Handcrafted Indian Classical Instruments and Restoration
I am Naeem, and I carry forward my family's legacy of crafting and restoring sitars, tanpuras, and surbahars since 1850 in Miraj. My focus is always on achieving the ultimate tone for every musician.
The final sound is everything. Here is the great artist Rajeev Janardan ji playing an alap in Raag Yaman on a sitar I built for him, testing its tone and resonance. This is the result of all our hard work.
It is an honor when masters visit our workshop. Here is Ustad Farooq Latif Khan, a renowned sarangi player, testing an instrument at our place in Miraj. We work on many instruments, including the sarangi, to achieve the perfect sound.
Unki khushi mein meri khushi. Dr. Aditya Palanki, a vocalist from Bangalore, shares his happiness with a new tanpura I made for him. He asked for a focus on tonality over looks, which is the most important thing for us.
This is a glimpse into the delicate inlay work that goes into our custom sitars. Each piece is carefully placed by hand, a tradition passed down through generations in Miraj. This is how we create beautiful floral and artistic patterns.
A close up of one of our most detailed custom pieces, the peacock design sitar. This is an electric sitar, or Zitar, featuring intricate artwork and a Seymour Duncan pickup for a powerful, clear studio sound.
We were blessed to have the legendary vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty visit our home and shop in Miraj. It is a great honor to serve such esteemed artists and provide them with instruments.
The jawari, or bridge setting, is the heart of a sitar's tone. This video shows my process of carefully filing and shaping the bridge by hand to get that smooth, rich, and lively sound that top artists look for.
Our family's work was recognized at the 4th Ustad Hameed Khan Sangeetotsav in Dharwad. Here, my senior, Naushad Gulab saheb Sitarmaker, is being felicitated for his lifelong contribution to making musical instruments.
About Featured
If you play a sitar or tanpura, you know that the jawari is everything. It is the bridge setting that creates the resonance. I manually file and adjust every bridge to suit your playing style, whether you want an open, shimmering sound or a closed, focused tone. It is not about how the instrument looks, but how it breathes when you play.
People often come to me when their instrument stops singing. They might have a beautiful sitar, but it feels stiff or the resonance dies out too quickly. In my workshop in Miraj, I treat every instrument as a living thing.
Why Jawari Matters
The jawari is the heart of the sound. I spend hours on micro-sanding and filing the bridge curves to ensure the string makes the right three-point contact. When I perform a full jawari setup, I am not just changing strings; I am calibrating the instrument to your specific touch. I use high-tensile German Roslau steel for the main and sympathetic strings to get that deep, ringing sustain that lasts 5-7 seconds.
Beyond Aesthetics
While I take pride in detailed inlay work—like the floral or peacock motifs you see in my gallery—I always tell clients: sound comes first. When artists like Dr. Aditya Palanki bring their tanpuras to me, we focus on the tonality. If you want a reliable travel instrument, I build custom flat-back sitars or modify existing ones with pickups for studio use.
A Tradition of Trust
My family has been in this craft since 1850. I have had the honor of working with legends like Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty and renowned players like Rajeev Janardan. Whether you need a simple fret adjustment, a full structural restoration to fix cracks, or an electric Zitar conversion, my goal remains the same: I want you to feel the same joy in playing your instrument that I feel while building it.
Similar work from other experts
Browse through Curated picks from other experts on mytribe
A Lifelong Journey in Indian Classical Music
The Legacy of Sitar Craft and Technique
Featured Sitar and Surbahar Performances
7
Featured Professional Indian Musical Instruments
8
Sitar Performances and Indian Classical Music Workshops
Featured Sitar Performances and Soulful Recitals
More from Indian Instrument Repair, Restoration & Customization by Naeem Sitarmaker
More services by Naeem Sitarmaker