DIETER ZARNITZ INSTRUMENTS | Surbahar (1992)

This series features the instruments created by german luthier and sitar-enthusiast Dieter Zarnitz (1934-2024).
Here is the only Surbahar made by Dieter in 1992. It is a big, beautiful instrument as you can hear and see.

Dieter Zarnitz started making his own hybrid lute-style sitars, tanpuras and surbahar in the late 80ies. In total he made seven sitars, one surbahar and three tanpuras. Their unique feature is that he did not use gourds but made the resonator and the tabli more akin to western or arabic style lutes. They are true beauties with slightly different voices than traditional sitars.

Mono recording with a single ribbon microphone.
Raga Miyan ki Todi: Alap

A sidenote for the Rasikas:
With most of the instruments recorded in this series i barely spent more than half a day before recording. I tried to keep them as close as possible to the way Dieter left them. In most cases i had to re-do the main string jawari and realign some of the strings to what my hands are used to. Many details such as string spacing, neck width & thickness, bridge height, string gauges/material differ sometimes drastically from the sitars i am playing regularly. Please excuse any rough spots & glitches. I tried to get inspired by the instruments itself so that they lead me to an adequate recording of their voices and create short miniature-raga portrayals . Sometimes that worked out better than other times.