First of all, the process of ordering and the delivery by Thomann was perfect. I am so grateful. But, there are some important points regarding the instrument itself, which seem necessary to mention.
It is the cheapest OUD available on the website and I didn’t expect too much quality. In fact, if someone was directly purchasing an OUD in Iran, Iraq or Turkey, a budget of 200 Euro would be enough to buy a perfect BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE instrument. However, after a few weeks of playing, I think there are two important points that anyone should know about the instrument (no matter how much is the price). 1) The instrument doesn’t stay tuned for longer than 30 minutes of playing and retuning is necessary. Even, if it is not played for a few hours, retuning is a must! 2) The strips on the instrument are fake! I mean, the sound box of the OUD is made of strips (ribs) of wood attached side by side to each other. But, in this instrument, a printed layer (I don’t know what material) has been used to cover the instrument body (the sound box). It has been also done with a poorer quality inside the box, so you cannot easily see the material. I repeat again, I didn’t expect too much from this instrument, but I felt somehow “cheated” by the instrument maker. I think it is better to mention on the website that the strips are fake. (Now it says: “Body consists of 19 ribs made from hardwood and walnut”, that is clearly not true)
Finally, if you neglect the fake body and be patient with tuning, the instrument is OK. The sound is clear, warm and soft. I am enjoying it!