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# SiTAR FAcToRY | SiTAR FAcToRY is the workshop of Belgian sitar maker and restorer Klaas Janssens, specializing in sitar building, repair, restoration, maintenance and research since 1992.

SiTAR FAcToRY wants to be a source of inspiration to continue, inspire and improve inventing and developing new techniques on making & repair of ICM Instruments - sitar - surbahar - tanpura

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.sitarfactory.be/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Kabul 1900 sitar restoration - Pt2](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2025/kabul-1900-sitar-restoration-pt2/) - Important parts were missing: at least 4 frets had disappeared and new bridges had to be built. Read the next part of the restoration of this Kabul 1900 sitar.
- [Mirajkar sitar repair & K&K transducer inside](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/mirajkar-sitar-repair-kk-transducer-inside/) - I had never heard of a luthier called Mirajkar from Pune before. Their history dates back to 1850. Here is a brief report on the repair of one of their sitars.
- [Meet the Maker #5 - Sitar Makers Series - Chris Doddridge](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/meet-the-maker-5-sitar-makers-series-chris-doddridge/) - Interview with luthier Chris Doddridge on sitar making, instrument building, materials, tradition and innovation in East Anglia, United Kingdom.
- [Surbahar head repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/surbahar-head-repair/) - Step-by-step restoration of a rare Hiren Roy surbahar headstock, repairing old damage and restoring stability, tuning and playability.
- [Saraswati Veena bridge repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/saraswati-veena-bridge-repair/) - Repairing a vintage Saraswati Veena after transport damage. Discover how a broken bridge caused severe intonation problems and how they were solved.
- [Hemp Fashion Show](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/hemp-fashion-show/) - Een leuk alternatief initiatief. Meer info over hennep producten op www.hempmade.be.
- [Hennep veld](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/hennep-veld/) - Een hennep proefveld, bij ons in de buurt, ecologie een stap vooruit!! Hennep is een uitermate milieuvriendelijk gewas. Hennep verbouwen kan volledig organisch. De planten zijn vanuit zichzelf resistent tegen allerlei schadelijke insecten, waardoor pesticiden overbodig zijn. Hennep bedekt zeer snel de bodem, onkruid krijgt geen kans en onkruidverdelgers verontreinigen de bodem niet. Hennep is
- [The Solid Body Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/the-solid-body-sitar/) - I created a new page about the making of a solid body sitar. Start the discovery by clicking on the picture...
- [Sitar made by Alan Arthur Suits](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/sitar-made-by-alan-arthur-suits/) - I've added a page to Sitar Making Links about this beautiful and unique sitar made by Alan Arthur Suits. He has sent me some pictures and info about the construction of this sitar. Click here. Alan writes on his website: "The sitar was built to concert level quality, using the highest grade materials and craftsmanship.
- [Meet the Maker #4 - Sitar Makers Series - Alan Arthur Suits](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/meet-the-maker-4-sitar-makers-series-alan-arthur-suits/) - Interview with luthier Alan Arthur Suits on sitar making, instrument building, materials, tradition and innovation in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- [Fitting a Buddha Systems Skydiver Pickup to my Surbahar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/fitting-a-buddha-systems-skydiver-pickup-to-my-surbahar/) - I fitted a Buddha Systems Skydiver pickup system to my surbahar, a warm, deep and highly resonant voice with excellent sustain and a rich spectrum of overtones.
- [Tumba cosmetics repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2016/tumba-cosmetics-repair/) - It began with an ordinary crack in the tumba. Yet another case of overzealous luggage handling at airports. In this case it revealed an overwhelming problem.
- [Hybrid Sitar mod](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2016/hybrid-sitar-mod/) - Hybrid sitar: why not make the accompanying strings, jora, laraj & kharaj, entirely playable on the full neck area? Read about it here...
- [Tumba Pics](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2017/tumba-pics/) - Some extraordinary tumba pictures...
- [Bert Cornelis in India](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/bert-cornelis-in-india/) - Our good friend Bert Cornelis on tour in India : Bert Cornelis & Pt. Uddhav Shinde, sitar & pakhawaj jugalbandi... in Latur, India. On the poster with Hridaynath Mangeshkar, a brother of the world-famous singer Lata Mangeshkar. More info about Bert on www.sitarplayer.be.
- [Jora tar intonation on SAS & SBS sitars](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/jora-tar-intonation-on-sas-sbs-sitars/) - Many sitars suffer from an improper intonation. Mostly affected are jora and laraj kharaj strings. If you are lucky you should be able to play comfortable on the first couple of frets only. After this, immediately pulling meend to correct the tone becomes a must. It is almost a part of the advanced sitar learning
- [Slimbucker on Studiositar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/slimbucker-on-studiositar/) - I mounted a Kent Armstrong Slimbucker™ Jazz guitar pickup on a beautiful new Waseem Maner vintage style studiositar. The sitar sounds very natural, with an extra warmth due to enhanced low frequency response typical for this kind of humbucker electro-magnetic pickups. The pickup is tilted to meet the cikaris and adjusted in height between the
- [Mayur sitar with K&K transducer](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/mayur-sitar-with-kk-transducer/) - This report is about installing a K&K Sound Pure 12-String 3-head transducer for 12-string acoustic guitar system inside a Mayur sitar.
- [Ustad Ilyas Khan’s HR sitar restoration – Pt2](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/ustad-ilyas-khans-hr-sitar-restoration-pt2/) - This is the follow-up report to a project on the restoration of a special Hiren Roy sitar which belonged to Ustad Ilyas Khan (1924-1989). His father belonged to the Shahjahanpur gharana.
- [Jazz Sitar in Delhi, a soundscape](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/jazz-sitar-in-delhi-a-soundscape/) - As every year when I am in Delhi, our dear Swedish friend Hans (Hasse) came to visit me -and this time also my new sitar- in Hari Chands sitar shop. Hans is living half of the year in India and the other half in his house on Gotland. He plays sitar and guitar in many
- [Dagar Tanpura](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2015/dagar-tanpura/) - Ud H. Sayeeduddin Dagar, a great dhrupad singer, cousin uncle from the legendary Dagar brothers, frequently visits Belgium for concerts and teachings. Because travelling with big tanpuras is not easy and not without risk, Dagarji has kept a couple of them here resident for this purpose. Recently, a huge, very old and worn tanpura was
- [Hari Chand](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/hari-chand/) - One of my dearest friends and guru, Hari Chand, passed away yesterday. He reached the age of 87. All what you can read on this site, I’ve learned from him. I am eternally grateful to him and my thoughts go out to him and his family and friends. Death is not extinguishing the light, it
- [Meet the Maker #3 - Sitar Makers Series - Kees Verbeek](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/meet-the-maker-3-sitar-makers-series-kees-verbeek/) - Meet the work of Kees Verbeek, a Netherlands-based maker focusing on surbahar and rudra veena, instruments that sit at the deeper end of North Indian raga music
- [Pyramid strings](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/pyramid-strings/) - German stringmaker Pyramid has made some special strings, suitable for "electric" (working with electro-magnetic pickup) full size sitars. They make brass wound polished strings for laraj & kharaj 0.55mm (.021) & 0.74mm (.030) and heavy kharaj 0.92mm (.036). And also brass coated steel wire ranging from 0.18mm (.007) to 0.38mm (.015), good for all other
- [Murari Rudra Veena on visit](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/murari-rudra-veena-on-visit/) - This very impressive Rudra Veena came to my workshop for initial setting and jawari. This is one of the last rudra veenas made by maestro Murari Mohan Adhikari.
- [Sitar factory near Kolkata](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2010/real-sitar-factory-near-kolkata/) - Watch this video from Mr Simonggill about present-day sitar making in Calcutta. Here the real work is done...!! These small factories almost cover the worldwide production of sitars. They produce prefab sitarbodies for all well-known sitar makers such as both Rikhi Ram's, Hiren Roy, Srishty Musical, RA Sitarmaker, Hari Chand, Raj Musicals, Kartar Chand Dhiman,
- [Meet the Maker #2 - Sitar Makers Series - David Keustermans](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/meet-the-maker-2-sitar-makers-series-david-keustermans/) - David Keustermans works between European lute building and Indian classical instruments. It remains a continuous process of learning and refining.
- [How to Tie Frets](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/how-to-tie-frets/) - This page about frets has been announced on my site for quite some time. But now, after much insistance from friends, I have gotten myself to make a video...
- [Sitar Shopping](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2010/sitar-shopping/) - Do you want to buy a (new) sitar ? I’ve decided to make a “check list” with 10 tips to help you to decide if the sitar is ok to buy or not.
- [Meet the Maker #1 - Sitar Makers Series - Ivan Rügen](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2026/meet-the-maker-1-sitar-makers-series-ivan-rugen/) - Discover the story of an inventive sitar maker, Ivan Rügen, from Saint Petersburg. An inspiring interview about craftsmanship, sound and passion for the sitar.
- [Dead notes](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2013/dead-notes/) - In music, dead note is a musical note with a rhythmic value, but no discernible pitch when played. On sitars, this is recognised by the sound of a muted string.
- [Turntable Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/turntable-sitar/) - This is a real challenge... A Ken Butler creation. Completely made out of waste. Click here for more details.
- [ART' s Birthday 2007](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/art-s-birthday/) - http://artsbirthday.net www.marabou.be More info about the project hier (pdf).
