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Topic: Givson guitars India |
William Steward
From:
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 7:47 pm |
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I was wondering if anyone is using these guitars which include some interesting mutations. They make a range of acoustic and electric instruments. I am looking at the 6 string electric hawaiian model http://www.givson.com/la/monalisaa.jpg
I ran into a slide player, Ashok Dehlvi at a restaurant in Udaipur this week playing one of the interesting variants of sitar/guitar. He uses western style picks and bar to play traditional Indian music. I assume this guitar comes from Debashish Battacharya design. The sympathetic drone strings give it more of a sitar-like sound...the tumba on top is (I assume) non-functional other than supporting the neck when lying down.
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 8:42 pm Re: Givson guitars India
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| William Steward wrote: |
The sympathetic drone strings give it more of a sitar-like sound
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My sympathy comes from the audience...... |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 8:49 pm
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| Udaipur! I was there in 1975! Also, Jaipur. (Ah but that was back when I was a Youth-in-Asia...) Beautiful part of the country! |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 9:58 pm
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| I met Debashish Battacharya about a year ago. He is a very impressive musician. Indian music requires some time to appreciate. The sounds are a bit foreign to North American ears. He put on an excellent and delightful concert to a very appreciative audience. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 29 Mar 2008 2:01 am
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Do you have to sit like that to play one? Makes my knees hurt  |
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William Steward
From:
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
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Posted 29 Mar 2008 5:22 am
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That sitting position works for me and in fact is my preferred way of sitting....alleviating a cronic muscle spasm in my glutes from poor piano playing posture. 
The instrument possibilities are what fascinate me and the prospect of extending the number of sounds possible without having to learn yet another instrument. I do have a sitar but haven't made much headway on it yet. How about a sitbro?
Howard, this particular frankenstein of a guitar might be a must-have for your collection. I know that you have a (possibly pathological) weakness for strange instruments....don't worry about the audience.  |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 29 Mar 2008 7:34 am
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From one who has played and studied mediaeval music for many years, I can say that Indian music is a lot more remote to modern Western ears than it would have been to our ancestors. The Arabic Oud spread west to become the Lute, and it spread east to become the Sitar and Sarod. All music of Indo-European base is related, as are the languages, such as Sanskrit, Latin, Greek and Protogermanic. To properly understand Western music you have to listen to all forms of music. They're all musical if you listen hard enough.
14th century music from Europe would sound Arabic to modern ears. |
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Bill Leach
From:
Cheshire, england
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Posted 29 Mar 2008 9:47 am
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I frequently holiday in Goa in India and have tried and owned a few Givson guitars. They tend to be cheaply made and don't sound too good. I haven't tried or seen any of their steel guitars though and find it interesting that they are now making them, but I don't hold any expectations of the quality.
I was over there last month and found most of the guitars now being sold, like everywhere else, are Chinese. I bought one for under £40 (about $80), stuck a nut raiser on it, and it sounded really good. If this kind of quality is making its way onto the Indian market, maybe Givson are having to improve. |
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William Steward
From:
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
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Posted 31 Mar 2008 4:56 pm
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| Bill...thanks for the heads up on Givson and I will not waste my time on this trip trying to find one to test out. I hope to be Calcutta in December so may check them out then.... |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 31 Mar 2008 5:47 pm
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bill,
sitting like that makes my eyes water...
kay |
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