↓
 

SiTAR FAcToRY

sitarfactory.be is a casual magazine about sitar making and repair

  • Projects
    • The Solid Body Sitar
    • Hybrid Sitar, a real Guitar Sitar
    • See-Tar, the Plexiglass Sitar
    • New style sitars SAS & SBS
    • Sitar Modifications
    • Restoration Projects
  • Repairs
    • Joint Repair
    • Kunti Repair
    • Kunti Bushing
    • Neck Bend Repair
    • Tarav Mogara Repair
    • Tumba Repair
    • Tabli info
  • Maintenance
    • Body Cleaning
    • Jawari
    • Tools
      • Floor bench vice
      • Gauge Meter
      • String Wire Conversion
    • Tuning
  • Shop
    • SiTAR FAcToRY Shop
    • Sitar Buying Tips
  • Resources
    • Hari Chand’s atelier
      • Kartar Chand Hari Chand history
      • Kartar Dhiman’s atelier
    • Indian Music Teachers
    • Info
  • Contact
1 2 3 4 5 >>

Tag Archives: SitarMaking

Post navigation

1 2 3 4 5 >>

Intonation blocks

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Saturday, 9 November 2024 by AnandaSaturday, 15 March 2025

Intonation on the sitar (& surbahar) is a very complex aspect for players to master due to its unique structure and intricate tuning system. Unlike Western stringed instruments with standardized frets, the sitar’s pardas (frets) are movable, allowing players to adjust the intervals between notes to suit different ragas or tonal structures. This flexibility, while beneficial for musical expression, also creates a challenge in maintaining acceptable intonation. Even slight misplacement of a parda can alter the pitch and compromise the player’s comfort and impact the performance.

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. They are made of Elforyn™ and fully tuned to his instruments.

Elforyn™ is a modern synthetic ivory substitute that is very hard-wearing and at the same time easy to work with. Moreover, it has a very natural appearance.

Besides greatly improved intonation, these special blocks have an additional advantage. The distance from the first parda to the meru (comb or nut) increases, making the string longer there. In this way, it becomes possible to play more comfortable and thus more accurate meend on the highest pardas, and especially on the first.

Another case of intonation can be read here.

Posted in lutherie, playing | Tagged ghoraj, intonation, SitarMaking, tuning | Leave a reply

Tabli info

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Thursday, 21 December 2023 by AnandaMonday, 9 June 2025

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 on the surface.

1. Kartar Chand RS style 1980’s Tun wood

2. Naskar RS style Teak wood

3. Hari Chand RS style 2005 Tun wood RAW tabli

4. Rikhi Ram VK style 1970’s Tun wood

5. Unknown 1980 RS style Tun wood

6. Ud. Ilyas Khan’s Hiren Roy RS style 1960’s Tun wood

7. SAS-02 New style 2008 Walnut wood

8. Kanai Lal & Sons 1960’s

9. Barun Roy 2016

Leave a reply

My Last See-Tar

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Saturday, 18 November 2023 by AnandaMonday, 20 November 2023

A random photoreport on the making of my latest and last plexiglass See-Tar.




Continue reading →

Posted in making, varia | Tagged electric, plexiglass, See-Tar, SitarMaking, varisitari | Leave a reply

2 more Plexitar sitars

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Sunday, 6 December 2020 by AnandaMonday, 29 August 2022

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:
Play Plexitar on AER Compact 60 amp

Comes with a solid AUER CP 12416 Protective case Pro with locks & wheels in beautiful “blutorange” (vermilion) color.

Posted in curiosity, listen, making | Tagged electric, ForSale, fusion, plexiglass, See-Tar, SitarMaking, varisitari | 2 Replies

SBS-02, with 3 Lipstick pickups

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Friday, 13 November 2020 by AnandaMonday, 29 August 2022

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 types and the sound possibilities are divers and very inspiring.

Sound sample:
Play SBS-02 & SH101

You hear SBS-02 thru an Orange CRUSH20 distorted amp accompanied by a Roland SH101 synth in a random modulation (complex tanpura) mode …

Note: May not be entirely suitable for pure ICM… 😉

CURRENTLY ONE FOR SALE @ SITAR FACTORY SHOP

Posted in listen, making | Tagged electric, ForSale, fusion, Lipstick, SBS, SitarMaking | 1 Reply

Tabli Info

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Friday, 15 March 2019 by AnandaThursday, 21 December 2023

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 on the surface.

1. Kartar Chand RS style 1980 Tun wood

2. Naskar RS style Teak wood

3. Hari Chand RS style 2005 Tun wood

4. Rikhi Ram VK style 1970 Tun wood

More tablis can be found on the Tabli Info page (click here).