- [Double Neck Electric Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/double-neck-electric-sitar/) - Where will it end ??? "We need a sitar ... a double neck actually ... with humbucking pickups ... and a Floyd Rose bridge ... and it all has to function properly. We need some mock-up renderings by tomorrow and the finished product completed in the next couple of weeks" This is the phone call
- [The electric sitar, by Coral](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/coral-electric-sitar/) - If you google "electric sitar" then you 'll find over 200.000 hits referring to the Coral "electric sitar" which actually is an early solid body guitar that sounds like a sitar. Vincent Bell invented a number of electric guitar models for Danelectro and Coral. He designed perhaps the first electric 12-string guitar, and invented the electric
- [Hiren Roy Compact Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/hiren-roy-compact-sitar/) - Towards the end of last year Hiren Roy company came with their version of the "compact sitar". At first sight a regular sitar with an original slotted head, but ... ...they simply cut the tumba by half. It looks very similar to Sanjay's "studio travel model", which has a full wooden body. This very successful
- [Pierre Narcisse](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/pierre-narcisse/) - During the nigth of February 13 Pierre Narcisse suffered a severe brainhemorrhage. He'll have a very long rehabilitation and may not be capable to ever play the tablas again. More info here (pdf).
- [Stormcase for SAS & SBS sitars](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/stormcase-for-sas-sbs-sitars/) - After a long time looking around I found a very suitable case for the SAS & SBS sitars. The “StormCase™ “, model iM3300. This is a professional safe and secure, lightweight (8,6 kg) but very tough and rugged fiber case. It is dent-resistant, shatter-resistant, virtually unbreakable and also watertight and airtight… and it has rubber
- [Otzenrath Xiquexique](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/xiquexique/) - You have to see more ... chez Débloque-notes.
- [Jiwari 1997](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/jiwari-1997/) - Watch this video, made by my friend Denis on 29/05/1997 at my home in Bierbeek. At that time I've been inviting Hari Chand for the first time in Belgium and we temporarily turned the living room into a small improvised sitar workshop. On this video Hariji is doing jiwari and I am watching carefully. Join
- [First Karasek sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/first-karasek-sitar/) - Tony Karasek, an american performing artist and technician with 30 years experience in instrument repairs and maintenance has finally made his first sitar. He writes: "Due to increased market demand, the quality level of Indian instruments currently being produced has suffered significantly. (I made a living for years repairing them in California). Recognising this fact,
- [SAS-01, The Jazz Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-01-the-jazz-sitar/) - Day 60: Same story as with the semi-acoustic guitar avatar. Many archtop guitars are equipped with a decent pickup. So, I choose to try on this sitar a very slim but warm sounding pickup model Slimbucker™ Jazz made by famous american pickup maker Kent Armstrong. This sitar sounds very natural, with extra warmth due to
- [SAS-02, the Jazz Sitar "light"](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-02-the-jazz-sitar-light/) - Finaly, the third new sitar SAS-02 is also ready. The same Slimbucker™ Jazz guitar pickup, made by Kent Armstrong, as with the SAS-01, Jazz Sitar is used. The only difference with SAS-01 is that on this sitar the taravs and taravbar are not installed. So, I call it the Jazz Sitar "light"... Day 67: Installing
- [Carbon sitars in production](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2014/carbon-sitars-in-production/) - Harry Shaffer, a creative sitar maker living in Asheville, North Carolina, USA, has been developing an all carbon fiber acoustic sitar over the past couple of years. He began designing plywood guitars as a child and discovered his fascination with the sitar and the music of India in 1993. Because of his frustrating experiences with
- [Sitar in E](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2015/sitar-in-e/) - In the musicschool of Breda (NL) De Nieuwe Veste resides a very inspiring, young sitarteacher. In order to motivate new pupils he teaches them first to play rather light classical music and easy popular tunes. Therefore they need their student sitar being tuned in E (instead of C#). Notes have to be shifted from C#
- [Lost Paloma](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/lost-paloma/) - This old Paloma sitar had been found in an attic. How long it stood there is not clear, but it may have been a while…. She has undergone a full restoration....
- [Hari Chand Kartar Chand shop closed forever](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/hari-chand-kartar-chand-shop-closed-forever/) - Today a legendary sitarshop has ceased to exist. Hari Chand, now 77 years old, brother of the founder of this Paharganj based shop, late Kartar Chand Sharma, finaly has definitively closed down the shop. After 50 years, an almost everyday dedicated handicraft in professional sitarmaking came to an end forever. So be it. There is
- [Electric Zeetar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/electric-zeetar/) - Anyone ever seen this one in real ? The Rajah Zeetar is an instrument made in the 1960's in the likeness of a sitar. Supplied with an electronic amplifier. Made in Japan. It comes with 2 eye-catching big magnetic pickups and the body is made of papier-mache with a wooden soundboard, lenght is 112 cm.
- [Neck bend repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/neck-bend-repair/) - This sitar which belongs to my friend Chico has a problem: the neck has bended too much. The playing string is tilted 14mm above the last pardas' surface. The neck came up 5mm at the tar daan position. See the photo (left) with the red line. (click on the photo to enlarge) To fix this
- [Dieter Zarnitz Surbahar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/dieter-zarnitz-surbahar/) - Watch this impressive and beautiful surbahar, made by German luthier Dieter Zarnitz. Neck and body are made from flamed maple, the soundboard is made from old pine, the tuning pegs are from ebony... Download Dieter's pdf brochure (1Mb) to have a detailed and closer look at the making of this innovative surbahar. And see some
- [Jazz Sitar in India](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/new-style-sitars-in-india/) - From monday 2/03/2009 till 12/03/2009 I will be in New Delhi, India with one of my new sitars. I will be visiting my best friend and sitarmaker Hari Chand to whom I want to show my new style sitars. But since I cannot take them all with me, I 've choosen the SAS-02 "Jazz Sitar
- [Jazz Sitar in Delhi, a report](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/sas-02-in-india/) - I arrived safe and well at Indira Gandhi Airport Terminal in New Delhi. Also my new SAS-02 in its solid stormcase came out unharmed. It was past midnight when we finally entered my dearest Hari Chand's house in Dashrathpuri, so everybody went straight to bed... The next morning I was very eager to show my
- [Ivory Jiwari IV](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/ivory-jiwari-iv/) - After more than one year of extensive and regular playing by my friend Chico, the ivory jiwari doesn't show too much wear. This material is even much more resistant than horn!! Although it doesn't feel as hard as horn, it is definitely much tougher. Note that the jora string caused an almost bigger cut than
- [Vishwakarma Puja](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/vishwakarma-puja/) - Today is the annual Vishwakarma puja. Hari Om
- [Sitar Mod: adding 4th cikari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/sitar-mod-adding-4th-cikari/) - On a special demand from a young and dedicated Ashok Pathak sishya I've been adding an extra cikari string to his Rikhi Ram sitar in order to meet the Pathak Garana style specifications. Here is the workflow: 1) Selecting and preparing a new kuti. 2) Marking and drilling the holes. 3) Fine tuning and fitting
- [Surbahar Mod: adding 4th cikari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/surbahar-mod-adding-4th-cikari/) - Adding an extra cikari string to this old Kartar Chand surbahar to meet the Balaram Pathak Garana style requirements. No new cikari kuti will be installed because of the surbahar neck construction. The imposant surbahar's head is jointed to the neck. Therefore it is not obvious to drill an extra hole through this construction. But
- [Tanpura damage](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/tanpura-damage/) - This small instrumental tanpura has been damaged during transport from Calcutta to Belgium. Frederic tS. has bought it new at Hiren Roy and shipped it by air with Jet Airways. The parcel arrived in Belgium with a slight crack in the fiber case and the instrument itself was pretty damaged. The tabli and a small
- [SBS-03 & SBS-04 coming...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/sbs-03-sbs-04-coming/) - Since the end of march 2009 I started constructing 2 new solid body sitars after the example of SBS-02. It is a tremendous improvement in time because plans are now available and I have a steady work experience. Bodies and head are made from honduras mahogany leftovers. The neck is again made from african mahogany,
- [New pardas on Hiren Roy](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/new-pardas-on-hiren-roy/) - This old Hiren Roy sitar, brought to me by Arnoud E. needs new pardas and some small repair work. Arnoud provided a full set of new pardas made by Hiren Roy Company, but some of them were made too short. Thus I decided to reuse a selection of the old pardas and fitted them at
- [SBS-03 & SBS-04 ready](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/sbs-03-sbs-04-ready/) - The 2 bodies have undergone the finishing strokes : fine sanding, Danish oil treatment, parda making & setting, stringing and jiwari. And after assembling the hardware I could finally mount the pickups and electronics. A Kent Armstrong Slimbucker™ Jazz guitar pickup is on one of them, together with two black buttons : one for volume
- [Travel Sitar Mods (1)](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/travel-sitar-mods-1/) - I 've made some simple and interesting technical modifications to Frederic T's new travel sitar. He has bought it last year in New Delhi. 1) I have installed Schaller™ M6 mini machine heads. These run so much more smooth and accurate then the rather cheap and crappy original machines. 2) Also mounted a Kent Armstrong
- [Travel Sitar Mods (2)](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/travel-sitar-mods-2/) - This modification I made to Mark B's Travel sitar because he was unable to play the jora tar comfortably. The steel wire jora tar, although open correctly tuned, sounded too high while playing a note on the pardas. I added a fibre intonation block to the jora tar, just as I did with my own
- [More SAS & SBS pictures](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/more-sas-sbs-pictures/) - New page added with more semi-acoustic sitar & solidbody sitar pictures. These pictures (most of them) are made by Luc De Gezelle. The pictures are coming in autoviewer slideshow mode... Feel free to take a look here. Specs and other info about these instruments can be found here. Or download the new style sitars pdf
- [Shipment finally arrived...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/shipment-finally-arrived/) - During my last trip to India in march 2009, I collected some sitar bodies and other instruments. Now they finally arrived, after more then 7 months... Next to a variety of techno-organisatory problems which caused the delay, the packing service got worse as well. This is the result: severely broken tumba on brand new gents
- [Gibson EB-3L](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/gibson-eb-3l/) - During my learning school at Centrum voor MuziekinstrumentenBouw, CMB, at Puurs, Belgium, in 2000 I made a Gibson EB-3L replica. I've choosen this electric bass because of the unique and original "slotted head" construction which I applied later to my new style sitars SAS-01 etc... This guitar has a Honduras mahogany body and neck with
- [Sarod Kartar Chand](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/sarod-kartar-chand/) - This beautiful sarod was made by late Kartar Chand in the 80's. Pictures made by Luc De Gezelle. His shop still exists and is now run by his brother Hari Chand. It is located in Paharganj, New Delhi. Visit their shop here.
