Description
Turkish Oud with Maple Bowl — Handcrafted for Rich, Warm Tone
The Turkish oud is one of the most expressive fretless string instruments in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean music. This Turkish Oud with Maple Bowl pairs a resonant maple body with a carefully selected spruce soundboard, delivering the bright, articulate tone that defines the Turkish oud tradition. Handcrafted and shipped from our workshop in Italy, this instrument offers professional-level sound quality and reliable construction for serious players.
Maple Bowl — Warmth and Projection
The bowl of this Turkish oud is constructed from maple, a hardwood valued in string instrument making for its balance of density and resonance. Maple contributes a warm, full-bodied acoustic character with strong projection, allowing each note to sustain clearly across registers. The natural grain of the maple also gives each instrument a distinctive visual identity — no two bowls are exactly alike.
In the Turkish oud tradition, maple has long been a preferred tonewood alongside walnut and rosewood, prized for its ability to project both delicate ornamentations and powerful taksim passages with equal clarity.
Spruce Soundboard — Brightness and Responsiveness
The top (soundboard) is crafted from spruce, selected for its exceptional vibration transfer and tonal brightness. Spruce tops are a standard choice in high-quality oud construction because they respond quickly to plectrum attack, producing clear articulation even at low volumes. Paired with the maple bowl, this combination yields a balanced tonal profile: bright and defined in the treble register, warm and resonant in the bass.
Hardware and Strings
The tuning pegs are made from ebony, providing smooth, stable tuning adjustments. The fingerboard is crafted from walnut, offering a comfortable playing surface for intricate ornamentation and microtonal work that the fretless oud demands.
This oud comes fitted with Kurschner 0.09 Turkish oud strings, known for their clarity, balanced tension, and warm tonal response. Kurschner strings are a trusted choice among professional oud players for both practice and performance. If you prefer the convenience of guitar-style tuning mechanisms, consider our Turkish Oud with Guitar Pegs as an alternative.
Specifications
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bowl (Body) | Maple |
| Top (Soundboard) | Spruce |
| Pegs | Ebony |
| Fingerboard | Walnut |
| Strings | Kurschner 0.09 (Turkish) |
| Scale Length | 58.5 cm |
| Frets | Fretless |
Who Is This Oud For?
This Turkish oud suits a wide range of players. Intermediate musicians stepping up from a student-level instrument will appreciate the improved resonance and build quality that the maple bowl and spruce top provide. Guitarists and fretted-instrument players exploring fretless string instruments will find the 58.5 cm scale length comfortable and manageable.
For experienced oud players seeking a reliable practice or secondary performance instrument, the tonal quality holds up well across extended playing sessions.
Genre and Style Compatibility
The bright, articulate character of this Turkish oud makes it well suited for classical Turkish makam music, where microtonal precision and ornamental clarity are essential. It also performs well in contemporary fusion, world music ensembles, and solo improvisation (taksim).
If you are new to Turkish oud tuning, our complete guide to Turkish oud tuning covers standard Bolahenk tuning and alternative systems used by professional players. For a deeper look at how Turkish and Arabic ouds differ in construction and tone, see our Arabic Oud vs Turkish Oud comparison guide.
Care and Maintenance
Store your oud in a hard case when not in use to protect it from temperature and humidity changes, which can affect the maple bowl and spruce top. Wipe the strings and fingerboard with a soft, dry cloth after each session to remove oils and dust. Avoid exposing the instrument to direct sunlight or extreme heat for extended periods. Check the ebony pegs periodically and apply peg compound if they begin to slip during tuning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of wood is the bowl made from?
The bowl is constructed from maple, a tonewood known for producing warm, resonant sound with strong projection. Maple is one of the traditional wood choices for Turkish oud construction.
What strings does this oud come with?
This oud is fitted with Kurschner 0.09 Turkish oud strings, which provide balanced tension, clear articulation, and a warm tonal response suitable for both traditional and contemporary playing styles.
Is this oud suitable for beginners?
Yes. The 58.5 cm scale length offers comfortable playability, and the Kurschner strings provide even tension across all courses. As a fretless instrument, the oud does require ear training for accurate intonation — players coming from guitar will need time to adjust to the absence of frets.
Does this oud ship from Italy?
Yes. This oud ships from our workshop in Brisighella, Italy. Free shipping and 15-day return included.