Posted in making | Tagged SitarMaking, tabli | 4 Replies

Hybrid Sitar mod

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Wednesday, 3 August 2016 by AnandaSaturday, 1 May 2021

… the ultimate guitar for sitarists …

Frédéric t’Serstevens is a young and talented sitarist and disciple of Shubhendra Rao and Kushal Das. Since in the beginning he was a dedicated (bass) guitarplayer, he came up with this rather common idea to convert a sitar into a guitar. But now in a suitable and really original way: why not make the accompanying strings, jora, laraj & kharaj, entirely playable on the full neck area?
On traditional sitars, it is common that these strings only can be played (without meend) up to the 4th, 5th, … 7th parda. From then onwards, very frequently, intonation problems occur due to a continuously and significantly increasing strings action. This means that the distance between the string and the frets (pardas) increases too much, and thus the played notes become higher… until unplayable.

The solution is very simple: reduce the strings action by changing the shape of the pardas.

original shape (Rikhi Ram)

hybrid shape (Sitar Factory)

With this kind of new hybrid pardas, mounted on a raised parda lane, the action on the strings is higly reduced. And as such coming very close to a near perfect intonation, comparable to a guitar:

Now even chords can be played perfectly on this instrument… making it the extreme sitar for guitarists, or,… reverse ?? Or just: the ultimate hybrid sitar… 🙂

For more details, please read (on this site): The modification of an acoustic travel sitar into an electric hybrid guitar-sitar.

Posted in varia | Tagged fusion, guitar, Hybrid, parda, SitarMaking, SitarMods, varisitari | 1 Reply

Hybrid Sitar, a real Guitar Sitar

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Wednesday, 3 August 2016 by AnandaMonday, 9 June 2025

The modification of an acoustic travel sitar into an electric hybrid guitar-sitar.

Specifications   Materials   Drawings   The modification process

This instrument has been made on demand
The original idea comes from Frédéric t’Serstevens (March 2016)
Design & drawings by Klaas Janssens @ Sitar Factory (April 2016)
Completion by Klaas Janssens @ Sitar Factory (June 2016)

Specifications

Dimensions: 1060mm x 300mm x 130mm (L x W x H)
Neck width: 89mm
Scale: 831mm
Strings action: String configuration: custom sitar (Baj, Jora, Laraj & Kharaj), tuned as guitar
Pardas: 24 custom hybrid shaped
Taravs: 11 traditional with wooden kuntis
No cikaris installed

Back

Materials

Body: teak wood
Parts: white fiber & metal
Pardas: Nickel Silver wire 5,0mm diameter
Machine heads: M6 Mini / Schaller
Pickup: Neck & Bridge single coil Telecaster™ guitar pickup / Seymour Duncan
Strings: Silver plated steel N°3 (0,30mm) & N°0 (0,23mm) / Pyramid
Nickel flatwound Jora N°26 (0,46mm) / Pyramid
Nickel flatwound Laraj N°24 (0,56mm) / Pyramid
Nickel flatwound Kharaj N°22 (0,76mm) / Pyramid

Back

Drawings

1 Parda lane raised

2 Parda custom shaped

original shape (Rikhi Ram)

hybrid shape (Sitar Factory)

Back

The modification process

1 The original body, removing the original pardas

2 Fitting a raised parda lane, made out of maple & celluloïd

3 Creating a new shaped parda: the hybrid parda

1 = Hybrid parda   2 = Rikhi Ram parda   3 = Traditional parda

4 Mounting a full set (24 pcs) of hybrid pardas

5 Fitting compact electronics control & pickups




Back

6 Replies

Engravings on Elforyn

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Sunday, 31 January 2016 by AnandaFriday, 5 May 2023

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 file. Shape and sharpen the tip thoroughly with a fine grade grinding stone. Check the sharpness and try to write your name on piece of wasted plastic first. Make sure to engrave the lines equally deep and wide.

Wax is used as a filler. Prepare it by melting it slowly. Be careful not to overheat. Also, …damps can be dangerous! Add some nice colour pigments to the melted wax and stir. Use a scraper to apply the wax on the engravings. Let it cool down and scrape the excess off.

A scraper can be made out of an old and worn blade of a hacksaw. Make the edges surface nicely straight and perfectly even. Don’t be afraid to polish it up. Then learn to scrape by holding it almost perpendicular to the surface.

