dampwater
Oud Lover
Posts: 20
Registered: 7-24-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I understand this may sound ridiculous, but please help...
Hello everybody, I'm new to this forum. I've been playing guitar for 5 years, and I started playing Oud about 6 or 7 months back. But, anyways, I've
been having a lot of trouble in trying to restring the oud with new strings. I have a fixed bridge oud and the string tying process is horrible for
me. Every time I try to put a new string and tie, the knot slips or gets untied/loose and the action becomes too low and unplayable.
I don't understand why this is causing so much trouble. In fact, it made me so angry that I made another bridge type thing to hold the strings at the
desired level of action so the oud can be playable regardless to how the knot is. But, I think this is affecting the quality and purity of the oud's
sound.
PLEASE forum members HELP ME OUT! How am I supposed to tie the strings in a professional or at least sustainable manner??? I will be very grateful!
|
|
|
Mike
Super Administrator
Posts: 1568
Registered: 12-3-2002
Location: California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy
|
|
try checking out this page on David's website. where are you located? maybe somebody local to you can help you out as well.
|
|
|
spyrosc
Oud Junkie
Posts: 405
Registered: 9-18-2003
Location: Northern California, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
|
|
Tying strings
There are a few things that might be of help to you. For example when dealing with the trebles which are usually plastic, after you pass them through
the hole in the bridge use a match or lighter to QUICKLY burn the end of them, creating a little plastic ball at the end of the string. This ball will
prevent the string from slipping through and will hold the knot. The wound strings don't need it, because the friction on the winding keeps then from
slipping.
Note that you should probably be using a different knot for the trebles than the wound. The ends of trebles should be twisted around themselves a few
times after you pass them through the hole, while the wound don't need that, just a simple "hitch".
Another helpful thing is to get one of those "surgical" hemostatic clamps (look like scissors without pointed ends) to help run the strings around the
pegs and clamp them down (they act as a third hand for you) while you are turning the pegs.
Good luck
Spyros C.
|
|
|
dampwater
Oud Lover
Posts: 20
Registered: 7-24-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I'm located in Houston...I've see that page before that you are referring to, Mike. I tried calling a local guitar repair shop, since I figured that
its the same thing as tying classical guitar strings. The guy was a jerk and he said it will cost me $35 to tie my oud strings. Needless to say, I
promptly rejected his ridiculous offer.
Some of your suggestions are pretty good Spyros, I will definitely try them. If anyone has anymore suggestions or tricks they know from experience,
please do tell. It just gets so annoying when the string slip and they slip every time and the strings eventually get messed up and bent from all the
tension and stress of bending from trying to tie it.
|
|
|
MatthewW
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1031
Registered: 11-5-2006
Location: right here
Member Is Offline
Mood: Al Salam
|
|
hey dampwater, do you personally know anyone who plays the classical nylon string guitar? If so, ask them over for a drink and to help you get to
grips with tying the strings- classical nylon stringed guitars usually have their strings tied on in a similar manner to the oud- as for that guy who
was asking 35 bucks to tie your strings.....
|
|
|
jdowning
Oud Junkie
Posts: 3485
Registered: 8-2-2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
This is how I tie both plain and overspun strings to the bridge of a lute - it is the same for an oud. See diagram 2 of David Parfitt's instruction.
In these images the strings are Pyramid plain PVF trebles and nylon overspun basses. I never have problems with slipping strings tied this way but I
guess that it will depend on your bridge design and the string tension you are using to some extent. The traditional lute bridge design that I use has
a small ledge or overhang at the back of the bridge which helps hold the tail end of the string securely. Once the string is tied I cut the tail of
each string so that it does not contact the soundboard behind the bridge which can result in a 'buzzing' noise.
The action of a string can also be raised somewhat by pushing up the tied knot at the front of the bridge.
Luthier Jiri Cepelak has a good instruction on how to care for a lute including how to tie strings to bridge and pegs - which applies just as well to
an oud - at
http://lute.cepelak.cz/care.pdf
My string tensions usually range from about 35N (3.5Kg) for the first string down to about 26N (2.6Kg) for the overspun basses. but I imagine that
tensions might be a bit higher for an oud played with a plectrum. What string tensions are you using?
|
|
|
Lintfree
Oud Junkie
Posts: 171
Registered: 2-9-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
That's the way to do it. Great photos.
Sorry to hear about the Houston Guitar Repair Jerk. There are a lot of traditional Mexican instruments that have bridges like an oud; vihuela, viola,
quatro, Vera Cruz instruments. Go to the Spanish speaking part of town. Check out in the phone book and ask around. You'll find someone.
Houston......................now that's what I call humidity, brother. D.L.
|
|
|
dampwater
Oud Lover
Posts: 20
Registered: 7-24-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
well...coming to think of it, I think the problem I faced had more to do with the Oud and the bridge itself, because, I had to keep the strings up to
a certain height and I had tied them pretty much like those pictures, but they made a buzzing noise because apparently they were too low.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
