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Thread: Pygmy Sitar

  1. #1
    Registered User jmp's Avatar
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    Default Pygmy Sitar

    Apologies in advance since this is not a mandolin nor a sitar for that matter. It is however a Bouzouki-sitar hybrid type of instrument and I think it is kind of an interesting animal. It does what it does quite well, which is to let me well-approximate an acoustic sitar sound using mandolin and guitar technique. It is designed closer to a sitar than a typical electric sitar, because only the top two strings are for melody with the rest serving as drone strings. As with a sitar, you can only really play in one "key" using a modal approach and you more or less forget about chords. With a capo I can play in other keys with ensembles, but it sounds best keeping the capo to a few of the lower frets. Unlike a sitar you cannot do a true "meend" or bending to get from one note to another, but with the scalloped fingerboard you can bend about one half step and get the rest of the way with U. Srinivas styled mando techniques. It has a built in piezo pickup which is handy because the instrument is not that loud as a pure acoustic.

    This is serial number 132, crafted in England, received two weeks ago.


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  3. #2
    I may be old but I'm ugly billhay4's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Cool! I'd like to hear it.
    Bill

  4. #3
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Wow, that is really interesting. So I assume you do not play sitar but are quite familiar with the music. Did you have a hand in designing this? At first I thought is was a very small (pygmy) instrument but then I realized that was the name of the maker. Is this your instrument or is this company producing many of these?

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  5. #4
    Registered User jmp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Wow, that is really interesting. So I assume you do not play sitar but are quite familiar with the music. Did you have a hand in designing this? At first I thought is was a very small (pygmy) instrument but then I realized that was the name of the maker. Is this your instrument or is this company producing many of these?
    Pygmy Instruments designs and manufactures them. I am not involved with the company in way, other than being a recent customer.

  6. #5
    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    I have been interested in these for a while, but never pulled the trigger. The website is linked below. These instruments are clearly the work of the Romanian builder Hora, also marketed as Troubadour in the UK. I have had one of their OMs before. The quality is OK for an economy instrument, but not great. It should be fine for this kind of specialty item, though.

    My guess is the Pygmy designer/marketer has Hora do all the work on this, because the scalloping of the fretboard seems like pretty specialized work. They appear to just adapt an inexpensive, commercially available sitar bridge to it. My guess is that any good luthier or home builder could do the same thing to any octave mandolin or 'zouk without too much trouble.

    Another observation is that this kind of specialty instrument may be something that is "super cool" to mess around with for a couple of weeks, but may be of limited usefulness once the "new" has worn off. I mean, where are you going to play it? At home, to annoy the wife even more than you do now with regular instruments? At church? At a bluegrass jam or Irish session? That being said, I may still go for one, just 'cause!

    http://pygmyinstruments.com/shop/pag...0C&shop_param=

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    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    FWIW, from May 2011:

    Email question to builder with response:

    "Customer inquiry:
    --------------
    Subject: country of origin

    Are the Pygmy sitars made in the UK?

    Thanks. "

    --------------

    "Hi Jacob,

    Thanks for your inquiry about the Pygmy Sitar, In answer to your question yes they are made in the UK.

    Regards
    Stuart."

  9. #7
    Registered User rb3868's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    I respectfully disagree. It has a lovely sound that would enhance many styles of music. Purists may hate it, but they need to lighten up anyway. How is it tuned?

  10. #8
    Registered User jmp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    John,

    Good observations, the one about the wife is particularly uncanny.

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  12. #9
    Registered User jmp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    It's tuned dAaDadad but I've been tuning the 1st string up to an e to keep closer to OM tuning.

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  14. #10
    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob View Post
    FWIW, from May 2011:

    Email question to builder with response:

    "Customer inquiry:
    --------------
    Subject: country of origin

    Are the Pygmy sitars made in the UK?

    Thanks. "

    --------------

    "Hi Jacob,

    Thanks for your inquiry about the Pygmy Sitar, In answer to your question yes they are made in the UK.

    Regards
    Stuart."
    Well, I guess I have to take Stuart at his word, but I look at those detailed pictures above and the following characteristics are absolutely identical with a Hora:
    > Slotted headstock with distinctive headstock shape
    > Body shape
    > Zero fret with a particularly fat nut

    Compare those characteristics (not the finish color, of course) with pictures of the Hora bouzouki on their website.

    http://www.hora.ro/irish_bouzouki.html

  15. #11

    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Its a bit like a dulcimer?

