Iraqi Oud Walnut Mother of Pearl LUX

My wife and I (both musicians) live in Japan, living in Japan has many benefits but the downside is when we purchase a new instrument it has to be online. The first thing I would say about Ethnic Musical is that they have a great website. Each instrument is shown in plenty of photographs so you can get a real feel for what the instrument looks like. The really good thing is that a short YouTube clip of the instrument being played is also provided. So you can get an idea of how it sounds and performs. In a perfect world it would be nice to sit down and play the instrument, but having plenty of photos and a clip of someone playing it is the second best thing. The other aspect of Ethnic Musical I must praise is there communication. All questions were answered immediately and fully and I always felt I was talking to someone who cared, not someone who just wanted to make a sale. Although I chose not to pay extra for shipping, my Oud was shipped the day after I ordered it and it only took a week to get to Japan, it was well packed and arrived safely. The Oud itself was truly beautiful, wonderfully designed and a joy to look at. Amazingly after travelling halfway around the world it was still in tune. The craftmenship of the Oud is wonderful. After a close inspection I couldn’t spot any scratches, poor joins, or cheap materials. The finish on the wooden surfaces was smooth and even. I retuned it to test all the pegs and each one had the right amount of friction to make tuning an easy experience. The sound is mellow and rich and I look forward to developing a relationship with the instrument in years to come. I am really impressed with the instrument and how good it was dealing with Ethnic Musical. I will buy from them again in the future.