Double Soundboard Oud

Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard Oud: Innovation in Oud Soundboard Construction

The Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard Oud is an innovative approach to oud construction developed to explore the relationship between soundboard mass, structural strength, and acoustic response. First presented publicly in Istanbul on 8 November 2008, the Double Soundboard Oud introduced a lightweight layered soundboard construction inspired by composite technologies used in other musical instruments and engineering applications.

The concept was demonstrated in 2008 by renowned oud player Yurdal Tokcan, who performed both Single Soundboard Ouds and Double Soundboard Ouds during the presentation.

What Is a Double Soundboard Oud?

A Double Soundboard Oud uses two thin wooden soundboard layers separated by an extremely lightweight internal core. The core has a honeycomb-like structure, creating a strong but lightweight composite construction.

Instead of using a conventional Single Soundboard, the Double Soundboard approach creates a layered structure designed to reduce the mass of the vibrating soundboard while maintaining the structural strength required by the instrument.

The principle is similar to the Double Top or sandwich soundboard concepts that have been explored in other acoustic string instruments, particularly guitars.

For the oud, however, the construction must be adapted to the instrument’s distinctive bowl shape, scale length, string tension, and acoustic characteristics.

The Development of the Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard

Faruk Türünz became interested in lightweight composite soundboard technology after observing its application in guitar making.

The underlying technology was originally developed for applications where high strength and low weight were important. Honeycomb structures can provide structural stability while using considerably less material than a solid structure of similar dimensions.

This led Türünz to investigate whether a similar principle could be applied to the oud soundboard.

The result was the development of the Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard Oud, publicly demonstrated in Istanbul on 8 November 2008.

The presentation was organized to allow listeners to compare the new construction with an oud made using a conventional Single Soundboard.

Why Is Soundboard Weight Important?

The soundboard is one of the most important vibrating components of an oud.

When the oud is played, vibration from the strings is transferred through the bridge into the soundboard. The soundboard then moves and excites the surrounding air, contributing to the acoustic output of the instrument.

The mass and stiffness of the soundboard influence how easily it responds to this energy.

A heavier vibrating structure generally requires more energy to achieve a given acceleration. Reducing the mass of the vibrating surface can therefore increase its responsiveness to the energy supplied by the strings.

This is one of the fundamental ideas behind the Double Soundboard Oud.

Reducing Energy Loss in the Soundboard

Another consideration is internal damping.

Wood is not a perfectly elastic material. When a wooden structure vibrates, some mechanical energy is dissipated through internal friction. At the microscopic level, part of this energy is converted into heat rather than remaining available for vibration.

Although the resulting heat is far too small to be noticed during normal playing, energy dissipation is an important consideration in the physics of vibrating materials.

The Double Soundboard construction seeks to alter these properties by replacing part of the conventional soundboard mass with a lightweight structural core.

The objective is therefore not simply to make an oud lighter. The objective is to reduce the mass of the vibrating soundboard while preserving the structural properties necessary for an effective acoustic instrument.

Double Soundboard vs. Single Soundboard Oud

A Single Soundboard Oud generally uses one wooden soundboard carefully selected and graduated for its acoustic and structural properties.

The Double Soundboard Oud uses two thin wooden layers combined with a lightweight internal core.

The purpose of the Double Soundboard is not to replace the Single Soundboard Oud, but to explore a different solution to the fundamental relationship between mass, stiffness, and vibration.

How Does a Double Soundboard Oud Work?

The basic principle can be summarized simply:

Lower vibrating mass → easier acceleration → potentially greater vibrational response to the same input energy.

When an oud string vibrates, energy is transferred to the soundboard through the bridge. A lighter soundboard can respond more readily to this energy.

However, simply making a soundboard thinner is not necessarily a solution. A soundboard must also have sufficient strength and stiffness to withstand string tension and maintain its intended shape.

This is where the lightweight core becomes important.

The layered construction allows the soundboard to achieve structural rigidity without relying entirely on a thicker mass of solid wood.

The 2008 Double Soundboard Oud Presentation

The Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard was presented in Istanbul on 8 November 2008.

The demonstration featured Yurdal Tokcan, one of the most recognized performers of the oud, who played the instruments for the audience.

A Single Soundboard Oud was presented first, followed by the Double Soundboard instruments. The format allowed the audience to hear the instruments and consider the differences between the two construction methods.

The original presentation was subsequently recorded and published as the Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard Oud Presentation.

Faruk Türünz and Innovation in Oud Making

The Double Soundboard is part of Faruk Türünz’s broader approach to oud making, which combines traditional instrument-making knowledge with experimentation in materials, construction, and acoustics.

Rather than treating the oud as a fixed design, this approach considers how changes in construction can influence the instrument’s response.

The Double Soundboard experiment is particularly significant because it applies a structural concept associated with lightweight composite engineering to one of the most traditional components of the oud: its soundboard.

Is a Double Soundboard Oud Better Than a Single Soundboard Oud?

There is no simple answer to whether a Double Soundboard Oud is universally “better” than a Single Soundboard Oud.

Different construction methods produce different mechanical and acoustic characteristics, and players may have different preferences regarding response, projection, tonal color, and playing feel.

The significance of the Double Soundboard lies in the construction principle itself: reducing the mass of the vibrating structure while maintaining the strength and stiffness required by the instrument.

For players and makers interested in oud acoustics, it provides another way of approaching the fundamental problem of how to convert string energy into acoustic vibration efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions About Double Soundboard Ouds

What is a Double Soundboard Oud?

A Double Soundboard Oud is an oud constructed with two thin wooden soundboard layers separated by a lightweight internal core. The design is intended to reduce the mass of the vibrating soundboard while maintaining structural strength.

Who developed the Double Soundboard Oud?

Faruk Türünz developed and publicly presented his Double Soundboard Oud in Istanbul in 2008.

When was the Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard first presented?

The Double Soundboard Oud was presented in Istanbul on 8 November 2008.

What is a Double Top Oud?

“Double Top” is another term used for a layered soundboard construction in which two thin wooden surfaces are combined with a lightweight internal core. The terminology is more commonly associated with certain guitar construction techniques.

Why use a lightweight core in an oud soundboard?

A lightweight core can provide structural support while reducing the amount of material and mass in the vibrating structure. This can allow the soundboard to respond more readily to the energy transmitted by the strings.

Does a Double Soundboard Oud have two ordinary soundboards?

Not exactly. The term Double Soundboard refers to a composite layered soundboard structure rather than simply placing two conventional soundboards on top of each other.

An Important Chapter in Modern Oud Construction

The Faruk Türünz Double Soundboard Oud represents an important experiment in modern oud making. By combining traditional wooden soundboard construction with lightweight composite technology, it explores one of the central challenges of acoustic instrument design: how to obtain a responsive vibrating structure while maintaining the necessary strength and stability.

First demonstrated publicly in Istanbul in 2008, the Double Soundboard remains a distinctive part of Faruk Türünz’s contribution to the development and experimentation of the modern oud.

Faruk Türünz Workshop – Double Soundboard Oud Presentation, Istanbul, 8 November 2008. 

This article is based on Faruk Türünz’s 2008 presentation and explains the construction principles discussed during that presentation.