non warmoth weissenborn converted for Indian music

[klangster]

I have been working on a converted weissenborn guitar set up to play Indian classical music, in the style of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Debashish Bhattacharya. For this I changed the main 6 string configuration to four main strings tuned C G C F and two drone/rhythm strings (called chicari strings) that run over a small curved bridge that gives a sitar type sound. I have also added 12 sympathetic strings that run over a curved bridge (called a jewari bridge). The jewari bridge makes the sympathetic strings swell when they are triggered giving a very distinct note rather than a more subtle reverb sound that western instruments with sympathetic strings usually have. There is a pickup embedded in the sympathetic bridge and a bridge plate pickup inside the guitar, they both run through the onboard preamp. Here are a couple quick videos I made to show the sound, please excuse my playing I am pretty new to this type of playing, no reverb or effects have been added.http://youtu.be/afjynDusnto?list=UUrVEkuWHRxWjAd3GQKufnXg and one with better sound but worse playing
http://youtu.be/V6g1G65vvI4?list=UUrVEkuWHRxWjAd3GQKufnXg To see the true masters of this style check out the two players I mentioned.

 

[mayfly]

wow!  That's pretty cool. 

 

[croquet hoop]

That is freaking impressive 

 

[Great Ape]

Man, that is FANTASTIC!!

 

[bagman67]

You are my new hero.  THat is amazingly cool.

 

[sixstringsamurai]

How long you spend tuning that thing? That's A LOT of strings.

Interesting instrument. :headbang1:

I like different.

 

[klangster]

Thanks for the kind words guys!! Actually the tuning is pretty stable because there is not a traditional neck to flex and the attachment is rock solid so tuning one string does not really affect the others. It still requires some careful attention to tuning but not nearly as much as some of the other instruments with this many strings i have dealt with.