- [Travel Sitar Mods (3A)](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2010/travel-sitar-mods-3a/) - Both Rikhi Ram brothers Ajay & Sanjay, and after them many others, make and sell this handy and compact sitar. Some call it "Ovation" sitar, some call it "Studio" sitar and also "Travel" sitar is commonly used for this successful innovative musical instrument. Commercially it is a succes. No doubt about that. But here is
- [Red Sitar made by Hari Chand](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2010/red-sitar-made-by-hari-chand/) - This ravishing red sitar was made by dearest friend Hari Chand for my lovely wife Tine in 1995. The pictures were recently made by Luc De Gezelle. The sitar is fully decorated with a discreet hidden om sign in the upper celluloid plate design. There are 12 taravs and 21 vanadium chrome plated pardas. All
- [Kartar Chand sitar restoration](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/kartar-chand-sitar-restoration/) - This early 70's original Kartar Chand sitar just left the restoration booth. Complete body check-up and new polish has been done by late Kartar's brother Hari Chand in New Delhi in march 2009 while I was there on a visit. The celluloid mother of pearl imitation parda lanes have been renewed. My part of the
- [Easy loose joint repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/easy-loose-joint-repair/) - This unknown sitar suffers from a loose joint. The playing string came to almost 18 mm above the last parda. In normal conditions this distance should count only 8 - 11 mm. The reason why the joint became loose is not determined, but most probably "a small accident" during transport has occured the owner said.
- [Sher Mohammad vintage sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/sher-mohammed-vintage-sitar/) - This sitar was made in the “Sher Mohammad & Sons Sitar Makers”- shop in Bansanwala Bazaar, Lahore 1940 - 1950 by early sitarmaker Sher Mohammed. At that time, before the Partition, he taught sitar making to, amongst others, Rikhi Ram Sharma and Kartar Chand Sharma. At Partition time, both Rikhi Ram Sharma and Kartar Chand
- [Naskar teak sitar...??](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/naskar-teak-sitar/) - before and during restoration, a few "inside" views...:
- [Naskar tun sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2011/naskar-tun-sitar/) - Old Naskar so called "teak sitar...??" turns out to be a regular tun sitar. This sitar has been repaired from a loose joint and twisted neck. Also the tabli has been lowered and the neck has been finished in an open pore look with 6 layers of Danish oil. Almost full restoration... see pics after:
- [Indian floor bench vice](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/indian-floor-bench-vice/) - Ever seen these low, rigid and robuste wooden tables with a vice ? It's a clever and easy idea... to provide your universal bench vice with a stable and ergonomic base. It makes this handy basic tool so much more versatile. It’s a very useful tool for lots of sitar (and other -) work. A
- [Hari Chand is closing shop](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/hari-chand-is-closing-shop/) - This time I returned from India with rather mixed feelings. My best friend, and sitarmaker - teacher Hari Chand is seriously considering to get retired. He is now nearly 77 years old and suffers from pain in his hands, his knees and other joints. The daily trip from his house in Dashrathpuri (near Dwarka sector)
- [Ivory Jawari V](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/ivory-jawari-v/) - Chico's ivory jawari, made from an old billard ball, is still doing remarkeably well. Now after more than 4 years of pretty intensive play, there is still no noticeable excess wear. Only discoloration occurs. The jawari's surface will have easily a yellow appearance. The sound however always remains very stable. Details of the construction of
- [Sitar Mod: adding 4th cikari, the alternative way...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/sitar-mod-adding-4th-cikari-the-alternative-way/) - Another young and dedicated Ashok Pathak sishya came to me with this old Hiren Roy sitar. The question came up again: Can you add an extra cikari string to this precious vintage sitar in order to meet the Balaram Pathak Garana style specifications?Since I am not so much in favour of starting to drill holes
- [Hari Chand female Surbahar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/hari-chand-female-surbahar/) - This natural plain brown surbahar was made by Hari Chand and presented to my wife Tine in 1999. This exclusive instrument is a reduced, female sized, copy from the original surbahar which Hari Chand's brother, late Kartar Chand, has made for Pt. Balaram Pathak in the 70's. The pictures were recently made by Luc De
- [Travel Sitar Mods (3B)  ... the white sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/travel-sitar-mods-3b-the-white-sitar/) - After finalizing the structural rough woodwork on the travel-sitar's body (see Part 1 = Travel Sitar Mods (3A)) the final acts are: completing the body finish and preparing and installing the sitar's hardware such as godi (jawari), machine heads, strings, pardas and eventually an electro-magnetic pickup. I've painted the body in white using Bio Pin™ waterbased
- [Kartar Chand vintage sitar repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/kartar-chand-vintage-sitar-repair/) - In 2009, Hari Chand presented me an old sitar which has been originally made by him and his brother, late Kartar Chand, in the 1970's. The sitar suffered severely from a loose joint due to "an unfortunate fall from a kitchen table"..., dixit the former owner. How peculiar that no other parts of the instrument
- [Belgisk - Dansk Veena Guitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2013/belgo-danish-veena-guitar/) - Here is another unique combination: a fusion between a guitar and a veena. The concept has been developed and build by Shintai who was born in Belgium and now lives in Denmark. He frequently plays meditative concerts on this remarkable instrument. Basically the instrument consists of a bass guitar-neck fitted on an acoustic
- [Right to left hand modification](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2013/right-to-left-hand-modification/) - Modifying a sitar from right-hand play to left-hand play... It is not easy to find a suitable sitar if you are left-handed and want to engage yourself into the world of sitar playing. There are good left-hand sitars for sale, but they are very rare and if you find one than there is still the
- [Swarangini Modification](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2013/swarangini-modification/) - Swarangini Digital is an electronic tanpura machine that delivers high quality original tanpura sounds. It has been introduced to the market in 2008. For more info about this very handy and popular machine visit the Sound Labs website. The machine is excellent for tuning and accompaniment. But, since this is a digital machine, it has
- [SAS-01 "Black buffalo" edition](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2013/sas-01-black-buffalo-edition/) - Since the good old stagghorn becomes more and more rare, we are in constant seek for a valid alternative. One of the contenders is the black buffalo horn. Buffalo horn plates are used as material for engraving, for pocket knives, tang blades and japanese cooking knives. The plates are partially covered by bright, natural growth
- [Dieter Zarnitz ghoraj](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2014/dieter-zarnitz-jawaris/) - These ghorajs are made by Dieter Zarnitz. He has copied the Barun Roy and Hari Chand style exactly. The feet are from maple or rosewood, the tops out of snakewood, rosewood or Elforyn™. The setting ("jawari") can be done at the Sitar Factory (Belgium).
- [Surbahar Kunti Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2014/surbahar-kuti-repair/) - Photo report of a Kanailal & Brother surbahar kunti repair. The main kuntis of this surbahar are very specific. The surface is smooth and only cut with a saw. Original Kanailal replacement kuntis are hard to find. When it is broken, repair is the most obvious solution. In this case it affects a cikari kunti.
- [White Tanpura](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2014/white-tanpura/) - Inspired by the white sitar mod i've painted this tanpurabody also in white using Bio Pin™ waterbased organic white paint and Colortone™ high gloss waterbased finish. The patri, jawari and mankas are all made from Elforyn™, a modern synthetic ivory substitute. So also this one became a real "organic & vegan" instrument,... 100% suitable for
- [Tarav Mogara repair page](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2014/tarav-mogara-repair/) - I've added an illustrated report about the repair of tarav mogaras. These are small, round ducts which lead the tarav strings through the neck towards the tarav kutis. They are usually made out of bone or horn. Sometimes plastic is used. Due to a very high tension coming from the tarav string which is laying
- [Tuning problem: Cracked wood](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2015/tuning-problem-cracked-wood/) - On a traditional sitar, tuning is established by pressing a wooden peg (kunti) into a hole. Unfortunately the wood on this Barun Ray sitar is cleaved. There is a long and deep split line between the baj and jora kunti. Both strings were not keeping tune anymore. The pegs got loose too easy. How this
- [The See-Tar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2015/the-see-tar/) - Last week Friday, 19/06/2015, I've delivered this electric plexiglass sitar to Purbayan Chatterjee. One year has passed since he had asked me to build this instrument for him (May 2014). Initially I found it a weird idea and honestly, I didn't favour the choice of plexiglass because of the rather unknown and synthetic nature of
- [Cavitied G.Rosul gourd](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2015/cavitied-g-rosul-gourd/) - The second tumba of this brandnew beginners G.Rosul sitar has been affected by worms. When the instrument fell down to the ground one day, the gourd got severely broken. Close examination revealed that a big worm has been digging a lot of tunnels through the gourds soft & dry flesh. At some points only the
- [Engravings on Elforyn](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2016/engravings-on-elforyn/) - Elforyn™ is a modern synthetic ivory substitute and can easily be engraved. The technique is identical to traditional decorative engravings on real ivory, bone, celluloid and plastics. You only need a "pencil" with a hard and sharp end, coloured wax and a scraper. The pencil can be made out of an old and worn triangular
- [Vicitra Veena massacre](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2016/vicitra-veena-massacre/) - ... without words ... Technical info on strings & tuning: Baj tar: steel 0,37mm (N°5) tuned to F#2 (MA) Sa tar: bronze 0,46mm (N°26) tuned to C#2 (SA) PA tar: bronze 0,56mm (N°24) tuned to G#2 (PA) Laraj: bronze 0,72mm (N°22) tuned to C#1 (SA) Kharaj: flatwound bronze 0,92mm (N°20) tuned to G#1 (SA) Cikari’s:
- [More Dieter Zarnitz ghoraj](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2017/more-dieter-zarnitz-jawaris/) - A new set of ghorajs made by Dieter Zarnitz. The wood comes from leftover pieces of a construction. "Cumaru" is a very fine, hard and durable construction-wood. "Angelim Amargoso" is very heavy and rougher than Cumaru. Both grow in South America. The colour you see is the natural one. The setting ("jawari") can be done
- [Tabli Info](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2019/tabli-info/) - Dear friends, please hereby find some info about different styles of tabli. Clicking on the pictures will show up a drawing presenting the thickness (in mm) on different locations of the tabli and a zoom showing details of the surface finishing on the backside. Notice the increased thickness at the jawaris section to prevent indent
- [2 more Plexitar sitars](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2020/2-more-plexitar-sitars/) - This year I've completed 2 plexiglass sitars. They are 100% See-Tar cloned replicas according to the original Purbayan Chatterjee copy as seen here on this site. Sound sample: Comes with a solid AUER CP 12416 Protective case Pro with locks & wheels in beautiful "blutorange" (vermilion) color.
