yeah i am also interested in the difference i think there is 2 different types of wood they make sitars out of ones teak and ones tun but what is the difference and how can you tell which one your sitar is made out of?
BOZ
Hi,
If your sitar is a darker color it's most likely tun wood which is sometimes not even in color so that's why it is stained darker. Tun wood is lighter, produces a more resonant tone. .darker. Most pro's use tun wood sitars.
It's best to get your instrument made from aged tun wood, at least 5 years but preferably 15 or more. Tun wood is not as strong and so if not aged properly it can go funky on you.
Teak is heavier, there are 3 types used for instruments (that I've seen anyway). Burmese is the best, and an aged burmese teak sitar will be as light as tun wood with equal resonance combined with a clear tone. Then there is teak from Assam which is good also and will have similar results when aged and played over a few years. Last is called CP teak, used for less expensive teak sitars. Has a higher oil content, and is heavier. You'll get a clear tone but low volume and I haven't played one that's been old so can't tell you the end results but I don't have sitars built with it. . .
Have a look at http://www.tdveneers.co.uk/stock.htm Teak looks like it has darker grains that tun. Also this one:
http://dict.die.net/cedrela toona/ (need to add a "percent20" where the space is, can't do it here)
Pb
Lars (Jan 17, 2004 11:37 p.m.):
Yes, Indian mahogany. .a type of cedar wood, I think it's technically Australian red cedar?
Thanks. So mahogany = special type of cedar = tun. I have a teak Sitar, heavy and soft, with lots of bass. And two VK Sitars, light and with some more sustain than the teak one. But these two hve a very different sound. So may the different finish, string tension and jawari have more influence on the sound than the wood.
Don't know. I could swear I've seen those exact photos on some other site. Prices don't look so hot. They are selling a 10 yr old electronic machine for like $429.00. The new design Raaginis sell for between $270.00 and $350.00. Makes me wonder what the real value of their $640.00 sitar.
