Yildirim Palabiyik Ouds
Yildirim Palabiyik has built ouds in Izmir since 1994 — three decades of dedicated luthiery focused on a particular pursuit: capturing the distinct sonic characters of both the Turkish and Arabic oud traditions in instruments that hold their own across both worlds. This collection brings together his signature work for Tapadum.
Each instrument is built from carefully selected tonewoods: aged spruce soundboards for clarity and projection, walnut or rosewood for the bowl and sides, ebony or rosewood fingerboards for response. Bowls are carved and assembled by hand, allowing the instruments to age gracefully and gain character with use. The geometry of the soundboard is tuned to support both Turkish and Arabic playing contexts — a balance that defines Yildirim’s signature voicing.
What sets a Palabiyik oud apart is the sonic character mastery developed across two traditions. Where many luthiers specialize in one school, Yildirim’s bench work treats Turkish and Arabic ouds as distinct acoustic problems — different bowl proportions, bracing patterns, and string tensions tuned to the demands of each repertoire. The result is instruments that perform fluently in either tradition without compromising on tonal integrity.
The Tapadum collection currently features the Yildirim Palabiyik Sultan Plus Oud as the signature instrument from this workshop. For broader category context, see also our Turkish Oud and Arabic Oud collections, the Oud category overview, and the dedicated Feramis Aktas collection for a complementary Turkish-only perspective.
What distinguishes a Yildirim Palabiyik oud?
The combination of hand-carved bowl construction, aged spruce soundboards, and three decades of bench work refined across both Turkish and Arabic playing traditions. These choices produce instruments with the warm fundamental and balanced response that working musicians depend on for both maqam ornamentation and longer phrasing.
Which musicians play Yildirim Palabiyik ouds?
Yildirim’s ouds are chosen by performing musicians who work the tradition daily, including Ibrahim Genco and Samet Baybars Noyan. Each instrument reflects the refinement of a luthier who has learned what makes an oud sing in two musical languages at once.
Free Shipping & 15-day return across the EU. Each instrument is photographed and individually inspected before dispatch.