- [Drowned Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2019/drowned-sitar/) - More than one year ago, an awfull sitar was brought to me. At first sight it looked like it was burnt, but actually it was only drowned for some time. This sitar was stored in a basement which has been filled with water due to an inundation. Only after some time it has been rescued
- [SBS-02, with 3 Lipstick pickups](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2020/sbs-02-with-3-lipstick-pickups/) - I have improved the sound of my solid body sitar SBS-O2. I added one Lipstick 'bridge'- pickup to the combination. The earlier 2 'neck'-pickups can be switched in parallel or in series and now smoothly be mixed with the additional 'bridge' pickup by means of one of the pot-meters. All the pickups are Seymour Duncan
- [Benares tanpura repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2021/benares-tanpura-repair/) - One day I received a quite damaged and almost demolished tanpura. "Children have been playing with it..." was the comment of the owner. I wonder what game they have been playing, but it was certainly not a peaceful game. Or, at least at some time it went out of hands... as one can say? The
- [Rikhi Ram 70's restoration](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2021/rikhi-ram-70s-restoration/) - Early 1970, Michel Dumont (Musician, flutist, graduate of the conservatories of Brussels and Valencienne, who became a theatre and opera decorator at La Monnaie/De Munt) together with his wife Martine Mergeay (journalist and music reviewer at La Libre Belgique, Le Vif/L'Express and Musiq3) went to India to explore and learn about Indian Classical Music. They
- [Sitanpura, the Sitar Tanpura mod](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2021/sitanpura-the-sitar-tanpura-mod/) - Good news for the thousands of "tourist"-grade cheap and crappy sitars, bought in India by trusting tourists eager for buying a "real" sitar as a souvenir. For many of them there is life after years of exile to the attic: the sitanpura is born! I turned this old innocent banished beauty into a real full-fledged
- [Hiren Roy 70's refurbish](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2021/hiren-roy-70s-refurbish/) - Hiren Roy 70's refurbished... Peeling tumba & crack repair with color change... New jawari ghoraj mounted... Dieter Zarnitz jawari ghoraj with Cumaru top & Angelim Amargoso feet installed. Pardas added... Added RE komal & DHA komal, 23 pardas in total.
- [Surtanpura, a Surbahar Tanpura mod](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/surtanpura-a-surbahar-tanpura-mod/) - Following the Sitanpura, here is now a surbahar transformed into a 5-string tanpura. This one has a mini swarmandal facility with 13 strings under the main strings (= the former taravs). The lazy Gurusoundz products are good for something after all... ;-) This surtanpura sounds awesome. The scale measures 106cm and the string set is:
- [Hemen sitar restoration](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2021/hemen-sitar-restoration/) - Hemendra Chandra Sen, passed away in 2010, was a very well known sarod and sitarmaker. His shop was situated near Deshapriya Park in South Kolkata. There he mainly made sarods for the most world famous players such as Alauddin Khan and his son, Ali Akbar Khan, Amjad Ali Khan and the young generation Tejendra Narayan,
- [Makhan Lal Roy sitar surbahar repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/makhan-lal-roy-sitar-surbahar-repair/) - Here is an old and worn Makhan Lal Roy & Son sitar with numerous defects coming to my shop. It is a very rare surbahar style sitar with very little decoration. I have no idea about the age of this sober beauty but she has clearly been through a lot. View the main list of
- [Kunti Hole Bushing](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/kunti-hole-bushing/) - A sitar tuning peg or "kunti" works on the basis of friction. The peg is conically ground and is clamped into a conical hole. After some time, the surfaces will wear out and the peg will go deeper and deeper into the hole. Eventually it comes out deeper and deeper on the other side. Usually
- [Tiny Tanpura](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/tiny-tanpura/) - A tiny tanpura tuned in F. She almost fits in your inside pocket. Doing jawari & mounting new strings as usual… (note jawari without threads). The scale measures 59cm only and the string set is: 1: 0,58mm brass RW string tuned to C3 2: 0,37mm bronze string tuned to F4 3: 0,37mm bronze string tuned
- [Rudra Veena repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/rudra-veena-repair/) - This anonymous rudra veena was found by my friend Guillaume CZLT in a shop for second-hand furniture in Brussels. It was quite badly damaged. Read the report...
- [Baritone sitar - lute on a visit](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/baritone-sitar-lute-on-visit/) - Recently, David Keustermans visited me @ Sitarfactory. He came to Belgium to show his latest sitar with some pride, and rightly so. Please read on for more details about his wonderful sitar. David started building it in october 2017 @ CMB (Centre for Musical Instrument Building - Puurs, Belgium), starting with the mould which he
- [Sitanpura in F](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/sitanpura-in-f/) - Another very good looking but cheap and inferior sitar has been transformed into a tanpura, giving it a new life. It is an old and beautiful body with a nice and big tumba. This time I converted it into a regular 4-string female tanpura, tuned to F. The mounted string set can also reach G,
- [Juma Mankas](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/juma-mankas/) - I've made a set of mankas and one tarav ghoraj for Zach Ferrara. They are made out of golden dragon snake Juma® blocs. Juma® - the name stands for independently developed and very modern processing material made from a mixture of various mineral base materials, bound in a resin component. Just like Elforyn® is Juma®
- [Tumba Horror](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2022/tumba-horror/) - A while ago, I received this mail: "Hallo, I got the chance to buy an old Rikhi Ram for 40€ only..." A while later, the sitar arrives. Terrible what happened to this sitar
- [Another tumba horror](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/another-tumba-horror/) - Very similar to this previous "tumba horror" case, I received another one. The tumba has been broken into several bigger parts and then glued together with an unknown compound. I have no idea what happened to this beautiful instrument but it is clear that the defect has not really been properly repaired People then think
- [Ustad Ilyas Khan's HR sitar restoration - Pt1](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/ilyas-khans-hr-sitar-restoration-pt1/) - There is a very special sitar on my workbench. Since this is a larger project, I have split the report into 2 parts. Here is the first part concerning basic repair:
- [Staghorn Narka](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/staghorn-narka/) - I made a narka out of Belgian stag horn. This is a tuning aid to comfortably and finely tune the taravs, the sympathetic strings on a sitar. A deer antler hung on the wall. You can find them at old flea markets, or nailed to the wall at hunters' homes: deer horn antlers as hunting
- [K&K Big Twin external mount](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/kk-big-twin-external-mount/) - I mounted a K&K sound Big Twin internal transducer on a Raj Musicals sitar by Joël Van Roode (Alpacas Collective - Flugzeug Music Art Design). Since it is not always obvious to open a tabli, we chose to do an external mount. That is, the transducers are mounted on the outside (top) of the tabli.
- [Hemen tumba repair with K&K Big Twin internal mount](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/hemen-tumba-repair-with-kk-big-twin-internal-mount/) - Yet another Hemen sitar crosses my path. There is a big hole in the tumba and it seems like an excellent opportunity to also build a transducer in this sitar.
- [My Last See-Tar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2023/my-last-see-tar/) - A random photoreport on the making of my latest and last plexiglass See-Tar. Read more about the making here: The See-Tar story ... and here: 2 more Plexitars
- [Rikhi Ram necklace 75' restoration](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/rikhi-ram-necklace-75-restoration/) - Here then is a photo report of the work carried out: More neck bend repair can be found here.
- [New Narka series](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/new-narka-series/) - I made a new set of narkas, this time from the wood of an old broomstick (aspen wood). They are done in different colours and a new SiTAR FAcToRY logo is burnt on them. My dear neighbour girl Felien Swillen is very handy with a small wood burner. She burnt the new logo into the
- [Intonation blocks](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/intonation-blocks/) - Achieving nearly perfect intonation on a sitar & surbahar requires a lot of attention to detail, advanced tuning skills and adjustments. In consultation with Jan van Beek, I designed intonation blocks for his sitar & surbahar.
