Description
This wenge Arabic oud pairs a dense wenge bowl with a Canadian red cedar soundboard and a mobile suspended (floating) bridge — the same tonewood pairing as its fixed-bridge siblings in the Tapadum Sultan Collection, but with a bridge that rests on the soundboard rather than being glued in place. Handcrafted in our İzmir atelier, each instrument undergoes setup and quality verification before shipment.
Bowl and Soundboard Materials
The dense wenge wood gives the oud a bright, well-defined voice with tight, controlled bass — more focused and articulate than the rounder character of a maple or walnut bowl. The Canadian red cedar soundboard responds quickly under the risha (plectrum), adding warmth and a singing sustain that balances the wenge’s clarity. Ebony fingerboard and pegs provide hardness and tuning stability across the fretless neck.
The Floating Bridge
Unlike the fixed-bridge wenge oud in this collection, this instrument uses a mobile suspended bridge: it rests on the face of the soundboard rather than being glued down, which lets the player fine-tune string height and intonation for a precise, personalized action. This is the same floating-bridge design found on our maple and walnut Arabic Iraqi oud, now paired with the brighter, more focused wenge bowl.
String Configuration
Eleven Kürschner premium strings, arranged as five double courses plus a single bass string, tuned to the standard Arabic Do–Do (C–C). Re-Re and Fa-Fa tunings are available upon request for players working in other maqam registers.
Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Collection | Tapadum Sultan Collection |
| Origin | Handcrafted in İzmir, Turkey |
| Bowl | Wenge |
| Soundboard | Canadian red cedar |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Pegs | Ebony |
| Bridge | Mobile suspended (floating) |
| Strings | 11 — Kürschner premium |
| Tuning | Do–Do (C–C); Re-Re & Fa-Fa available upon request |
| Body length | 49 cm (19.3 in) |
| Fingerboard length | 19.5 cm (7.7 in) |
| Scale (string) length | 58.5 cm (23 in) |
| Depth | 19 cm (7.5 in) |
| Neck width | 3.8–5.6 cm (1.5–2.2 in) |
| String height (action) | 0.18 cm (0.07 in) |
Suitable Players
This wenge-and-cedar pairing, combined with the adjustability of a floating bridge, makes this a responsive instrument for intermediate and professional players working in Arabic maqam who want direct control over their setup. Committed beginners who want to grow into precise action adjustment will also find it a rewarding first instrument.
Care and Maintenance
Store away from direct heat and humidity fluctuations, loosening strings during extended storage. Clean the cedar soundboard with a soft, dry cloth after playing. Because the bridge is not glued down, avoid excessive lateral pressure when restringing — check bridge position against the fingerboard’s edge markers if strings are changed one at a time. Quality control covers tuning stability, soundboard response, bridge placement, and string spacing, overseen by our string instruments specialist Sertan Sarioglu. Worldwide shipping & 15-day return.
