The actual sound of the instrument was quite nice. I played it quite often for the first month or so. After that point, the strings it came with were worn to dangerous levels so I decided to change the strings. It was then I started to realize that the pegs it came with were quite beaten up and cracked, and the holes in which they were placed in were full of debris. A little rough around the edges but I could make it work. The really kicker for me though is that the bridge holes were not level, meaning the strings carve into the bridge and are difficult to even loop through in order to tie them down.
On top of some scratches, excess glue, the raw abrasive wood, and even some mild splintering, I couldn't and can't help but feel at least a minor bit of regret purchasing this instrument.
I will caveat that this is a handmade instrument, and the human nature of craft means that they aren't all winners. However, at this point, this instrument is going to require investments into it that will end up making it cost double the listed price after a month of use. I'm just disappointed as I was really hoping this oud would be a nice entry to the world of Arabic music and as soon as I started becoming acquainted, real cracks start to show.
For these reasons I would not recommend it for a beginner, even at an entry level price, unless you are already acquainted with delicate stringed instruments or have luthier experience.
But otherwise, I love this thing. I'll have to bring it in one day to get it patched up, and my time spent with it is certainly not considered wasted.