 

More info on Elforyn™ here: www.elforyn.info

Posted in lutherie, making, varia | Tagged lutherie, SitarMaking | 2 Replies

The See-Tar

SiTAR FAcToRY Posted on Thursday, 25 June 2015 by AnandaSaturday, 1 May 2021

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 this material (modified PMMA / Polymethyl methacrylate). In general I prefer working on wood, rather than with plastics. But the unique challenge seduced me completely and I plunged into this venture which took me a year to accomplish.

The moment I finally passed this sitar into Purbayan’s hands was very exciting, for me as well as for him, because this is really the first sitar ever made completely out of plexiglass. The instrument has a breathtaking look. The transparency is 100% and makes it look quite unreal… But, as this is meant to be a professional musical instrument, I was especially wondering how it will behave on stage, how it will sound, will the material withstand the constant changing and heavy tensions caused by the powerful play of an extremely talented professional sitarist like Purbayan Chatterjee…?

Soon after handing over the instrument I went back home and kept my mobile close to me. That same afternoon Purbayan tested the sitar profoundly during the rehearsal for a concert the next day in Brussels with Slang, the impressive jazz/rock band (with flute virtuoso Manuel Hermia) from Belgium.

To my relief no alarm call came, not in the evening, and not in the following morning. A few hours before the concert on Saturday I received an sms from Manuel Hermia writing: “Purbayan loves your sitar!!” and, indeed, a few moments later, when we met in front of the concert stage, his big smile welcomed me,… and,… the concert was marvellous and blew away all my initial questions. Purbayan named the instrument “The See-Tar”, a see-through sitar.

Must read (on this site): The making of a solid body electric sitar in plexiglass.

Posted in curiosity, making | Tagged electric, fusion, plexiglass, See-Tar, SitarMaking, varisitari | 5 Replies

Post navigation

1 2 3 4 5 >>

Vishwakarma

unloaded picture, try CTRL + F5

FOR SALE @ SITARFACTORY SHOP:

Sitarfactory Sitars for sale

(click here)

OR

other Sitar, Surbahar & Tanpura for sale

(click here)

+++ REVIEWS +++

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read what others are saying about SiTAR FAcToRY or leave your own review!


+++ MUST SEE +++

A photo report about the making of...

A Hybrid Sitar

... the ultimate guitar for sitarists

The See-Tar

... a sitar in plexiglass


Blog Tags

Concerts eco electric ForSale fusion ghoraj guitar Hari Chand Hiren Roy India Jawari JazzSitar joint Kanai Lal Kartar Chand kharaj Kunti lutherie Naskar neck parda Pathak plexiglass Raj Musicals Restoration Rikhi Ram Sarod SAS SBS See-Tar Sher Mohammad SitarMaking SitarMods SitarRepair steelstring Surbahar tabli Tanpura tarav transducer tumba tuning varisitari veena Waseem Maner

Categories

Archives

Recent Comments

  • Ananda on Ivory Jiwari II
  • Ishan Barma on Ivory Jiwari II
  • Souvik Mukherjee on Ustad Ilyas Khan’s HR sitar restoration – Pt2
  • Parveen Kumar on Kartar Chand Dhiman’s shop
  • Toss Levy on Kabul 1900 sitar restoration – Pt2
  • Larry Lull on Neck Bend Repair
  • Matyas Wolter on Kabul 1900 sitar restoration – Pt1

India Soundscapes

Play
Stop
Next»
«Prev
HIDE PLAYLIST
X

Listen to India Soundscapes in popout player


Sitar Makers Links

  • Kartar Chand Dhiman
  • Hansraj Sharma
  • Waseem Maner
  • Naeem Naushad
  • Altab Mehboob
  • Ajay Sharma
  • Sanjay Sharma
  • Hari Chand Sharma
  • Hari Chand's shop
  • Green Onion Sitars
  • Solid Body Sitar
  • Solid Body Sitar
  • Alan Arthur Suits
  • Dieter Zarnitz
  • Tony Karasek
  • Jay Scott Hackleman
  • Chandrakantha
  • Vintage Sitars

Lutherie Links

  • CMB
  • MIMF
  • GUL
  • FRETS

Sitar Sale Links

  • Sitarfactory.be
  • Raincitymusic.com
  • India-instruments.de
  • Sitarsencat.com
  • Sitar Buying Tips

Friends Sites

  • ConvergenZ
  • Moviganta
  • Flugzeug Music Art Design
  • Débloque-Notes
  • Sitar Music
  • Sitarplayer.be
  • Shivoham
  • Wannes
  • Music Fund
  • CSA
  • Wervel
  • Low Tech magazine
  • The Meatrix
  • MO
  • Planktone
©2025 - SiTAR FAcToRY Privacy Policy
↑