Michael - 2-3-2004 at 05:05 AM
Hi Guys
I've had my oud for 4 or 5 months now and find I'm playing it more and more, so much so that the guitar has taken a bit of a back seat.
In that time I haven't changed the strings. How often do you change the strings on your oud? I read somewhere that they don't need
changing as often as on a guitar.
What brand of string do you recommend, and what brands are easily available? Where can one get oud strings in the UK?
I know Hobgoblin music have oud strings in their catalogue but they seem to be for the turkish oud. Would these be suitable for an arabic oud?
Sorry about the barrage of questions.
regards
Michael
David Parfitt - 2-3-2004 at 07:23 AM
Hi Michael
I bought my D'Addario oud strings from Hobgoblin in Crawley, but I think they should have them in the Bristol branch as well. I still have the
same set on my oud that I started with 3 years ago, and they are tuned to the Arabic tuning D(or C)GADGC.
I have heard a lot of people from the US mention Pyramid, La Bella and Thomastik strings, but I am not sure whether they are available in the UK or
where to buy them online. (I will therefore be interested to hear the responses to this posting as well.)
All the best
David
P.S. That's how it started with me - I used to play guitar, but since getting an oud I haven't really touched the guitar for years. It
actually feels very clumsy to play now compared with the oud.
nadir - 2-3-2004 at 08:30 AM
what do you think of the oud having no frets? 
nadir - 2-3-2004 at 08:31 AM
** what i meant was, compared to the guitar, what do you think of the oud having no frets?
spyros mesogeia - 2-3-2004 at 08:41 AM
That is true,
When you play the oud you feel this feeling of freedom,is something wonderfull......NO LIMITS .....NO FRETSSSSSSSSS
Regards to all
nadir - 2-3-2004 at 11:00 AM
is it harder to play the bashir oud as well???
spyros mesogeia - 2-3-2004 at 11:16 AM
It is different.....You see every type of oud is hard to learn and play,but when you succed,than you feel like a little king,
hehehhee.....
I am waiting and a Bashir type now for my collection,made by Dimitris....made of pallisanders and spruce......I played a couple of them....at the
beginning I didn't like them,but now I like them too,but....from all the arabic type ouds,I prefer the Syrian types...I just love them,and
ofcourse my turkish ladies....
Regards to all
nadir - 2-3-2004 at 12:14 PM
haha! i wonder if anyone loves the oud as much as you do spyros! 
All of us
spyros mesogeia - 2-3-2004 at 02:44 PM
For me,my friend Nadir is my wife,my my babe,my friend,my brother,my bless,anything important you can imagine....
And for many people here is the same thing....
I thank my God for giving me health,and I as I said before,after I die,I ask Him to give me an oud to the other life so I can here his wonderfull,God
made sound....
It's my drug....
regards to all
Michael - 2-4-2004 at 01:02 AM
Hmm, this thread seems to have strayed somewhat
3 years!!! Do you mean I don't need to change my strings anytime soon? If so, then that would be great as it's not a job
I'm particularly relishing.
spyros mesogeia - 2-4-2004 at 02:35 AM
Dear friend,
Usually I change my strings two times a year.....
But to some of my ouds one time a year
Regards
If you play them daily than at least two times a year...
That is what I do....
Regards
Zulkarnain - 2-4-2004 at 07:24 PM
Hi Guys
I change my strings everytime its get really2 dirty (dark color) but instead of replacing them to a total new strings I swap the end (reverse) So I
got another clean set using the same strings. This is only for my daily abuse oud (for practice) With this I only use a single set in a year time then
I completely change the whole thing (reverse every 6 months)
Regards
Zul
Back to Strings :)
john (beloved) habib - 2-5-2004 at 08:48 AM
Still no one has said anything about strings - I've actually always been curious as to what strings are used by professional oud players... on
your most expensive oud, what kind of strings do you buy?
Also,... if you want to have 6 sets of strings on your Oud, instead of the 5 set that I'm used to... how do you get strings for that? I
don't think Pyramid sells 6 string sets, do they?
spyros mesogeia - 2-5-2004 at 08:53 AM
Depends on the oud,and what sound represents each player....I personally use d'addario for my syrian type oud,and for my Turkish's I use La
Bella and Kurshner,
As for the second question,depends on the tunning that you use my friend,I think that you can use the 5 of the 6 trings...
Regards to all
john (beloved) habib - 2-5-2004 at 08:58 AM
Arabic style or whatever it's called... DGADGC right? How do I get that first D string? And do any string makers sell the entire set of 6 for
that tuning?
spyros mesogeia - 2-5-2004 at 09:08 AM
Well my friend if it is from the bass to high,it is the ordinary arabic tunning,so you can get any set of strings about that tunning[arab].
I personally for my syrian type use the D'Addario
I like them very much.....
Regards
Spyros Koliavasilis
TruePharaoh21 - 2-5-2004 at 02:07 PM
John, I get mine from guitar sets. It hard to find a good bass string, you know.
TP21
john (beloved) habib - 2-5-2004 at 03:00 PM
Do you know the specs for that bass string you get that's for the guitar? like.. i don't know.. the length or width or whatever number they
use ......
TruePharaoh21 - 2-5-2004 at 03:01 PM
Actually, there are quite a few number of people here who can answer that question better than I can. I know Mike buys his bass strings separately
sometimes, so he might have the answer for you.
Sorry I couldn't give you specs, man.
TP21
john (beloved) habib - 2-5-2004 at 03:08 PM
It's okay.
Haha... I'm so out of it... I just figured out what TP21 was.. I'm such a retard... haha..
Thanx man..
MIKE. Your turn to answer
TruePharaoh21 - 2-5-2004 at 03:09 PM
Hahaha. What'd you think it was before? A code or something?
TP21 (means TruePharaoh21... just abbreviated)
john (beloved) habib - 2-5-2004 at 03:35 PM
haha.. i thought it mean.. well... once i read a post where you were trying to post a zip file and it didn't work... ever since that post I
thought that TP21 was some glitch that kept coming up when you posted... referring to that erroneous file. HAHA. okay...
Mike - 2-5-2004 at 03:55 PM
Hi John,
What I recommend doing man is the following: Order a set of La Bella Turkish (or Arabic even) strings, and you'll have your sixth string. It is
easier than finding a single bass classical guitar string...usually an "E" string. Go to http://www.juststrings.com or http://www.bigcitystrings.com.
Good luck,
Mike
john (beloved) habib - 2-5-2004 at 03:59 PM
big thanx everyone... Mike.. thanx. It's funny... I'm asking all this and I currently don't have an oud... haha... )
Hopefully I'll get a new quality one soon... 