- [Tom Thumb sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/tom-thumb-sitar/) - I knew that there are children’s sitars that can also be played, but I had never seen such a gem before. What would you call it? "Tom Thumb" sounds good, . ;-)
- [Dieter Zarnitz website](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2024/dieter-zarnitz-website/) - Dear friends, this year (06/2024) we sadly lost a very special and warm person, Dieter Zarnitz. He was a very talented and inventive musical instrument maker. Passionate about Indian musical instruments, he devoted his time to searching for alternatives to find a better construction and sound for the sitar & surbahar. The most notable results
- [Sarod Guitar / mod II](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2025/sarod-guitar-mod-ii/) - Ever fallen in love with a sarod but you couldn't find one? Personally I love the sound of sarod very much but can't play it. That's pretty the same problem. Here's a way out: A simple solution is to convert an existing old guitar into a Sarod guitar. In other words, the best of both
- [Kabul 1900 sitar restoration - Pt1](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2025/kabul-1900-sitar-restoration-pt1/) - In April 2020, Matyas Wolter stumbled upon some very old Indian musical instruments for sale on ebay in southern Germany. His eye fell on one of them... Kabul.
- [Barun Roy broken joint](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2025/barun-roy-broken-joint/) - London based sitarist & composer Jonathan Mayer drove with his car from London to SiTAR FAcToRY in Belgium. His favorite sitar has a severe joint problem.
- [Buddha Systems in Hiren Roy](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2025/buddha-systems-in-hiren-roy/) - A short report on installing a Buddha Systems pickup inside a Hiren Roy sitar. An elegant solution...
- [Kanailal joint repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2025/kanailal-joint-repair/) - A very fragile part of the sitar is the joint. It is a crucial part that provides strength and stability. Read a report about a Kanailal joint repair.
- [Broken Kunti](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/broken-kuti/) - It happens that a kunti, old or new, breaks. Most of the time, these can be repaired easily... See the new page on Kunti Repair at "blog pages / repairs".
- [Sarod Guitar / repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/sarod-guitar-repair/) - Some time ago Nik G. asked me to modify this Simon & Patrick guitar into a sarod... but first a little damage had to be repaired... I noticed that also the bracing became loose from the soundboard. Since I couldn't find any long clamp, I had to do it like this : After that, a
- [Sarod Guitar / modification](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/sarod-guitar-modification/) - Here's the renewed fretless fingerboard. The first step was to pull out the frets. This precise job was securely done by my colleague Frans Ieven. Many thanks to him !!! Then I filled up the gaps with some plain veneer. The new fretless surface, after sanding and some layers of danish oil, can be seen
- [Dieter Zarnitz](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/dieter-zarnitz/) - A very special and most beautiful series of sitars and surbahars made by Dieter Zarnitz. The tumba is replaced by a wooden construction as used in traditional western lute making. Neck and body are made from flamed maple, with old air-dried pine soundboard. The head and curl are made of rosewood, the tuning pegs are
- [Fosse Electric Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/fosse-electric-sitar/) - Here is an introduction to the Fosse Electric Sitar. This instrument replicates the sound of the classic indian sitar. It is a new solid body electric instrument made out of carbon fibre by Gregg Fosse. More info on www.fossesitar.com (soon ??).
- [How to make a Mizrab ...  in one minute](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/how-to-make-a-mizrab-in-one-minute/) - Here is my " how to make mizrab " ( .wmv, 683kB ) instructions, which I've learned from Hari Chand. And, the last step 7 = "Mizrab stretch out" can be done like this: If you can read Hindi, please find some more details here. :-)
- [Ivory Jiwari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/ivory-jiwari/) - One day, a good old friend brought along an old and damaged billiard ball. It happened to be a real ivory specimen. Why not to try to make a ghodi out of it ? First step is to cut out a nice slice of ivory... ...and glue it upon a piece of mahogany. Make a
- [Electric Sitar @ NAMM](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/electric-sitar-namm/) - Seen at the annual top-event of music-industry in California : Look at the similarities to my solid body sitar. Or, check here: blog categories sitar making.
- [Niladri Kumar on electric sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/niladri-kumar-on-electric-sitar/) - Playing an electric sitar gives some weird possibilities. Watch this Niladri Kumar on the electric highway.
- [SAS-01, with taravbar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-01-taravbar-af/) - Day 53: Assembling the body after sufficient drying (pardas, cikari- and tarav machine heads, jiwaris & strings). Day 54: Mounting the cikari pins and strings, and doing jiwari. Mounting the taravs and tarav jiwari. Now this semi-accoustic sitar is ready for a first play. Who wants to ... ?
- [SBS-02, with Lipstick pickups](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sbs-02-with-lipstick-pickups/) - Day 55: I mounted 2 single coil Seymour Duncan - Lipstick model pickups and tried out various combinations. One pickup is reverse winded and reverse polarised, creating thus a humbucking combination which gives less distortion and less noise. The potmeters in front offer volume and tone control while a switch on the backside makes series
- [Steel Tarav Mogara...?](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/steel-tarav-mogara/) - On the SAS-01 I use ordinary mini steel nails (diam. 1mm / lenght 8mm) as tarav mogara. They sound very good at the moment but I think this can be improved one day. But how? By bone, or horn, or... ? Anybody a suggestion ?
- [Adapted Multichannel Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/adapted-multichannel-sitar/) - Another weirdie... to whom it may concern???... ... the Adapted Multichannel Sitar. Specialized Multichannel pickups zither module, and resonator modification by Leo Knapp. Strumpad, keyboard, MIDI sliders, MIDI switches, and electronics constructed and installed by Graham Bruce. To be seen on this site.
- [Overview of the first 7 days](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/overview-first-7-days/) - Day 1 and 2: Drawing of plans starting from a beautiful red sitar of Tine, specially built for her by Hari Chand. Day 3: Selecting and dividing the wood. Some wood was bought a few years earlier in Puurs (CMB). One large piece of walnut, several pieces of Honduras mahogany and two pieces of African
- [New Beginning](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/new-beginning/) - A new piece of creation is born... Rarara, what will it be ?? Have a guess ...?
- [La Gauchée](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2005/la-gauchee/) - Is "sitar" masculine or feminine? Paul came to collect his sitar. It was a left-handed sitar. Made in the Rikhi Ram factory in the late 1960s. It concerned a joint repair. Decoration sobero Bonjour cher Denis... Merci Beaucoup !!
- [The next 5 days...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/nex-5-days/) - Day 8: Drawing out the head and making an accurate mould in plywood. Day 9 and 10: Copy the headstock onto the wood using the template, cut it out and finish the sides. Mill out the profile for the construction of the tuning keys + finish the transition. Draw the profile of the joint on
- [Fitting the joints](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/fitting-joint/) - Day 23 & 24 : Worked 2 days to make the joints fit perfectly. A very precise job. Day 25: Drilled the holes and made a notch to insert the tuning mechanics on the head.
- [Glueing](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/glueing/) - The start of a big glueing job... Day 33: Carving the second soundboard. Day 34: Carving of the third soundboard, the front side. Day 35: Glueing the joint of the first 2 bodies with warm glue and the soundboard of the body to be SBS-02. Day 36: Glueing the fretboard on this SBS-02.
- [Assembling the SBS-02](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/assembling-sbs-02/) - The assembly of the body is now complete with strings and frets. Finally to be followed by installing the pickups and electronics ... Day 46: First mounted the patri (comb), langoot (tail mount) and 5 main machine heads. After putting the jiwari the strings could be placed, followed by setting the pardas (frets). Day 47:
- [SBS-02 born](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/sbs-02-born/) - Day 37 is a happy day: After glueing the fretboard the body of this new sitar is complete. It's baptised SBS-02, the follower of the prototype SBS-01. Composed of a walnut-soundboard a honduras mahony body and top neck and head. The backside of the neck is african mahogany. The joint between the neck and the sides
- [Finally another 3...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/finally-another-3/) - Day 16, 17 & 18 : Cutting out these 2 necks is very tough. The African mahoganies texture changes frequently it's direction. One of the necks is cut out with a miller.
- [Riksha Ride](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/rikshaw-ride/) - Recently I made this recording during a short ride on a riksha in Delhi. Hari Chand and I started off from his house where traffic is reasonably calm and headed for the busstop on the main road. I'm using my H2 "handy recorder" and 2 DPA 4060 miniature microphones.
- [Carving of the top plate](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/uitsteken-bovenblad/) - Day 38 : Carving of the last soundboard. Follow the different steps... Drawing the zones to be carved, drilling holes, carving the holes,... until the holes are gone...
- [Martin 01](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/martin01/) - Found some pictures of my Martin 01, which I made at CMB, Puurs, 1998 - 2000. The guitar has a beautiful head of walnutroot-veneer. As it was my first own built acoustic instrument, it took me 2 years to finish it. Body made out of rosewood, cedar top plate, Honduras mahogany neck and fretboard in
- [Tanpura Restored](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/tanpura-restored/) - Eventually even the restoration of an anonymous tanpura gets finished... Sound sample:
- [Joint Repair II](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/joint-repair-ii/) - This old Rikhi Ram is having a problem: the joint got loose. I handled the same problem before on another (left - handed) RR sitar. On that occasion I made a new joint which took a lot of work to make it fit perfectly. Now I turned an old pressure cooker into a steam generator
- [Parda lanes](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/fretbanen/) - Here we go again ... Day 41 en 42: Making and glueing the parda lanes. These are long and thin strips located on the sides of the neck to hold the pardas. First I made a strip (2mm thick) out of indian rosewood. I cut out long and straight lanes with wide pieces at the
- [Tumba repair 2 (ctd.)](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/tumba-repair-2-ctd/) - Next step is to hollow out the glue joints. ...en then fill out these hollows and the fixing holes with a mixture of plaster, wood-glue and water. Making the colour matching and polishing should wait for the summer. We need warmth and sunshine...
