Description
The Professional Turkish Qanun by master luthier Özgür Gürbüz is a concert-grade trapezoidal zither built for serious performers and dedicated students of Turkish and Arabic classical music. Each instrument is handcrafted to order using carefully selected tonewoods, delivering the crystalline, shimmering voice that has made the qanun the melodic anchor of Middle Eastern ensembles for over a millennium.
Materials & Construction
The soundboard of this Professional Qanun is crafted from plane wood, a dense, fine-grained timber that provides the bright, sustained resonance essential for clear melodic projection across the qanun’s wide string range. The frame and cages are built from maple, chosen for its structural rigidity and natural acoustic transparency — it supports the tension of dozens of string courses without dampening the soundboard’s vibration.
The bridge is constructed from maple and finished with delicate mahogany marquetry inlay, combining functional precision with visual elegance. Tuning pegs are turned from cranberry wood, offering smooth, stable tuning that holds reliably under performance conditions. The instrument’s side embroidery features intricate mahogany detailing, while maple and mahogany fillets along the edges complete the aesthetic — every surface reflects the level of craftsmanship expected from a professional-grade instrument.
Sound & Playability
The qanun functions as the tuning master of the traditional Middle Eastern ensemble — other musicians listen to the qanun player to establish pitch and maqam before performance begins. This instrument’s plane wood soundboard produces a bright, bell-like clarity with generous sustain, allowing rapid melodic runs, delicate trills, and sweeping glissandos to ring with precision. The mandal system — small metal levers mounted along the bridge — enables the player to shift pitches microtonally mid-performance, navigating between different maqams without interrupting the musical flow.
Specifications
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Soundboard | Plane wood |
| Frame / Cages | Maple |
| Tuning pegs | Cranberry wood |
| Bridge | Maple with mahogany marquetry |
| Side embroidery | Mahogany |
| Side fillets | Maple and mahogany |
| Luthier | Özgür Gürbüz |
| Weight | 5.1 kg |
| Dimensions | 105 × 55 × 20 cm |
This product is made to order. Please contact us for information about ordering conditions and lead times.
Who Is This For?
This qanun is built for intermediate to advanced players and serious students enrolled in conservatory-level study of Turkish or Arabic classical music. The instrument’s tonal projection and mandal precision make it equally suited for solo performance, ensemble work, and studio recording. Players transitioning from student-grade instruments will notice an immediate improvement in sustain, tuning stability, and dynamic range.
Musical Traditions & Genre Compatibility
The qanun occupies a central role in Turkish classical music (Türk sanat müziği) and Arabic tarab ensembles, where it traditionally performs alongside the oud, ney, violin, and riq. In Turkish tradition, the instrument is known as kanun and is built with four arching pillars — a structural distinction from Arabic variants. Players working within the makam system — navigating modes like Rast, Hicaz, Nihavend, and Saba — will find the mandal mechanism indispensable for achieving the precise microtonal intervals these scales require. Read our in-depth guide on the qanun’s role in Middle Eastern music for more context on the instrument’s history and playing technique.
Care & Maintenance
Store the qanun in its included hard case when not in use. Keep the instrument away from direct sunlight, humidity extremes, and rapid temperature changes — wood expands and contracts, affecting tuning stability and potentially cracking the soundboard. Wipe the body with a dry, soft cloth after each use. Check mandal alignment periodically and ensure tuning pegs turn smoothly. Strings should be replaced when tone becomes dull or intonation drifts consistently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this qanun suitable for beginners?
While beginners can learn on this instrument, it is designed and priced for intermediate to advanced players. Students just starting qanun study may prefer a more affordable entry-level instrument before investing in a professional-grade qanun by Özgür Gürbüz.
Does the qanun come with a case?
Yes. Each instrument includes a hard case for safe storage and transport.
How is this qanun tuned?
The qanun is tuned using the cranberry wood pegs for each string course, combined with the mandal lever system for microtonal adjustments. Standard tuning follows the Turkish classical convention, but players can adjust for Arabic tuning systems as well.
What is the mandal system?
Mandals are small metal levers positioned along the bridge. Each lever, when engaged, raises the pitch of its corresponding string course by a precise microtonal interval. This allows the player to switch between different maqams during performance without retuning.
How long does delivery take?
This product is made to order. Please contact us directly for current lead times and ordering conditions.
Free EU shipping & 15-day return.
