It was 1997 and I was about 13 when I first fell in love with the Oud.

At that time, the internet was still a baby, we didn’t even have internet access at the time. The only recording I had of the Oud was a short clip from Microsoft Encarta 97’ that came with the PC my family bought that year.

In 1998, I had the chance to find an Oud. My family travelled to Haifa (now northern Israel), and I thought it would be easy to go to a music store and buy an Oud. At the time, I was completely unaware that Israelis don’t really play the Oud. I didn’t know anything about anything at the time. So I returned to Canada without an Oud.

Fast Forward to today, There’s no excuse not to buy an Oud.

Today, a large portion of the people in the world are on the internet. You can hear samples of even the most obscure ethnic musical instruments. And it’s never been easier to buy an Oud online.

I know what you’re thinking:

“Don’t buy an instrument unless you can sit down and hold it and play it.”

In most cases, this is true. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend buying an Oud from a random person on Ebay, especially if it’s under $300 USD. Believe me, you’re probably going to get a decorative item.

Having said, it’s nearly impossible to find an Oud shop you can visit in person, so buying online is your best option these days.

And now you can buy an Oud online with peace of mind… and I’ll show you:

How to Buy Your Dream Oud

For the Oud to survive in the new modern world, it’s more and more important that you find your DREAM Oud.

When you find your dream Oud, you’ll play it, you’ll love it, you’ll learn it, and you’ll enjoy it. buy oud online

Download the Ultimate Oud Buyers’ Guide

The Oud Buyers’ Guide is your key to understand:

Different types of Ouds
Different luthiers
How to Buy an Oud in a different country
Oud strings
Oud plectrums

ALSO, receive a free email course that teaches you how to buy your dream Oud.

When you sign up, you’ll get my most prized tips and advice that will guarantee that you find your dream Oud.

Now if you’re in a hurry, the advice below might help you out.

How to buy Ouds online, safe and secure, my top three recommendations.

There are a few places online where you can buy an Oud online without worry. These are well established builders and distributors with your interests at heart.

For lower budgets:

www.cheapoud.com – Ouds made by Bulent Kivrak in Turkey.

www.mauriceoudshop.com – Ouds made in Maurice Shehata’s factory in Egypt, distributed by Mike Malek (owner of the greatest Oud forum on the net Mike’s Oud Forums)

Why buy from these guys?

Good customer service
You get what you see
Reliable delivery
Safe and secure
Good reputation
More reliable tunability of the tuning pegs

For high budgets:

Yildirim Palabiyik Ouds – Ouds built by Yildirim Palabiyik. Tried, trusted and true. Yildirim delivers Arabic and Turkish Oud models to suit your taste of sound and quality.

Why buy from Yildirim?

Long lasting
Excellent customer service
Sophisticated sound
Reliable and safe
You’ll be proud of your Oud
Yildirim’s Ouds and service have been given high reviews
Arabic models, Turkish models, and Electric models available
Customizable
Free shipping
Hardcase included
Risha included
Highly reliable tunability of the tuning pegs
Oud for Guitarists discount available ← Click for details

We’ve entered the Golden Age of the Oud.

No matter what your budget, there are options for you. There’s no reason not to buy.

What else is stopping you?

“I’m not sure if I should buy an Arabic Oud or a Turkish Oud..”

If you’re just starting out as a beginner, I wouldn’t worry about this too much. It’s better to start playing the Oud so you’ll eventually figure out what type of Oud you will want to play in the future.

It took myself a few years to really understand and even hear the difference between different Ouds.

Here’s a quick run-down of the differences between Arabic and Turkish Ouds

Arabic Ouds have a deep, round, bassy sound. Turkish Ouds have a brighter sound.
Arabic Ouds are up to 1 – 2 inches (2 – 3 cm) longer than Turkish Ouds
Arabic Ouds generally have a deeper bowl. Turkish Ouds may have a slightly shallower bowl.
Arabic Ouds are generally tuned (low to high) C G A D g c. Turkish Ouds are tuned one note higher, and the modern tuning is all in 4ths (low to high) C# F# B E a d

“I was wondering if the Arabic oud would be a suitable choice to learn, especially since I would be able use it to play Persian music as well as play Arabic taqasim.”

Buy an Arabic Oud if you want to play Persian music because the tuning Persian Oud players use is the standard Arabic tuning.

“I’m worried that the Oud is fretless and it will be difficult to learn”

No kidding around. There will be a learning curve, but it is a rewarding and addictive experience that changes your life as a musician.

Guitarists who learn to play the Oud eventually become die-hard Oud players, like Brian Prunka, Gord Grdina, Haig Yazidjian, and of course… me… I learned Guitar before picking up the Oud.

What is that saying? It goes… “No pain, no gain”.

Besides, Violins and Cellos are fretless, and the players are a dime a dozen. Besides, playing with a risha is way easier than playing with a bow.

If they can do it, you can do it too.

“But… can you play Jazz or blues on the Oud?”

I’ve realized that you can do anything you put your mind to. And when it comes to the Oud, this is true as well.

Check out my Purple Haze cover, and my John Mayer cover. Check out Joseph Tawadros, Dhafer Youssef, Simon Shaheen, Brian Prunka, and Gord Grdina.

They are all using the Oud to play contemporary music.

You can even play heavy metal on the Oud if you want to.

So what’s stopping you? Email me at support@oudforguitarists.com.

Next email in this series, you’ll learn how to properly hold the Oud and Risha (with pictures). Don’t mess around. I’ll get you straight to playing the Oud.