slev
Oud Addict
Posts: 44
Registered: 5-30-2013
Location: California,USA
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Help with oud
Hello, been a member on here for a pretty long time.
Purchased this with a broken headstock and fixed with toothpicks and gorilla glue. It’s holding well except I cannot figure out what strings to
use.
I purchased several sets of different types of Arabic Oud Strings. Some even have black nylon and it’s ugly and sounds bad. I know for sure this is
a Arabic oud and NOT a smaller Turkish oud.
Anyways here are some measurements. There is no label, I got it for $150 can’t complain.
Measurements:
28.5 inch from top nut down to belly.
Width 14.5inch
Images are here: https://imgur.com/a/bIVpE7h
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Brian Prunka
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There are a hundred reasons why it might not sound good. Assuming the fix to the pegbox is not part of the problem:
• There could be loose braces inside
• The neck could be warped or misaligned, causing buzzing/rattles
• The fingerboard could be uneven, causing buzzing/dead spots
• it might just not be a good-sounding oud. This happens. Wrong proportions, bad bracing, etc.
"Sounds bad" is a pretty generic description. If you were more specific or had a recording to share it might yield more helpful responses. You could
also be more specific about what strings you have tried, the scale length (measured from nut to bridge), and tuning.
This looks like a Turkish-made "Syrian" oud possibly. Usually they are decent.
Sometimes an oud really only sounds good in a particular tuning. I have a Viken Najarian oud that sounds terrible tuned to C but great tuned to D.
Other ouds I've had sounded great tuned to Bb but mediocre on C.
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coolsciguy
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Hey Brian, what a dilemma! How do you make peace with it? Do you keep it in D and just go with it?
-- Amir
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Brian Prunka
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Yes, I have other ouds I keep in C so I just keep it in D and try to work on my Turkish style 
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slev
Oud Addict
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Ok I will upload a YouTube short to show. Theire is no fret buzz or anything like that.
My issue is I purchased strings in F and this oud doesn’t like it. So than I ordered DGADGC and that works except C only works at a low tension. If
I tune to a tight c the string sounds over stretched and no sustain.
So right now it is tuned DGADG no first set because out of strings!
Stay tuned for the video!
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slev
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Video
Sorry forgot to get string brand and all that stuff but
I can upload an image soon.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Zek_t2kg5Vk?si=NL1ALhk8ko91M3h4
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Brian Prunka
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it sounds okay basically. not sure what you arre expecting.
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slev
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I am having an issue getting the correct strings for the smallest or (first course)
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Brian Prunka
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typical nylon strings for the first course are ~.024 to .028 in (.625mm to .700mm). Lighter strings are for long ouds and heavier strings for short
ouds.
Assuming the oud is around 60-61cm I'd use .025-.026 in.
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slev
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Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka  | typical nylon strings for the first course are ~.024 to .028 in (.625mm to .700mm). Lighter strings are for long ouds and heavier strings for short
ouds.
Assuming the oud is around 60-61cm I'd use .025-.026 in.
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OK, I’m still very confused but I will tell you the string sets that I have and tried and don’t work at least for the small sea string. Everything
else seems to tune and fit just fine. I have diamond galaxy strings, I have LaBella OU80-AB (these strings are cool. They come with beads that tell
you what string is what), lastly D’Addario silver plated copper EJ95a These sound the best and what I have now. But again if you could just point me
to a c string for the smallest. And also TBH I’d like to tune to EABEAD but idk if I can…..I’ve been playing the long neck baglama for 17 years
now which I figured how hard can the oud be 
Also, I purchased a new oud from Jordan it may also be a Syrian oud it is tuned in Fa-Fa whatever that means but I am hoping that The strings that
come on it and the extra strings that come with it are correct and true, and will be able to play out of the box because I have not been able to do
the same with the oud I have now where I had to fix the headstock and replace the strings. Before I purchase strings, I did measurements on this saz
to decide on the strings. I still have a lot to learn and I’m trying lol I love these instruments. I also have a Persian setar and I sold my 12
string c?mb?s ????
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Brian Prunka
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| Quote: Originally posted by slev | | Quote: Originally posted by Brian Prunka | typical nylon strings for the first course are ~.024 to .028 in (.625mm to .700mm). Lighter strings are for long ouds and heavier strings for short
ouds.
Assuming the oud is around 60-61cm I'd use .025-.026 in.
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OK, I’m still very confused but I will tell you the string sets that I have and tried and don’t work at least for the small sea string. Everything
else seems to tune and fit just fine. I have diamond galaxy strings, I have LaBella OU80-AB (these strings are cool. They come with beads that tell
you what string is what), lastly D’Addario silver plated copper EJ95a These sound the best and what I have now. But again if you could just point me
to a c string for the smallest. And also TBH I’d like to tune to EABEAD but idk if I can…..I’ve been playing the long neck baglama for 17 years
now which I figured how hard can the oud be
Also, I purchased a new oud from Jordan it may also be a Syrian oud it is tuned in Fa-Fa whatever that means but I am hoping that The strings that
come on it and the extra strings that come with it are correct and true, and will be able to play out of the box because I have not been able to do
the same with the oud I have now where I had to fix the headstock and replace the strings. Before I purchase strings, I did measurements on this saz
to decide on the strings. I still have a lot to learn and I’m trying lol I love these instruments. I also have a Persian setar and I sold my 12
string c?mb?s ???? |
It would be very helpful if you measured the scale of the oud. nut to body joint is 1/3 the string length, total it should be between 58.5-61.5cm
usually (19.5-20.5cm neck length). Use cm or mm, it's more standard and helpful. People outside the US are not building things in inches lol.
This will help determine appropriate strings and also whether it is feasible to tune up to D.
EJ95a is a decent set, I helped them develop it. I don't love the 3rd d course (tension is a bit high) but overall it's pretty good for a prepackaged
set. The first c' course in that is okay, what happened to yours?
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
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1) Long sustain is not usually a virtue or a desirable trait in most Arabic oud music. So maybe you have no problem after all.
2) May I suggest you put the cc course from any set you have back on the oud and play the oud for a week. Give it time to settle in.
3) What is a "tight C" ? And what is C "at a low tension? " There is only one tension that can be applied to a string intended to be tuned to C in
its appropriate octave on an oud with usual range of scale length (vibration length from nut to bridge) and that is the tension that produces C. A
thin string like that can't be tuned an octave lower and produce a musical sound. So I don't know what you mean.
One guess: do you mean that the two strings intended to be the first course sound good when tuned below C but once they get up to C they no
longer sound good?
| Quote: Originally posted by slev | Ok I will upload a YouTube short to show. Theire is no fret buzz or anything like that.
My issue is I purchased strings in F and this oud doesn’t like it. So than I ordered DGADGC and that works except C only works at a low tension. If
I tune to a tight c the string sounds over stretched and no sustain.
So right now it is tuned DGADG no first set because out of strings!
Stay tuned for the video! |
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slev
Oud Addict
Posts: 44
Registered: 5-30-2013
Location: California,USA
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Mood: inTune
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????Update correct strings installed and tuned and plays very very well.
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