Description
Yildirim Palabiyik Sultan Plus Oud – Premium Quality
The Yildirim Palabiyik Sultan Plus Oud delivers premium-tier craftsmanship at an intermediate-friendly price point, built by Izmir luthier Yıldırım Palabıyık for musicians who want one instrument that speaks both Turkish and Arabic oud traditions fluently. The Sultan Plus belongs to Yıldırım’s advanced line — a model chosen by players who need professional resonance and tuning stability without committing to flagship pricing.
Materials & Body
The bowl is built from solid mahogany, prized for warm, full-bodied fundamentals and stable resonance under sustained playing. Mahogany rewards both risha attack and long sustained phrases with a rounded, vocal mid-range — a tonal character that holds up across the Anatolian–Arabic stylistic spectrum. The soundboard is cedar, paired with mahogany to soften the initial attack and emphasize bloom in the fundamental, giving the Sultan Plus a tone that opens up rather than punches forward.
Head, Pegs & Tuning
The fingerboard and pegs are ebony — a dense, smooth tonewood that supports precise intonation and stable tuning across long sessions. The pegs hold their position reliably without the slip that affects lower-tier ouds during taqsim improvisation or extended performance. The Sultan Plus ships set up in C-C tuning (C–G–D–A–F–C, low to high) — the standard Arabic oud configuration. The 58.5 cm scale length supports comfortable retuning toward Turkish patterns or dastgah– and maqam-specific intervals when the repertoire demands it.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Body Length | 48.5 cm (19.3″) |
| Neck Length | 19.5 cm (7.7″) |
| String Length (scale) | 58.5 cm (23″) |
| Depth | 19 cm (7.5″) |
| Handle Width | 3.8 – 5.6 cm (1.5 – 2.20″) |
| String Height (action) | 0.18 cm (0.07″) |
| Bowl | Solid mahogany |
| Top | Cedar |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Pegs | Ebony |
| Standard Tuning | C-C (C–G–D–A–F–C, low to high) — Arabic |
| Country of Origin | Turkey |
| Bowl Shape | May vary slightly depending on wood pattern |
Who It’s For
The Sultan Plus is built for intermediate to professional players who want a serious working instrument without entering flagship-luthier price territory. It rewards intermediate players ready to grow into nuanced repertoire — the playability and tonal range support the transition from foundational training into improvisation and ensemble work. Professional players use it as a reliable second oud, a touring instrument, or a primary for repertoire that crosses Turkish and Arabic traditions within the same set.
Musical Genres & Traditions
The Sultan Plus is designed for dual-tradition fluency. On the Turkish side: taqsim, sema and Sufi repertoire, klasik Türk sanat müziği, Anatolian folk. On the Arabic side: Egyptian takht ensembles, samai, longa, maqsoum and modern Arabic art music. Beyond the core traditions, the Sultan Plus integrates comfortably into Balkan crossover work, flamenco-Andalusian fusion, world music studio sessions, and meditative ambient settings.
Care & Maintenance
Store the oud at moderate humidity (40–60%) and stable temperature — both extremes and rapid changes are the main risks to a wooden bowl and cedar top. Use the included fiber hardcase whenever the instrument is not in active use. Wipe the strings down after each session, and let the fingerboard breathe occasionally with a soft, dry cloth. Restring as the high courses lose brightness — typically every few months for serious players.
Tune Your Sultan Plus
Tapadum’s free online oud tuner is available at tuner.tapadum.com — calibrated for both Turkish and Arabic standard tunings, no installation required. A practical companion for daily practice, travel, and stage warm-up.
Curation & Craftsmanship
The Sultan Plus is curated by Sertan Sarıoğlu, Tapadum’s strings specialist, who selects each piece to meet our standard for tonal honesty and build integrity. The instrument itself is handcrafted by Yıldırım Palabıyık, an Izmir luthier who has been building ouds since 1994 — three decades focused on capturing the distinct sonic characters of both the Turkish and Arabic oud traditions. His instruments are played by performing musicians of both traditions, including Ibrahim Genco and Samet Baybars Noyan.
What’s in the Package
Each Sultan Plus ships from our Brisighella, Italy showroom complete with everything needed to start playing seriously: 1× Sultan Plus oud, 1× extra pack of strings, 1× quality fiber hardcase, and 2× oud picks.
