Electric Oud

The electric oud opens a new sonic horizon for an instrument with centuries of tradition behind it. By combining acoustic depth with amplified projection, electric ouds let players carry the maqam vocabulary onto loud stages, into multi-effects rigs, and through studio production chains — without losing the right-hand risha nuance that defines the instrument. At Tapadum Music Store, the electric oud collection spans three distinct construction families, each addressing a specific musical need.

Classical Electric Oud — An electrified version of the traditional acoustic oud, fitted with magnetic pickups and volume control knobs that allow amplification and external effects. The full resonance chamber is preserved, so the acoustic voice survives intact under amplification. This family suits musicians who perform traditional taqsim and ensemble work, but want headroom for fusion and contemporary projects. Players exploring this family often look toward Feramis Aktas — one of the master luthiers most associated with the modern electric oud line, with both dedicated electric models and pickup-equipped professional acoustic conversions in our collection.

Semi-Acoustic Electric Oud — Often called semi-hollow, cutaway, or half-cut electro-acoustic ouds. The body is reduced in depth (or split horizontally), with an internal resonance chamber retained for natural tone. The smaller body footprint reduces stage feedback dramatically while preserving acoustic character. This is the standard choice for musicians who play loud, mixed-genre live sets and need an instrument that survives close microphones, monitor wedges, and high-volume bands. In our collection, semi-hollow Arabic electric ouds are crafted by Ahmet Topan of Alto Oud, with guitar-pegs construction and reduced body depth that addresses both feedback control and ergonomic stage performance.

Silent Oud — A frame-style body with no resonance chamber, conceptually similar to a silent violin or a solid-body electric guitar. Output relies entirely on the pickup signal. Silent ouds excel in late-night practice, headphone recording, and experimental studio work where the player wants full control over timbre through pedals and processors, without acoustic bleed. Mustafa Gezerdag‘s MG-E2 Silent Electric Oud anchors this family in our collection — a frame-style instrument with guitar-pegs construction, designed for pickup-only output and direct pedalboard integration.

Each electric oud passes individual quality control — pickup output level, tuning stability, electronics integration, and string balance under amplification — overseen by our string instruments specialist Sertan Sarioglu at our Izmir workshop before leaving for our Brisighella, Italy showroom. The electric oud sits alongside its acoustic siblings in Tapadum’s oud collection. Players exploring traditional repertoire often pair an electric instrument with a dedicated acoustic — see our Arabic Oud and Turkish Oud categories for the corresponding acoustic lines. Free Shipping & 15-day return apply across the EU.