- [Tumba repair 2](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/tumba-repair-2/) - Another nice picture from the sitar's inside : "Ali Baba's Café" This picture is taken on the soundboard, inside the tumba. It's all about this tumba, "... mind the gap ..." : And, when all the pieces are fit together, glued and fixed in the traditional way, you 'll get this : More tumba repair
- [SAS-02 also with soundholes](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-02-also-with-soundholes/) - Day 61: Started with sanding the body with grid 80 & 150. Then making and fitting a tar dan out of extreme hard Indian rosewood. Day 62: Making a new ghodi on walnut wooden feet, and fitting a chrome tailpiece and the main machine heads. Fitting the (5) main strings on the sitar body and
- [Jay Scott Hackleman](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/jay-scott-hackleman/) - Jay Scott Hackleman and late Kartar Chand Sharma 21 years ago Jay Scott Hackleman was so very lucky to be able to spend a whole year in the very special company of some of the world's finest traditional sitarmakers, Kartar Chand & Hari Chand Sharma. He wrote a profound article about his apprenticeship in the
- [Snow](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2005/snow/) - Look how beautiful the early morning can be...
- [One chapati, please sir](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/chapati/) - During my last visit to Hari Chand in New Delhi,... One evening we take a taxiscooter home. As usual the road is very busy. At a certain moment we are standing waiting for a red light together with many more road-users. All possible kinds of vehicles on 2, 3, 4 and sometimes more, sometimes less
- [Jora tar tuning problem](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/jora-tar-tuning-problem/) - Very soon after finishing the first 2 sitars (SBS-02 & SAS-01) I encountered a strange problem. The jora tar, which is now a steel string showed a strange behaviour. After tuning the strings properly and playing a meend on the baj tar (playing string) the jora sensitively raises in pitch while all other strings nicely
- [Soundholes](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/klankgaten/) - Yesterday I took an exciting decision: drill soundholes, or not ...?? Meanwhile there are even some pardas mounted. Day 48: After a thorough sanding with grid 80 and 150, I started mounting the "hardware". The main machine heads (same as SBS-02), a patri, jawari and langoot. Note the difference with the SBS-02 tail mount: Here
- [Jiwari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/jiwari/) - Today I added a small article about "doing jiwari" to the maintenance page. This seems for so many an insurmountable task, for others it remains a sacred secret on which sometimes insiders make profit by doing or pretending that this is only to be touched by a lucky few. Of course it is not an
- [Istanbul](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/istanbul/) - Deze draaiende Derwishen gezien in de Event Hall van het Sirkeci treinstation van Istanbul. En in de immense ondergrondse waterreservoir van de Aya Sofya zitten deze twee Medusa's verscholen.
- [Paharganj, 1974...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2005/paharganj-1974/) - Do you know this man ?? Find him on this page...
- [And another 3...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/and-another-3/) - Day 13 & 14 : Working on the neck's backside profile. Drawing the second cut's borders and removing the wood. Drawing the neck's inside borders and cutting out the wood with a gouge. Day 15 : Continuing the neck's cutting out. The neck's backside is now made of 7 surfaces. I didn't touch the border
- [Restoration of old Bina Musicals sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/restoration-bina-musicals/) - This 40 years old Bina Musicals sitar came in for repair. Starting with some basic tumba repair. Then a restoration of the varnish with popote, see the body cleaning page... The frets got a thorough polishing as well.
- [Shivoham's surbahar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/shivoham-surbahar/) - Shivoham finally came to collect his surbahar. The instrument has been ordered some years ago and has been finished while I was in New Delhi, in november 2005. At that time I arranged a shipment that arrived at my house in june 2006. The surbahar was packed in one of these crates. The instrument has
- [Ivory Jiwari III](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/ivory-jiwari-iii/) - Last weekend I fitted the ivory jiwari on Chico's sitar. It gave a noticeable warm and round sound... Good old friend Chico is very proud with his new ivory jiwari. Now it's up to him to test the durability of the material.
- [Survival Kit](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/overlevingspakket/) - During a thorough cleaning session I recently bumped into this well-kept parcel. Dates back to my army servicetime. A real combat-ration, in case of... What was on the menu B of ABL in 1985 ?? ... click on the box ...
- [Ivory Jiwari II](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/ivory-jiwari-ii/) - This upper jiwari has also been made out of the same piece of billard ball about 9 years ago. Although this ivory is rather smooth, I have the impression that this jiwari sound lasts much longer than staghorn.
- [Taal Pulse](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2009/taal-pulse/) - TaalPulse is a handy and free software Lehra, Theka and Tanpura machine for the student of Hindustani (northern Indian) music. It is designed to run on portable devices (such as Compaq iPaq) but it also runs on desktop computers and laptops (Windows, Linux and MacOS). TaalPulse is developed by Guillaume Pothier. You can download it from http://taalpulse.net/
- [SAS-02, body finish and assembling](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-02-body-finish/) - Day 63: Removing the hardware to be able to finish the body: Sanding with grid 240 & 400 followed by 2 x pumice powder treatment, which is applied with alcohol and shellack. Ultimate finish counts 4 layers of Danish oil subsequently rubbed with 000 steel wool and drying periods during the following days. Day 64:
- [SAS-02 body completed](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-02-body-completed/) - Day 57: Back to body 3: Glueing the neck front plate and tabli to the body using hot glue. Another delicate job... When glueing the tabli, I used profiled plates to keep the klemsia's in place. This works a bit more comfortable in stead of using a rope. Day 58: After sufficient drying, I started
- [Joint Repair II end.](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/joint-repair-ii-end/) - Finaly, at the end of july we were lucky to have had at least a couple of days good weather with nice sunshine. One of these days I succeeded to finish the polishing of this sitar. I’ ve been making some fresh new polish ready during a previous (short) visit of our much beloved sun
- [SAS-01, finishing the body](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-01-body-afwerking/) - SAS-01 body is hanging to dry... Day 52: Sanding the body with 220, 320 and 400. Followed by a double pumice stone powder treatment, applied with alcohol and shellack. I also made some abalone inlay with pieces I've cut from a shell which Tineke has brought to me from an exotic island on the atlantic
- [Tarav strip](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/sas-01-tarav-strip/) - Day 50: Mounted all 24 pardas on this SAS-01. It's a very delicate and time-consuming job: first accurate bending and height adjustment followed by binding the pardas. Day 51: After tuning the sitar properly, I put the pardas to their regular position. Then I draw a map, localizing the taravs to help me situating the
- [Finishing the body](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/polishing-sbs-02/) - We have now arrived at a final stage. The whole body of SBS-02 is nearly ready for assembly ... Day 43: Also on the SBS-02 body pardalanes are glued. After that the transitions on the back between body and neck and head and neck are made fluent yet finished. Sanding the whole body was also
- [Transition](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/de-overgang/) - meanwhile, just a taster...
- [Joint Repair II cont"d](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/joint-repair-ii-contd-2/) - The joint has been fitted and glued again. On the left hand side you can see some adjustment strips sitting between the joint and the body. Then the tabli is glued to the body. A rope is used to keep the tabli fixed and under sufficient pressure at regular points along its contour. Now this
- [Joint Repair II cont'd](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/joint-repair-ii-contd/) - ... after some time the glue became softened and the joint can be removed. Now, the wooden parts need some time to dry thoroughly. Details of the joint. to be continued here
- [Bert in India II](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/bert-in-india-ii/) - Onze goede vriend Bert Cornelis op toernee in India, het bewijs...: Een meer dan levensgrote affiche van Bert Cornelis & Pt. Uddhav Shinde, sitar & pakhawaj jugalbandi... in de straten van Latur, India. Op de affiche met Hridaynath Mangeshkar, een broer van de wereldberoemde Lata Mangeshkar. Een foto uit de krant met een verslag van
- [Billi, quelle vie de chat](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2008/billi-quelle-vie-de-chat/) - ... net als haar baasje, in winterslaap. In poezendromenland
- [3 sitarmaker 3](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/3-sitarmaker-3/) - 2 times 3 sitarmakers in 1 scooter, ...everything is possible in New Delhi. 2005 & 2007 Always having fun ... !! See also new page on Kartar Chand's Shop at "blog pages".
- [...new...     SAS-01    ...new...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/sas-01/) - Day 40 is another happy day: after the successful second glue-session, the body of this new sitar is complete. This one I baptise SAS-01, Semi Acoustic Sitar. The soundboard is completely made out of walnut, the neck and head are made of honduras mahony, with top and bottom of walnut. The joint between the neck
- [Once more,...glueing](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/nogmaals-lijmen/) - Day 39: the big glueing, ctd... The soundboard as well as the fretboard has been glued at once. This means a day less to dry.
- [Billi](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/billie/) - Since over a month staying with us... and she enjoys being in my workshop.
- [The soundboard](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/het-bovenblad/) - Day 30: Modelling the first soundboard. This is the result, after a first rough cutting and sanding session. Day 31: Curving the frontside of the second soundboard . Day 32: Preparing the necks upper pieces and making them perpendicular to the soundboard. Now every part is ready to be glued. Arriving to a first highlight...
- [Body sides are ready](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/body-zijkanten-klaar/) - Day 26: Finishing the joint, making it equal to the height of the body sides and inserting an acoustic pipe between the neck and the soundbody. Day 27: Making the body sides to equal thickness and sanding the sides inside and outside. Day 28: These body sides consists of three pieces of walnut glued nicely
- [The joint](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/de-joint/) - Talking about a joint here means the connection between two different wooden parts of the instrument: the neck and the body. It is a very important item covering strenght and stability. The body is tilted 4° backwards and 2° downwards according to the neck's axis. This doesn't make it more easy. Day 21 & 22:
- [New beginning continued...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/new-beginning-continued/) - There was the start of a new creation, exactly 1 year ago... Day 19: Making the body sides. One consists of 3 different pieces of left-over walnut. Two others are made out of 2 jointed pieces of mahogany. Starting with making the glueing surfaces upright. Then sawing out the inside parts and finally glueing the
- [Flower Sitar completed](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/flower-sitar-finished/) - The flower sitar in the hands of its proudly owner, Thierry. The sitar is ready but it's not really sufficiently solid to actually play it. Too bad...
