 at 02:01 PM

I tought about that downward force aspect to..from looking inside of it I can see there is bracing under the brige. But I couldnt tell you if there extra or not. I think there are suposed to be braces under the brige only I dont see anything out of the ordinary. One thing I might add is that the saddle doesnt look like breaks the strings by anything more then 3 or 4 degrees. So I doubt there is great presure on the face.
To add on the braces they are made in different shape and I have noticed that they are intentionaly wider and higher and different locations. I have never seen anything like that in regular ouds.
Samir

Dr. Oud - 8-23-2005 at 03:03 PM

It seems to me that the force on the soundboard is torsional wether there's a saddle or knot. The downward force is only a factor with the floating bridge. In either case the braces shold not be directly below the bridge, rather the bridge's front edge is centered between the lower ladder braces. The distance between these braces and the location of the next brace forward are what determine the response of the soundboard, and are in balance with the thickness and density of the soundboard itself. This balance is what makes each oud different and unique. (my $.02)

rojaros - 8-31-2008 at 11:16 AM

I think the great advantage of the oldest way to fixate the srtings is that you can easily adjust the action of each string without much constructional alterations - something that is not to be underestimated!

In terms of the mechanism of the sound production there should be no much diference as long as the strings are tied to the bridge and not like in the 'free floating' system, where there is a transition from the longitudinal contraction-extension vibrations to transversal vibrations.

best wishes
Quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Oud
John Belezikjian uses a saddle bridge on one of his concert Karibyan ouds. It also has a custom made wound element pickup under the saddle for amplification. It doesn't comprimize the tone I'd surmize or John wouldn't use it. I think it's a development overdue as the traditional bridge is only just a tradition without any advantage other than it's simplicity to make.