Description
A Black Silent Oud, Reinterpreted Again
The MG-E2 Black is master luthier Mustafa Gezerdag‘s silent electric oud in a new register: the same frame-style, no-soundbox construction that defines the MG-E2 silent oud family, finished in a deep gloss-black lacquer and paired with a considerably more capable onboard preamp. The name still borrows from the Turkish sessiz ud — “quiet oud” — describing an instrument built to produce almost no sound on its own, relying entirely on its pickup for volume, much like a solid-body electric guitar.
A Solid Mahogany Frame, No Soundbox
In place of a resonating bowl, the MG-E2 Black uses a solid mahogany frame body — an open, pear-shaped outline with no internal cavity to amplify string vibration acoustically. Played unplugged, it produces only a faint murmur, which is precisely the point: apartment practice, late-night sessions, hotel rooms on tour, and headphone-based recording all become possible without disturbing anyone nearby. The neck carries mechanical geared guitar pegs instead of traditional friction pegs, holding tuning far more reliably under stage lighting, climate changes, and repeated string bends.
Fishman Presys — A Full Onboard Preamp
The defining upgrade over the standard MG-E2 is the electronics. Where the base model runs a simple Fishman 301 piezo pickup, the Black Edition is built around a Fishman Presys active preamp: a 5-band onboard EQ (bass, middle, treble, notch, and brilliance controls), a phase switch to tame feedback at high stage volume, and a built-in chromatic tuner with mute. The notch filter alone makes this instrument considerably easier to run through a monitor or PA at volume than a passive piezo setup, and the extra tonal shaping gives players real control over how the amplified voice sits in a mix.
Specifications
| Body | Solid mahogany, frame construction (no soundbox) |
|---|---|
| Finish | Gloss black lacquer |
| Pickup / Preamp | Fishman Presys active preamp — 5-band EQ, notch filter, phase switch, built-in tuner |
| Output | 1/4″ jack |
| Tuning Pegs | Mechanical geared guitar pegs |
| Strings | 11 strings, 6 courses (1 single + 5 doubled), Kürschner strings |
| Standard Tuning | D-A-E-B-F#-C# (Turkish oud configuration) |
| Scale Length | 58.5 cm |
| Dimensions | 89 × 42 × 24 cm |
| Weight | 4.2 kg |
| Maker | Mustafa Gezerdag, İzmir atelier, Turkey |
Who This Instrument Suits
The MG-E2 Black is built for players who need to practice or record without acoustic spill: musicians in apartments or shared housing, touring players working out of hotel rooms, and home studio owners who want a direct, isolated signal free of room noise or bleed into other microphones. The added EQ and phase control also make it a practical option for anyone running the oud through a pedalboard or multi-effects unit, where a shaped, feedback-resistant input signal matters more than raw acoustic tone.
Repertoire and Playing Style
Tuning, scale, and string configuration follow the traditional Turkish oud setup, so technique, fingering, and repertoire carry over directly from an acoustic instrument — taqsim improvisation, fasıl ensemble parts, and fast ornamented melodic lines all translate without adjustment. Players moving between an acoustic oud and this instrument will find the neck geometry and string spacing identical, with the electronics doing the work of translating touch into a shaped, amplified signal.
Care and Maintenance
Because there is no soundboard to protect from humidity swings the way an acoustic oud requires, day-to-day care centers on the electronics and hardware: keep the 9V battery compartment dry and replace it before long sessions, wipe the gloss lacquer with a soft, dry cloth, and store the instrument in a padded case when travelling. Geared pegs need only occasional lubrication at the gear housing, and the Kürschner string set can be changed using standard guitar-style stringing technique rather than the knotting required on friction-peg ouds. Explore the wider electric oud collection for semi-hollow and classical amplified alternatives.
Worldwide shipping & 15-day return.