- [Lord Buddha](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/boeddha/) - A new resident in our garden...
- [Flower Sitar on visit](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/flower-sitar-visit/) - This flower sitar belonging to Thierry Willame is on a visit. We want to change it into a playable instrument. First I have made and mounted a new bridge on the soundboard and put new strings. After tuning the strings I put a liner... ... and I find the soundboard curved some 4 mm. Seeing
- [How to make a mizrab, the translation](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/how-to-make-a-mizrab-the-translation/) - Here is the translation of "how to make mizrab" section taken from an old "teach yourself sitar" manual. Or, try this alternative animated demonstration .
- [Basic sitar tuning](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/basic-sitar-tuning/) - I added a basic sitar tuning chart to the maintenance page... I hope it helps some motivated beginners to start the journey.
- [Flower Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/flower-sitar/) - Sitar belonging to Thierry Willame, nicely decorated with painted flowers. But can it be used to play?
- [Bois de Peer 2007](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/sneeuw-2007/) - Perrebos, winter aan zomerkant 2007
- [Vishwakarma](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2007/vishwakarma/) - Vishwakarma is the Hindu god of all craftsmen and architects. Son of Brahma, he is the divine draftsman of the whole universe, and the official builder of all the gods' palaces. Vishwakarma is also the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons. The Mahabharata describes him as "The lord
- [Sitar Scale](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/sitar-scale/) - Sitar Scale from this tutorial : Learn sitar in 15 days, page 27 Get prepared to teach yourself some Hindi.
- [Learn Sitar In 15 Days](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/learn-sitar-in-15-days/) - And this one also has a funny cover... Learn sitar in 15 days Learn sitar in 15 days ? How to learn sitar in 15 days ? How to learn in 15 days ? How to learn sitar ?
- [How to make a Mizrab](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/how-to-make-a-mizrab/) - Here is the "how to make mizrab" section taken from an old "teach yourself sitar" manual in Hindi.
- [Dag Sinterklaas](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/dag-sinterklaas/) - Wie niet waagt, niet wint...!! Ik ben nog steeds braaf, ik leer nog steeds en doe nog altijd mijn best.
- [The guitarboat](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/de-guitarboot/) - Next step: let it dry for a very very long time, then most probably open it up and glue again...?
- [Firewood 2](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/brandhout-2/) - See the recent firewood harvest. The winter may come...
- [Op heterdaad betrapt ...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/op-heterdaad-betrapt/) - Deze kereltjes maken een hels lawaai met de lege metalen eetbakjes van de kat.
- [Repair completed](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/reparatie-klaar/) - Tumba repair completed. New strings fitted and jiwari adjusted. Here a picture about the soundboard (tabli).
- [Brandhout 1](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/brandhout/) - Tijdje zoet geweest met het binnenhalen van de "oogst" brandhout. Vele winterse zaterdagen in het bos hout gehakt. Bomen vellen, afmeten, verzagen, klieven en op hopen leggen. Nu is het tijd om met de boskarren van hoop naar hoop te rijden en het hout op te laden. De karren zijn redelijk hoog geladen en er
- [Daar zijn ze weer...](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/daar-zijn-ze-weer/) - En deze keer hebben ze ons wel gezien... Zouden ze nog eens komen ??
- [Twee kleine reetjes](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/twee-kleine-reetjes/) - Deze twee waagden zich wel erg kort bij ons huisje.. Ze keken de verkeerde kant op.
- [Joint Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/joint-repair/) - Page added documenting the repair of a joint... Take a look here !!
- [Tumba repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/tumba-repair/) - Meanwhile I started another tumba repair. Watch this unique picture about the sitar's inside : This is the joint between the hollow neck and the tumba :
- [Lili op bezoek](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/lili-op-bezoek/) - Tine & Lili. Mijn tweede mooie petekindje op bezoek. Als Tine ze bij zich nam, was ze heel rustig en stil. Ik had het er blijkbaar veel moeilijker mee. Ze is nog zo klein, lief en mooi !!
- [Shipment Arrived](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/shipment-arrived/) - During my last trip to India, I collected some sitar bodies and the latest model sitar fiber cases. Now they finally arrived... Very nicely packed. These fiber cases are made by Raj Musicals. They are very strong, light and have rubber handles and wheels ...!!!
- [Corsica](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/corsica/) - l' Ile de Beauté. Het paradijs op aarde bestaat echt, ... het noemt Corsica ... Enjoy the water. So pure, so fresh and wild. And more... At night, in the cosy tent. En nu terug thuis. Back to work and,... the sitars..?
- [Travel Sitar Mods (3B)  ... the white sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2012/travel-sitar-mods-3b-the-white-sitar/) - After finalizing the structural rough woodwork on the travel-sitar's body (see Part 1 = Travel Sitar Mods (3A)) the final acts are: completing the body finish and preparing and installing the sitar's hardware such as godi (jawari), machine heads, strings, pardas and eventually an electro-magnetic pickup. I've painted the body in white using Bio Pin™ waterbased
- [Dag Sinterklaas](https://www.sitarfactory.be/2006/dag-sinterklaas/) - Wie niet waagt, niet wint...!! Ik ben nog steeds braaf, ik leer nog steeds en doe nog altijd mijn best.

## Pages

- [Jawari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/jawari/) - Learn how sitar jawari shapes the sound, the difference between open and closed jawari, and how a sitar bridge is adjusted, maintained and fine-tuned.
- [About SiTAR FAcToRY](https://www.sitarfactory.be/info/) - My name is Klaas Janssens, founder of SiTAR FAcToRY, a workshop and creative space dedicated to the building, repair, restoration, and evolution of the sitar. What began in 1992 as a personal fascination with this remarkable instrument has grown into a place where traditional craftsmanship meets experimentation. Crafting & Restoring Sitars From joint reinforcement and
- [SiTAR FAcToRY ShoP](https://www.sitarfactory.be/shop/) - SiTAR FAcToRY sitar, surbahar & tanpura for sale. New, restored & second hand. Traditional & new style. All instruments are checked up, new strings & jawari.
- [Tumba Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/repairs/tumba-repair/) - This tumba has been broken into many pieces. I counted more than 20 crack lines. An early attempt by the owner to repair this wasn't very succesfull. So...
- [Meet the Maker #5 – Chris Doddridge](https://www.sitarfactory.be/meet-the-maker-5-chris-doddridge/) - Meet the Maker – Chris Doddridge: Sitar making in United Kingdom Intro In the Meet the Maker series, I talk to sitar makers from all over the world. People who bring instruments to life with their hands, their ears and their hearts. Meet Chris Doddridge. Some makers speak through words, others through the instruments they
- [Meet the Maker – Interviews with Instrument Makers](https://www.sitarfactory.be/meet-the-maker-interviews-with-instrument-makers/) - In Meet the Maker, Sitar Factory interviews instrument makers from around the world about their work, techniques and inspiration. Discover the stories behind.
- [Tabli info](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/tabli-info/) - Hereby some info about different styles of tabli. Notice the increased thickness at the jawaris section to prevent indent on the surface.
- [Contact](https://www.sitarfactory.be/contact/) - SiTAR FAcToRY is located in Bierbeek, Belgium, Europe Address: Klaas JanssensPerrestraat 153360 BierbeekBelgium Company code: 0741.719.309Small business subject to the tax exception scheme. VAT not applicable. (art. 56bis, § 5 WBTW) Peppol ID: KBO:0741.719.309 Bank details: IBAN BE76 9733 8128 4095BIC/SWIFT ARSP BE22 About SiTAR FAcToRY Privacy Policy
- [See-Tar, the Plexiglass Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/seetar-the-plexiglass-sitar/) - The making of a solid body electric sitar in plexiglass, the See-Tar. The report of a special demand from Purbayan Chatterjee.
- [Projects](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/)
- [The Solid Body Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/the-solid-body-sitar/) - The Solid Body Sitar, 2003. Read about the making of the first solid body sitar in Belgium 2003. A unique combination of ancient and modern know-how.
- [Meet the Maker #4 – Alan Arthur Suits](https://www.sitarfactory.be/meet-the-maker-4-alan-arthur-suits/) - Meet the Maker – Alan Arthur Suits: Sitar making in New Mexico Intro In the Meet the Maker series, I talk to sitar makers from all over the world. People who bring instruments to life with their hands, their ears and their hearts. Meet Alan Arthur Suits. This episode introduces Alan Arthur Suits, a luthier
- [Alan Arthur Suits](https://www.sitarfactory.be/alan-arthur-suits/) - Alan Arthur Suits lives and resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico USA. He built 2 sitars, several renaissance luthes and other similar musical instruments.
- [Hybrid Sitar, a real Guitar Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/hybrid-sitar-a-real-guitar-sitar/) - The modification of an acoustic travel sitar into an electric hybrid guitar-sitar. The ultimate sitar for guitarists! Read all about it here...
- [Hybrid Sitar, a real Guitar Sitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/hybrid-sitar-a-real-guitar-sitar/) - The modification of an acoustic travel sitar into an electric hybrid guitar-sitar. The ultimate sitar for guitarists! Read all about it here...
- [Body Cleaning](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/body-cleaning/) - A demo about body cleaning of your sitar, surbahar & tanpura: the use of popote...
- [Maintenance](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/) - Some items about maintenance of your sitar, surbahar & tanpura...
- [Links](https://www.sitarfactory.be/links/)
- [Floor bench vice](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/tools/floor-bench-vice/) - Originally made for working while sitting on the floor, this handy tiny floor bench also fits perfectly well on every woodworkers bench.
