★★★★☆ 4/5
I recently purchased an electric silent oud from Arab Instruments and overall had a very positive experience.
First, I would like to commend the team for their excellent packaging. The instrument was packed professionally and arrived safely despite international shipping. It is clear that great care was taken to protect the oud during transit.
The oud itself has a beautiful and elegant appearance. It looks exactly as advertised and makes a great first impression. The third, fourth, and fifth strings produce a rich, clear, and enjoyable tone that exceeded my expectations.
That said, there are a few areas where improvement would be welcome. The overall finishing and setup are acceptable but not at a truly professional level. The fingerboard quality could be better, and the first, second, and sixth strings sound fairly ordinary compared to the excellent response of the middle strings.
Despite these points, I am satisfied with my purchase and appreciate the quality of service, communication, and packaging provided by Arab Instruments. I would happily recommend them to musicians looking for a reliable source of oud instruments, and I look forward to seeing continued improvements in future models.
Hermosa(!) derbuka con patrones antiguos típicos arebescos de estrellas y reencuentro en sus líneas.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Suena muy bien, bajos, slaps, etc, claros, definido, contrastantes. Estoy curioso del nuevo drumhead distinto al original en camino..
Embalaje : ok, pero además viene dentro de un buen(!)bolso de protección (+un simple drumhead original +llave de afinación).
Necesité paciencia en la espera, puede tardar bastante más de lo previsto por las obvias razones de la situación de guerra (04-05.2026) /política en Israel, lastima! y :-( alguna información confusa del servicio de rastreo de correo.
I can't compare this ney to others, as it's my first. It is easier to play than any of the plastic instruments I have. The tone is warm and beautiful, and the tuning is really great: Alternate fingerings for e.g. G, C, D all come in at the same frequencies. I'm taking good care of it and practicing every day!
Just unboxed this beauty. Never before bought a drum without playing it first and was nervous. Workmanship is excellent. No flaws in the finish, no visible burrs on the rim/brake. Sound is sharp and clear with no buzz. Very happy. Shipping from Cairo to USA was fast. Thank you! The drum this is replacing I've beaten to death for almost 30 years. The inlay cracked and peeled off and it's been repainted several times. Looking forward to getting to know this new one and retiring the old. I'll update this post in 30 more years and let you know how it's held up. Thanks again.
Where do i Even Begin With this Beautiful Case well worth the Price the material of the denim is amazing the padding of the inside of the bag is so cushioned that my drum is gonna be well protected if it damages its my fault and the cute keychain it has tons of room to fit other necessites for ur drum
It sounds amazing and it's very beautiful!!!
It’s the best Darbuka I have !!! It’s sounds very great and the quality is so good !!! I’m very happy about it !! The best Darbuka I ever had
This is the first one that actually follows the player instead of blinking randomly.
I bought two plastic neys from another company , they are very hard to get a sound out of very cheap, especially the root note, and then I bought this supurde plastic ney what a big difference! you do get what you pay for it's so true this flute is worth every penny cuz I was struggling so bad with the cheaper ones I am a beginner but I have played many flutes for about 20 years I have a quite a collection about 42 of them each one is unique in themselves bamboo and wood so I know how to play a flute but this is a whole nother challenge I only play transverse flutes and native American flutes, this is the first time playing a rim blown flute ,it is challenging but it's easier to play this ney then the other ones, I might as well throw them out in the garbage because they're useless I know I'll be playing songs soon with this new flute that I bought here, I'm so excited.
Thank you Arab instruments
Phil
Amazing thanks a lot strong sound
This is my very first ney. And as a beginner I would recommend to any other beginner to start with this ney. Even if it is difficult to play, it is so rewarding when you are able to hit the first proper notes. And the tonal range is so big!
I'am not an expert but as far as I know this is a professional instrument even it is not traditionally made out of river cane (wood).
Keep in mind (as a beginner) that you will blow for hours into the instrument, to create your first notes. So the instrument will get wet. Thus, the plastic version is really forgiving instead of the wooden ones. I am looking forward to dive into the Arab maqams with great pleasure. This feels everything so magical. Thank you for this beautiful instrument. I will definitely by another one :-)
Thanks a lot súper happy the sound is incredible
kawala arrived quickly and sounds good
arrived quickly and plays well
I didn’t think colors would matter that much, honestly. I set it up almost randomly at first, then ended up with green for DOOM and red + blue for the TEK. That’s when it actually started to make sense.
Once the show started, it wasn’t just light anymore. The low hits in green felt grounded, almost heavy, and every DOOM suddenly looked intentional instead of just heard. The TEKs popping in red and blue cut through visually in a totally different way. Fast patterns looked sharper, clearer, and way more aggressive on stage.
What surprised me was the crowd reaction. People who don’t play darbuka obviously don’t know what DOOM or TEK means, but you could tell they understood that different hits meant different things. You could literally see the rhythm structure from a distance. During faster sections, the blue and red flashes made everything feel tighter and more exciting, and when I went back to slower DOOMs, the green calmed the whole stage down again.
After the show, a couple of people asked if the lights were pre-programmed or synced to tracks. When I told them it was reacting live to my hands, they were genuinely surprised. That’s not something I’ve experienced before with percussion.
It didn’t change how I play, but it definitely changed how the playing is perceived. The rhythm felt bigger, clearer, and more intentional. For live shows especially, that difference is real.
Used it once at a small live show.
People came up after asking what it was.
That doesn’t usually happen.
I bought this for my 16-year-old son as a Christmas gift last week. He's been playing darbuka for about two years and its getting harder every year to surprise him with something new.
This was definitely unusual, and I wasn't fully sure how he’d react. When he opened it, he needed a moment to understand it… and then he was instantly excited. We set it up the same day and he played far longer than he normally does. Thank you Arab Instruments
What really stood out for me was how quickly he started talking about performing with it - school events, small shows, even just playing in front of friends. It didn't feel like a toy, it felt like something that made him want to be seen and heard.
For us, it turned out to be a great Christmas choice and probably the most original gift he got this year.
I’d highly recommend this oud. I’ve placed lutes for many years, but this is my first oud and I love it’s sound quality.
I'll say that this strap system doesn't come with good instructions on how to use it. However, once you figure it out, it is solid. I just performed a two hour gig, standing and moving around the whole time with this system, and my heavy Emin darbuka never got out of place or fatigued me. It's priced high for what it is, but it works very well.
I teach beginners.
Seeing DOOM and TAC visually makes things click faster than explaining it ten times.