An oud is a handmade acoustic instrument. Two instruments that look similar in photographs can have very different voices, playing characteristics and construction quality.
For a musician in the United States, the first question should therefore not simply be:
“Where can I buy an Arabic oud online?”
It should be:
“Who made the oud, how was it designed, and can the maker match the instrument to my requirements?”
Many American musicians purchase ouds directly from makers in Istanbul, Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad and other centers of oud making.
Buying directly from a workshop can have an important advantage: you can communicate with the maker about tuning, sound, strings, dimensions and playing style before the instrument is built or shipped.
Faruk Türünz Ouds are handmade in Istanbul and ship safely to customers in the United States and internationally. The workshop has experience preparing handmade ouds for international transportation, with careful packaging to help protect the instrument during shipping.
The workshop builds Turkish, Arabic and Iraqi ouds and offers Single Soundboard, Custom Single Soundboard and Double Soundboard models.
The term “Arabic oud” covers a broad family of instruments.
Arabic ouds are commonly associated with lower tunings than Turkish ouds and are often designed with a sound emphasizing depth, body and a strong fundamental response.
But there is no single Arabic oud sound.
An oud made for Iraqi repertoire can have different requirements from one intended for Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese or Gulf music.
Even within the same musical tradition, individual players have different preferences.
This is why it is useful to tell the maker exactly what you play rather than simply asking for an “Arabic oud.”
Before purchasing an Arabic oud online, ask about:
tuning
scale length
string type
number of courses
soundboard construction
bracing
action
neck dimensions
bowl dimensions
expected tonal character
case
shipping and packaging
insurance
delivery time
setup after arrival
A serious maker should be able to explain these specifications.
The soundboard is particularly important.
The strings transfer energy to the bridge, and the bridge transfers this energy into the soundboard. The soundboard then vibrates and produces much of the acoustic output of the instrument.
Its thickness, stiffness, graduation and bracing influence the response.
Faruk Türünz’s approach places particular emphasis on the relationship between the soundboard and its braces.
His research describes brace tuning as a way of controlling the natural frequencies of the braces and their interaction with the soundboard.
This is one reason why the maker of an oud matters so much.
Yes.
Many oud players have purchased instruments online or directly from makers without first playing them.
However, communication becomes more important.
A good maker should know what kind of player is ordering the instrument.
If you tell the maker:
“I play Arabic taksim, use a heavy risha, prefer a deep sound and need strong projection for ensemble performance,”
that is much more useful than:
“I want a beautiful Arabic oud.”
The more specific the musician is, the easier it becomes to select an appropriate instrument.
A professional oud should be packaged carefully for international transportation.
Climate is also worth considering.
Wood reacts to changes in temperature and humidity. This does not mean that an oud cannot be shipped internationally. It means that the instrument should be properly constructed, carefully packaged and allowed to acclimatize appropriately after arrival.
Faruk Türünz Ouds are shipped safely from Istanbul to customers in the United States and other countries. The workshop takes care in preparing handmade instruments for international transportation, including appropriate protective packaging.
Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard Ouds were developed partly with dimensional stability and changing climate conditions in mind. The design uses a lightweight Nomex core between two soundboard layers.
For any oud, however, proper care and reasonable humidity control remain important.
Faruk Türünz has been making ouds in Istanbul since 1984.
The workshop produces handmade Turkish, Arabic and Iraqi ouds and ships safely to the United States and internationally.
Arabic oud players can discuss their preferred tuning, musical tradition, tonal requirements and playing style before selecting an instrument.
The objective is not to send every musician the same oud.
It is to find an instrument that matches the musician.
When buying an Arabic oud online in the United States, don’t choose only by photographs.
Ask questions.
Find out who made the instrument. Ask what tuning it was designed for. Ask about the soundboard, bracing, setup and strings. Explain how you play.
And don’t be afraid to buy from an established workshop outside the United States if the maker has experience with international orders and shipping.
A good oud should not only arrive safely.
It should respond to your hands and support the music you want to make.