Meet the Maker: Alan Arthur Suits, Sitar maker from Santa Fe
If you want to explore the full conversation with Alan Arthur Suits, this interview offers a detailed look into his path as an instrument maker working across different musical traditions.
He reflects on his early encounters with both Western early music and Indian classical instruments, and how these experiences gradually led him into lutherie. Rather than following a single fixed tradition, his work developed through hands-on learning, repair work, and long-term observation of instruments in real playing conditions.
In the interview, he also discusses his workshop practice in Santa Fe, the influence of environment on his work, and his views on what makes a well-built sitar. His answers show a consistent focus on functionality, durability, and the realities of building instruments that need to perform over time.
This interview with Arthur Alan Suits is part of the Meet the Maker series on SiTAR FAcToRY, where instrument makers from around the world share their work, ideas and inspiration.