- [Gauge Meter](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/tools/gauge-meter/) - Kristeel Gauge Meter (new, very accurate) Metro Gauge Meter (old, not accurate) Mitutoyo Gauge Meter (new, most accurate) See also Wire Conversion Table (pdf).
- [String Wire Conversion](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/tools/string-wire-conversion/) - Sitar Wire Gauges Ravi Shankar Style (pdf). String Wire Conversion Table String Wire Conversion Table (pdf).
- [Tuning](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/tuning/) - Sitar Tuning Chart General Style Basic sitar tuning in Bilawal that (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa) : Strings Sitar Wire Gauges (pdf). See also Wire Conversion Table (pdf). Stringing ...under construction... Narka Tuning aid for tarav kuntis: Electronic Tanpura Machines: Raagini Raagini Digital & Swarangini Digital are electronic tanpura machines that deliver
- [Meet the Maker #1 – Ivan Rügen](https://www.sitarfactory.be/meet-the-maker-1-ivan-rugen/) - Discover the work of Ivan Rügen, an experimental sitar maker from Saint Petersburg. A conversation about craftsmanship, creativity and instrument building.
- [Meet the Maker #2 - David Keustermans](https://www.sitarfactory.be/meet-the-maker-2-david-keustermans/) - A conversation about instrument building across traditions, repair and the relationship between structure and sound. Sitarmaking in France, David Keustermans.
- [Meet the Maker #3 - Kees Verbeek](https://www.sitarfactory.be/meet-the-maker-3-kees-verbeek/) - Kees Verbeek is a Netherlands-based instrument maker specializing in the surbahar and the rudra veena which demand a different level of structural understanding
- [Kees Verbeek slides](https://www.sitarfactory.be/kees-verbeek-slides/) - < Back >
- [Parda Binding - how to tie sitar frets](https://www.sitarfactory.be/parda-frets-binding/) - Properly binding sitar frets (pardas) is an essential aspect of the instrument. This video shows you step by step how to bind sitar frets the traditional way.
- [Repairs](https://www.sitarfactory.be/repairs/)
- [New style sitars SAS & SBS](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/new-style-sitars-series-1/) - In 2008 these 3 first unique new style sitars were completed. All information about the making of SAS Semi-Acoustic Sitar & SBS Solid Body Sitar on this blog.
- [Indian Music Teachers](https://www.sitarfactory.be/makers/sitar-teachers/) - SITAR TEACHING IN BELGIUM Bert Cornelis Bert Cornelis is a professional sitar player who is a passionate disciple of Pt. Ashok Pathak. He is teaching sitar at his house in Brussels. Wilhelm Van Langendonck Wilhelm Van Langendonck has been researching raga and practicing sitar for over twenty years. He studied classical sitar under the guidance
- [Raj Musicals](https://www.sitarfactory.be/raj-musicals/) - Visiting Raj Musicals workshop, run by Hans Raj Sharma, at Patel Nagar, New Delhi, India: S.Raj, answering the telephone at the workshop: The workshop floor, making a taus: Cutting sitar dandi: Cutting a taus. The whole instrument is cut from one single piece of wood. Construction of dilruba: Polishing a sarod: The taus, ready to
- [Kartar Chand Hari Chand history](https://www.sitarfactory.be/makers/harichands-shop/kartar-chand-hari-chand-history/) - Read the full story of the legendary Hari Chand & Kartar Chand musical instruments shop in Paharganj, New Delhi
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.sitarfactory.be/privacy-policy/) - This is the Privay Policy page
- [Joint Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/repairs/joint-repair/) - The joint between the gulu and dandi of this old left-handed Rikhi Ram sitar became loose. A tiny little gap was seen between the two pieces when the sitar was tuned properly. So, the whole sitar has to be opened to reach the joint surfaces and to be glued again. Here the original joint is
- [Kunti Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/repairs/kuti-repair/) - This sitar kunti has been broken. Since it is an old kunti, the ball is a little bit smaller than recently made new samples. So, either you change the whole set, or you repair the broken specimen. Cut the ball from the pen. Drill a hole in the ball. Make this hole square. Find a
- [Tools](https://www.sitarfactory.be/maintenance/tools/)
- [Restoration](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/restoration/) - Various sitar restoration projecs made @ SiTAR FAcToRY
- [Hari Chand's shop](https://www.sitarfactory.be/makers/harichands-shop/) - A visit to the legendary Hari Chand & Kartar Chand musical instrument shop in Paharganj, New Delhi
- [Sitar Mods](https://www.sitarfactory.be/projects/sitar-mods/) - White Travel Sitar mod, 2012. This is a link to all kind of sitar modifications made at SiTAR FAcToRY. Must see sitar mods!
- [Sitar Buying Tips](https://www.sitarfactory.be/shop/sitar-buying-tips/) - Wanna buy a (new) sitar ?How to check a sitar thoroughly before you eventually buy it ? Here are some practical tips...
- [Kartar Chand Dhiman's shop](https://www.sitarfactory.be/makers/kartar-chands-shop/) - At Dashrathpuri, next to Hari Chand's house in New Delhi, is living another fine sitar maker. His name is Kartar Chand Dhiman, not to be confused with Hari's famous brother late Kartar Chand Sharma. Kartar Chand Dhiman has been learning the skills from late Kartar Chand Sharma. Since his young age he has been a
- [Tarav Mogara Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/repairs/tarav-mogara-repair/) - Here is a worn tarav mogara. The string is deeply ingrained into the bone rim... this needs to be repaired. Start with removing the bad piece with a tight-fitting metal pin. Pry it out gently by turning round and round with the metal pin. Clean up the hole... Select a new one, make sure it
- [Neck Bend Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/repairs/neck-bend-repair/) - This sitars' neck has bended too much. The playing string was tilted 14mm above the last pardas' surface. The neck came up 5mm at the tar daan position. First thing to do is to remove the hardware and the celluloid decoration strips. Then the glue line which marks the separation between the upper en lower
- [Kunti Bushing](https://www.sitarfactory.be/repairs/kunti-bushing/) - A sitar tuning peg or "kunti" works on the basis of friction. The peg is conically ground and is clamped into a conical hole. After some time, the surfaces will wear out and the peg will go deeper and deeper into the hole. Eventually it comes out deeper and deeper on the other side. Usually

## Categories

- [News](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/news/) - News, announcements
- [History & Culture](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/history/) - about history, gharana’s, evolution, me myself & I
- [Instrument Care](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/instrument-care/) - maintenance, repair and restoration
- [Building & Setup](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/building-setup/) - read about the making of sitars, bridges, jawari & adjustment
- [Playing & Technique](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/playing/) - posts about playing the music…
- [Reviews](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/review/) - …as the name says…
- [Interviews](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/interview/) - interviews
- [Pickups & Electronics](https://www.sitarfactory.be/category/pickups-electronics/) - pickups, transducers & electronics

## Tags

- [Concerts](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/concerts/)
- [Sarod](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/sarod/)
- [Making](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/sitar-making/)
- [Surbahar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/surbahar/)
- [Tanpura](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/tanpura/)
- [India](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/india/)
- [eco](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/eco/)
- [varisitari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/varisitari/)
- [Jawari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/jawari/)
- [Kunti](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/kunti/)
- [SBS](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/sbs/)
- [guitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/guitar/)
- [tumba](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/tumba/)
- [Mizrab](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/mizrab/)
- [Hari Chand](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/harichand/)
- [popote](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/popote/)
- [SAS](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/sas/)
- [Repair](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/sitar-repair/)
- [joint](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/joint/)
- [Lipstick](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/lipstick/)
- [Billi](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/billi/)
- [Jora](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/jora/)
- [steelstring](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/steel-string/)
- [tarav](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/tarav/)
- [JazzSitar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/jazz-sitar/)
- [software](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/software/)
- [neck](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/neck/)
- [parda](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/parda/)
- [Kartar Chand](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/kartarchand/)
- [Rikhi Ram](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/rikhiram/)
- [Hemen](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/hemen/)
- [Hiren Roy](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/hirenroy/)
- [Raj Musicals](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/rajmusicals/)
- [Bina Musicals](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/binamusicals/)
- [Mods](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/mods/) - Sitar Modifications
- [cikari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/cikari/)
- [Tools](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/tools/)
- [tuning](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/tuning/)
- [electric](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/electric/)
- [Naskar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/naskar/)
- [veena](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/veena/)
- [Gurdial Singh](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/gurdialsingh/)
- [Sher Mohammad](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/shermohammad/)
- [Pathak](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/pathak/)
- [kharaj](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/kharaj/)
- [Murari Adhikari](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/murariadhikari/)
- [Restoration](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/restoration/)
- [Kanai Lal](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/kanailal/)
- [Dagar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/dagar/)
- [See-Tar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/see-tar/)
- [plexiglass](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/plexiglass/)
- [lutherie](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/lutherie/)
- [G. Rosul](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/g-rosul/)
- [Hybrid](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/hybrid/)
- [tabli](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/tabli/)
- [Srishti Musical](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/srishtimusical/)
- [fusion](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/fusion/)
- [ghodi](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/ghodi/)
- [Makhan Lal](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/makhanlal/)
- [Waseem Maner](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/waseemmaner/)
- [For Sale](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/forsale/)
- [manka](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/manka/)
- [transducer](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/transducer/)
- [narka](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/narka/)
- [Paloma](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/paloma/)
- [shop](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/shop/)
- [sale](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/sale/)
- [intonation](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/intonation/)
- [interview](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/interview/)
- [Meet the Maker](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/meet-the-maker/)
- [head](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/head/)
- [Mirajkar](https://www.sitarfactory.be/tag/mirajkar/)