DoggerelPundit
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 7-28-2010
Location: Pacific Northwest
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Mystery Oud
Who wants to help out with info on a "mystery" oud maker?
Sorry, no pictures are available yet. This oud turned up at an antique store in Fresno. It is Turkish and appears to have been built on the Manol
model. The staves appear to be walnut, with two "odd" staves, of different grain, each placed half way between the middle of the back and the edge.
The face is spruce with a Karibyan style bridge set up for only 5 courses. The fingerboard, beard, and pegs are a hard brown wood which appears to be
grenadella. The roses are the standard 1 large and 2 small. The mizraplek is a large oval of real tortoise shell (praise be!).
There is no date on the printed label, but the printing is in Ottoman Turkish and French, so we believe it was built sometime before 1926. The wear on
the instrument supports this. We cannot read the Turkish script, but the French says:
Oudji Léon
Ouzoun Tcarchi
Hachi â côte de Cherif Pasha Han #20
Stamboul
Any ideas?
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ALAMI
Oud Junkie
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Just a speculation: could it be "the" Leon Stanbuli of Beirut?
Leon was Armenian, hundred of thousands of Armenians fled to Lebanon and Syria. So he may have started his carreer in oud making in Istanbul and then
continued in Lebanon, hence the name Stanbuli ( or Stambuli).
He remained active till late 40s - early 50s.
Does the oud you're talking about looks something like this one?
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=7949#pid502...
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Ararat66
Oud Junkie
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Oh no .. not that Leon again !!!
 )
Leon
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ALAMI
Oud Junkie
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Looks Like you're not the only Leon that keeps coming back here.
We're getting closer, we know for sure that you're named Leon after your uncle from the Armenian side, BUT why your uncle was named Leon?
The answer to this question may explain your attraction to the oud,
just a speculation )
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Ararat66
Oud Junkie
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Hi Alami
Well he was Levon but the 'v' was pronounced quite softly so Leon is the English form of this. Actually as far as I know, Levon was born in Armavir,
Russia before they had to 'escape' to Iran - long story - but I don't think he was an oud maker  ... but if he ever had been they'd have been good ones I reckon 
Leon
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DoggerelPundit
Oud Junkie
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Hello Alami,
Thanks for your input. It is clear from the label that "Stamboul" refers to location rather than being part of a name. The readable (for me) part of
the label is in the order shown above. As to the resemblance to the oud at the link you provided, it is certainly similar, but not close enough.
Fingerboard, beard, mizraplek are all different. There is no edge purfling, and the label format is not at all the same. However, both ouds have the
same approach to the roses, i.e. the secondary ring of wood between the face wood and the roses themselves.
Working on getting some pictures.
Thanks again,
Stephen
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ALAMI
Oud Junkie
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Hi Stephen,
I am totally aware that "Stambul" on your oud is a reference to the city and not to Leon real name,
What I meant is that when Leon came to Beirut, IF it is the case, he may have taken the surname of Istanbuli, meaning in Arabic the Leon "from
Istanbul" as it would have been valorizing to his business, Istanbul being the city of great musicians and oud makers. He was anyway Armenian and
Istanbuli cannot be his real family name.
Regarding oud size and design, he WOULD have quickly noticed that Lebanese oud players prefer the bigger Arabic ouds with longer stringlength over the
Manol Turkish Standard and he adapted to his clients' taste.
Looking forward to see the photos.
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DoggerelPundit
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 7-28-2010
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At long last...pictures! The owner took these with an Iphone. In the email he called the facing pic "Full Frontal Oudity." (That's probably
because he's a Kanun player.)
ALAMI? Ararat66? Opinions anyone?
-Stephen
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