The Steel Guitar Forum

On a sitar bar, how wide is the flat part usually? Just wondering. Thanks, Tommy.....

I have a Loni Specter 3/4 in. sitar bar that has 1/4 in. flat.

I really don't know how that compares with others.

Here's 3 pics of my Dunlop sitar bar. Any bar with a flat edge machined into it should work fine. Diameter is 1.0" and length is 3.75". It's pretty heavy so maybe that helps keep it flat against the strings. Flat spot is 0.375".

Here's an original "Hughey" Sitar Bar. It's 3 1/2" long, diameter is 15/16", the flat spot is 5/16" and the groove is 1/8" Shown next to a Sho~Bud bar.

What is it used for?

With the flat side down(on the strings)it makes the steel sound like a sitar.

Sound sample here:

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Sitar%20Bar/Sitar%20Bar.html

Greg, cool sounding bar if not over used. I recognize that song "if" by Bread. Do you have a chart for it?

Larry, no charts. I have more sound samples somewhere here.

Thanks Greg. I have just started working on that song. I may throw a few lines in with my sitar bar to see how it goes. Definitely catches the ear with it's tone.

You can order 1 from Michael Hillman, or ask him about the flat (but I always order by emailing him, NOT thru this website

https://tonebars.com/product-category/sitar-bars/

Hal Rugg and his Sitar bar

https://youtu.be/N1bUXCc_ENo

From the Paul Franklin Method. Paul Franklin writes: Get as short a piece of 1/8" thick channel aluminum. Have that machinist make a 4" bar and ever so slightly round off all of the sharp edges with a belt sander...Take some 600 sand paper and smooth all of the rough parts and you will have the best and easiest to use sitar bar..It's psychological, put a round bar in the hand and we subliminally use vibrato which is why more downward pressure is applied and that downward pressure causes intonation changes........
Sho-Bud, back in the late 60's made a flat sitar bar that was overkill because it was 1/2 inch thick and very hard to get in tune...It took up too much landscape. I believe some other company started the round bar thing and the concept of using a sitar bar went away because the sound is best when a light touch is used...
I asked my father to make me one as described....Now most of the other session players own one of the type I describe. For a couple of years I started using it and once I played the sitar parts on the Country/Pop hit, "I Hope You Dance"...I started getting calls where they said bring that sitar bar....I believe everyone should own one just in case you get the call.

"I Hope You Dance" Lee Ann Womack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBSGlXqC4Q

That Sitar bar lesson is just one of many lessons from the Paul Franklin Method. That course is great for players at any level. It is truly a remarkable wealth of knowledge.

Mark, Franklin doesn't do a good job describing and the picture gets blurry. Can you better describe what he's talking about. RP

Sound Sample..... Norwegian Wood

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DJTPtaYtc6s

Take a piece of aluminum like this. It is 1/8 in. thick and 1in. wide. Cut a piece that is 4in. long. Slightly round the edges with a fine grit sand paper.

That is my interpretation of his message.

I appreciate the commentary on this thread. Forum member Kenny Siegal brought this discussion to my attention- I’m pursuing making an aluminum sitar bar just as Paul Franklin describes - in numbers. After the prototype is tested, I will post details in the new products section -assuming it works as well as we believe it will.