Master Luthier HANK LEVIN offers:
• Quality Ouds and other Middle-Eastern Instruments
• Hand-Made Ouds Strings
• Specially designed Luthier's Gluepots for instrument construction and repair
MusiCaravan sells high quality Turkish ouds (lutes) and neys (flutes), as well as offering professional repairs on these instruments, and concert quality strings for Turkish and Arabic ouds. We also sell brass gluepots for hot hide glue used by instrument makers and fine cabinet makers, as well as the hide glue itself, of the highest quality. Repairs are also offered on ouds, neys and bendirs.
The Gluepot
With great pride, MusiCaravan presents their exclusive hand-made Brass Luthier's gluepot---a craftsman's tool of heirloom quality!
• Especially designed by a master luthier Hank Levin, to the exact requirements for heating the hide glue traditionally used by violin, lute and guitar makers, as well as for fine workers in wood inlay, decorative veneering and marquetry.
• Hand-crafted of hammered brass, highly polished, with an ornate lid and brass wire handles---destined to be both an heirloom and centerpiece!
• An Electric Gluepot Warmer is available separately, that keeps the glue workable at exact temperatures.
The finest specialty woodworkers have relied for centuries on the unique qualities of hot hide glue in their work. Even with the advent of modern epoxies, yellow glues and cyanoacrylates, hot hide glue's special properties and strength make it irreplaceable in instrument making and repair. Besides being an indispensable tool for the finest detailed woodwork, the exquisite highly ornamented appearance of this wonderful little gluepot ranks it as the finest choice of gift item for craftsman or non-craftsman alike. Hand crafted of hammered brass, highly polished, and fit with its precious ornate lid and delicate brass wire handles---in your workshop or on your coffee table, it is sure to provoke comment and conversation indeed, it looks almost too pretty to use. But make no mistake---the Traditional Brass Luthier's Gluepot is made to be used! Rugged and heavily built, it will be part of your family for many generations, a memorial to the honored craftsmen who used it. Weight: 1 lb. 5 oz. Packaged weight: 1 lb. 8.5 oz. Outer diam: 4" Height (with lid): 4" Height (without lid): 3.25" Capacity inner pot: 3 oz. Capacity of water jacket (outer pot): 18 oz.
Musical Instrument Strings
Arabic Style Oud Strings
Introducing the MusiCaravan new long-awaited Arabic String set, made with the same precision and high quality as our famous Turkish sets (described below). Approved by prominent makers and players, they are designed for standard Arabic tuning, from bass to treble, of C, E (or F), A, d, g, c', or slight variations thereof.
Turkish Style Oud Strings
Turkish Style Oud strings are made to exact specifications in collaboration with Oud virtuoso Üstad Necati Çelik [pronounced “Nejatee Chelik”], and MusiCaravan supplies him with these strings. Necati is considered by many to be the foremost classical Oud player in Turkey today.
These strings compare very favorably to Pyramids. The trebles are true and even, and the bass strings last many months without going out of tune with themselves. When I change strings, it is because they are literally wearing out, or have lost too much brilliance to perform with an ensemble---not because they are going out of tune. The only other strings I can say that of are the Pyramids, and they cost a lot more.
There are two different Turkish sets. One has a label bearing Necati Çelik’s name and is designed for the tuning that he prefers, from bass to treble: B (or C#), F#, b, e, a, d'. This tuning is preferred by most Turkish classical musicians today because of its increased range and versatility when transposition is necessary.
The other set is called the MusiCaravan set, and is for the tuning E, A, b, e, a, d. This is a very common traditional tuning, and is often considered the “standard” tuning in the United States. It is widely used by Armenian musicians.
The sets are identical except for the two bass strings. The two treble courses are high quality non-rectified nylon. The cost of either set is $19 US.
Ouds, Neys & Frame Drums
Inventory includes the finest Turkish ouds, neys and frame drums (bendirs and daires), specially selected by Hank Levin in Turkey. Hank's experience as both a maker and performer on all of these instruments insures that MusiCaravan sells only the finest quality instruments in perfect adjustment. Help and advice in maintaining your instrument, as well as limited instruction, are also available.
About Hank
MusiCaravan.com is the manifestation of Hank Levin's lifelong passion with World Music, its various musical instruments, and their manufacturer.
Hank Levin originally played classical guitar and lute, and later studied Middle Eastern rhythms and modes (makam) on oud with Maestro Necati Celik, and ney with maestro Sadreddin Ozçemi. Hank's repertoire includes Turkish, Armenian, Azerbaijanian, Persian, Sephardic, Arabic and Greek pieces. He also plays various percussion instruments. He has made numerous presentations at colleges, at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, and on Pacifica Radio (KPFA). He has appeared with renowned Persian vocalist Ustad Naser Masoudi, with the Latif Bolat Sufi Ensemble, and with Persian santurist Ustad Asghar Azarvand, and with Turkish maestros Oudi Necati Çelik and Kanunji Halil Karaduman. Hank is the director of the Turkish Classical Music Ensemble of San Francisco.
Order Ouds, Oud Strings, Frame Drums, Neys, Gluepots and Glue online at http://musicaravan.com, or call MusiCaravan at 1-800-799-3733.
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