I bought a sitar a couple of years ago, and have recently experienced some problems. The strings holding 2 of the frets have come apart, and i am having trouble getting string that is both thin and strong enough to re-attach. When i do, getting the fret on with any sort of tension is proving nearly impossible, and when i do get it on, it only lasts a day or two before falling off. The base of my sitar has also cracked (i'm not sure how this happened). I live in Scotland, and can't find anyone to repair it, and can't afford to ship my sitar to England and back (including repairs). Any suggestions on repairing or resources in Scotland?
Hello SandyG;
I have the same fret tying problem with one of my sitars. For me at least, that's the hardest maintenance item that I've had to wrestle with. Two suggestions. Two people can do this better than one, one person to hold tension while the other pulls and ties. Second, get the toughest cord you can find that fits. Even plastic fishing line can work, but I'd use quality nylon first (Buckingham advertised here has good quality cord too).
There have been folks on this forum who have asked about cracked-gourd repairing, and I've seen some good answers. Perhaps they can jump in here?
Only thing that quickly came to mind about resources in Scotland is a fellow named Clem Alford. He is scottish, a professional sitarji, and might still be living in Scotland. Since you can't ship south to England, you might attempt to locate him for help. Use your browser and type his name.
Hope this helped and good luck.
I tie my frets on with nylon fishing line, as the above person said have another perosn hold for tension and tie it. it is very hard to do with strings on by yourself.If the crack is wide enough, slightly spead it apart apply any wood glue with a tooth pick .wipe excess of with a damp,(not wet) cloth allow to dry for 48 hrs.
then you may try to match the paint. I have done about 7 sitars like this and came out fine.
don't be afraid to try to do it yourself. . . .Peace
The absolute best fret cord on the market today is a product called "STRINGTH". Do a search on google and you'll find it. I believe the #5 is the proper thickness. The gold color goes well with Mangla teaks.
I bought a sitar a couple of years ago, and have recently experienced some problems. The strings holding 2 of the frets have come apart, and i am having trouble getting string that is both thin and strong enough to re-attach. When i do, getting the fret on with any sort of tension is proving nearly impossible, and when i do get it on, it only lasts a day or two before falling off. The base of my sitar has also cracked (i'm not sure how this happened). I live in Scotland, and can't find anyone to repair it, and can't afford to ship my sitar to England and back (including repairs). Any suggestions on repairing or resources in Scotland?[/quote]
