Hello All:
Because the Forum has been seeing very little action lately, I WAS going to post an "Electric Kool-aid Mangla Test" type story about how, a couple of weeks ago, I drove from Los Angeles to Austin to meet Peter and pick out my sitar. BUT, since there seems to be a new thread regarding string sizes and mutant, or was that muted, sitars, I'll keep it short. - I had some vacation time coming (I had to "use it, or lose it") so I decided to take a little trip across the desert. I left LA at around 9:00 Sat. morning, drove through CA, AZ, and most of NM to a little town just this side of El Paso and got a room for the night. Took off Sun. morning at around 8:00 and rolled into Austin at around 9:00 PM. Got up Mon. morning around 8:00 and called Peter to arrange a meeting time. Met Peter at Buckingham Music around 10:30AM. Spent the whole day with Peter, listening to him "tweak the teaks" and chatting about music and such. After listening to 7 teaks, I FINALLY picked one out. Actually, the differences between the bunch were so small, I would have been happy with any one of them. By then it was dinner time, Peter and I went to a very nice Indian restaurant, "The Fire Pit," and I had my favorite dish, Tandoori chicken, mmm. After dinner we went back to Buckingham Music, I picked up MY sitar, and we said our farewells. I stopped for the night at a motel a couple of hours outside of Austin and spent the night tuning and getting to know the Mangla. I spent the next two days driving leisurely through the desert, enjoying the scenery. I was planning on taking a little detour off the main highway, just to sit out in the desert and play the sitar, but it was too windy! (I didn't know how the Teak would look with a sandblasted finish.) The Teak and I got home in one piece and we've been friends ever since. I had a great time, and meeting Peter was wonderful. Peter really cares about his customers, and will not sell a product he does not believe in. Well, that's as short as I could make it. Watch your step as you exit the bus� - K.K.
Nice story. Know what you mean about the desert wind. I live in a town just 30 miles north of El Paso. It blows out here every day, and no, a sandblast finish doesn't look too good.
So Peter has a bunch of teaks now? I bought just about the last one he had in December so, not much to choose from then.
Well, going to experiment with your mod on the bass string, and no, not all the teaks have the holes drilled in it (mine doesn't).
KK , not to push, but I live in Redondo Beach. I have been looking for other sitar players in my area to jam with. My free time is mostly sunday's after 3:pm if this sounds like your cup of tea e-mail me and let me know. . . . .PEACE
KK me again If you'd like to hear me & my tabla player we have a gig sunday march 10th at 6:pm at The Coffee Merchant 407 N Pacific coast hwy # 100 Redondo Beach Ca. If you can. . . . .Peace
