Homemade Sitar Bar

John Shadid · Post by **John Shadid** » 17 May 2013 12:09 am

I have a spare tone bar I was wanting to file down one side of to make a sitar bar. What would be the best way to do this for anyone that has the experience? It's a Dunlop 921 (the large 1"x3-3/4")

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 May 2013 3:19 am

FILE it down? I hope you got lotsa time.
Unless you have an old-fashioned foot powered stone, I'd use the flat side of an angle grinder.
If you HAVE an old fashioned foot powered stone, I'd use the flat of it.

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 17 May 2013 6:04 am

John you can do it with a powered belts sander. I took a old bar that I had and it works. Also if you play guitar and Steel the Bar will not roll down your strings. If your Steel's level the Bar will stay where you leave it. Cool

Ron Pruter · Post by **Ron Pruter** » 18 May 2013 1:30 pm

Hey guys,
How wide should the flat part be?
BTW, anyone want to buy this Gui-Sit bridge? They list for $140. I'd sell for $40.

Get "Hooked on a Feelin"

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 18 May 2013 3:04 pm

Mine's around a quarter inch wide

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 18 May 2013 4:32 pm

Here's one that I made. It's 3/8 wide, 3 1/2 long and 3/4 tall.

Tony

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 18 May 2013 5:24 pm

Heres the one I made. About 1/2" wide.

Larry Moore · Post by **Larry Moore** » 20 May 2013 9:17 pm

Nothing to it if you have the correct machine. I made one for myself much like the one Billy McCombs has a picture of, I worked in a machine Shop that had a large surface grinder which has a magnet surface I just took a stock bar blocked it in place ground a flat about 3/8 wide look store bought. Works great.
Larry

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 21 May 2013 9:11 pm

Here's an original made by Jim Johnson. Jim flew for Conway and made John a sitar bar. Jim filled in on bass on occasion as well. I'm proud to call him a friend!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 27 May 2013 7:24 pm

you'll probably find it's a lot of hassle for a disappointing result. i had a real sitar bar for years and never really found a comfortable use for it. i always ended up wishing it was just a good solid round bar i could use.
ralph and john got something out of them, but they were special.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 28 May 2013 3:01 am

Hal got a nice sound on Stan Hitchcock's" Honey, I'm Home," and according to a nice email from Stan, Hal had just gotten it that day and wanted to try it out.

I've gotten a nice sound out of it, kinda like a sitar with too much sustain, but never found a place other than "Norwegian Wood" to use it.

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Homemade Sitar Bar

Homemade Sitar Bar

Sitar bar