Monoj Kumar Sardar Deluxe
The Full Deco Deluxe is the top of the line sitar from Monoj Kumar Sardar. It is an absolutely harmonious instrument with an especially round and well-balanced sound at a high professional concert standard.
Compared to Monoj Kumar Sardar's Full Deco model, the upper sound box and the base of the neck are decorated more lavishly (angur patta). It is made from the best available timber and with the highest possible level of perfection. The MKS Full Deco Deluxe sitar is thus ideal for musicians with a highly developed sense of quality who care for a rich, concise and singing sound with very good sustain and a great dynamic range. This idea of sound has become generally accepted in India when microphones and amplifiers became common on concert stages. The slightly thicker sound board (tabli) which is particularly important for this kind of sound, however, initially also dims the sound somewhat, requiring a longer break in time before its tone fully unfolds.
Sound sample of a sitar.
Stained medium brown toon wood, high polished synthetic varnish surfaces, 7 playing strings (tonal range of four octaves), 13 sympathetic strings, rich inlay work of celluloid with stained reddish-brown engravings, base of neck fully carved in angur patta style, removable wooden upper sound box (tumba), plastic bridges, blossom pegs. Two hooks at the uppermost fret allow an 'unhooking' of the two lowest playing strings, preventing them from legg stricken unintentionally whilst playing fast and vigorously in a medium or high register, which would then create a dark or blurring sound. The sympathetic strings are guided into the neck at an obtuse angle over tear-proof mini-bridges, reducing the tendency of the strings to break.
The angle at which the bridge surface (jowari) has been sanded down has great influence on the sound of every sitar. If the curvature of the surface permits strong partial vibrations of the string on the bridge, a buzzing sound rich in overtones is created, which is called an open jowari. Ravi Shankar made this sound popular and Westerners often feel that this is the typical sound of a sitar.
A so-called closed jowari creates less overtones, however, its sound is more clear, concise and singing. Most Indian sitarist prefer this sound today. As a standard feature our branded sitars therefore have a somewhat closed jowari.
If played regularly and intensely, the strings dig grooves into the surface of traditional horn or bone bridges in course of time due to abrasion and thus change the relative openess or closedness of the jowaris. If sanded down later in a specific manner, the original sound can be restored or the instrument can be adjusted to a different sound. Since approximately the turn of the millenium Monoj Kumar Sardar sitars feature modern plastic bridges as standard. Their tone quality is at least equally good as traditional horn bridges. However, they show considerably less signs of abrasion and therefore don't require legg sanded down so often.
Measure: length 126 cm, width 36 cm, depth 30 cm, weight: ca. 3.2 kg
Each instrument is individually hand-crafted and might differ from our description.