  16. #12
    Registered User neil argonaut's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Thanks a lot, that sounds great; I can't say I've got £350 to spare, but if I do find it somewhere, would love to pick up one of these.

  17. #13
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Quote Originally Posted by John Flynn View Post
    These instruments are clearly the work of the Romanian builder Hora, also marketed as Troubadour in the UK...

    My guess is the Pygmy designer/marketer has Hora do all the work on this, because the scalloping of the fretboard seems like pretty specialized work. They appear to just adapt an inexpensive, commercially available sitar bridge to it.
    I agree. Regardless of what the seller says, I'm sure these instruments start out as Hora instruments (also sold as Celtic Star). They may well buy them in the white and do the bridge/fretboard and finishing themselves. From the video, they sound pretty good.

    Patrick

  18. #14
    music with whales Jim Nollman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    as for playing it out, I can say from experience that this kind of instrumental sound works great as a solo gig playing background in a restaurant.
    Explore some of my published music here.

    —Jim

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  19. #15
    Registered User Irénée's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar... I am interested by one used !

    I am interested by one used in perfect condition with its hardcase...
    If it is the case thank you to contact me.
    Regards,
    Quote Originally Posted by jmp View Post
    Apologies in advance since this is not a mandolin nor a sitar for that matter. It is however a Bouzouki-sitar hybrid type of instrument and I think it is kind of an interesting animal. It does what it does quite well, which is to let me well-approximate an acoustic sitar sound using mandolin and guitar technique. It is designed closer to a sitar than a typical electric sitar, because only the top two strings are for melody with the rest serving as drone strings. As with a sitar, you can only really play in one "key" using a modal approach and you more or less forget about chords. With a capo I can play in other keys with ensembles, but it sounds best keeping the capo to a few of the lower frets. Unlike a sitar you cannot do a true "meend" or bending to get from one note to another, but with the scalloped fingerboard you can bend about one half step and get the rest of the way with U. Srinivas styled mando techniques. It has a built in piezo pickup which is handy because the instrument is not that loud as a pure acoustic.

    This is serial number 132, crafted in England, received two weeks ago.


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  20. #16
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    We know its not a mandolin, but is it a sitar? I don't know enough about the music, but doesn't the sitar need the ability to do quarter tones and the like in order to play sitar music?

    Its a very cool hybrid instrument, but might fall short of what purists of either of its antecedent instruments would want. Needs to be taken for what it is, a cool sound.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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  21. #17
    Lord of All Badgers Lord of the Badgers's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    that is really really interesting...
    My name is Rob, and I am Lord of All Badgers

    Tenor Guitars: Acoustic: Mcilroy ASP10T, ‘59 Martin 0-18t. Electric: ‘57 Gibson ETG-150, ‘80s Manson Kestrel
    Mandolins: Davidson f5, A5 "Badgerlin".
    Bouzouki: Paul Shippey Axe
    My band's website

  22. #18
    Lord of All Badgers Lord of the Badgers's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Get an EHX freeze pedal for it JMP

    My name is Rob, and I am Lord of All Badgers

    Tenor Guitars: Acoustic: Mcilroy ASP10T, ‘59 Martin 0-18t. Electric: ‘57 Gibson ETG-150, ‘80s Manson Kestrel
    Mandolins: Davidson f5, A5 "Badgerlin".
    Bouzouki: Paul Shippey Axe
    My band's website

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  24. #19
    Lord of All Badgers Lord of the Badgers's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    dammit their website is down
    My name is Rob, and I am Lord of All Badgers

    Tenor Guitars: Acoustic: Mcilroy ASP10T, ‘59 Martin 0-18t. Electric: ‘57 Gibson ETG-150, ‘80s Manson Kestrel
    Mandolins: Davidson f5, A5 "Badgerlin".
    Bouzouki: Paul Shippey Axe
    My band's website

  25. #20
    Registered User jmp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Glad I got one when I did, they seem to be out of business now.

  26. #21

    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Anyone know if these are still being made ?

  27. #22
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Very cool!

    I made a similar instrument out of a travel guitar....thanks for posting yours.

  28. #23

    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Hello just wondering if you'd be interested in selling your Pygmy Sitar? If you still own it after all these years. Thanks!

  29. #24
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    Quote Originally Posted by Mozingtcj View Post
    Hello just wondering if you'd be interested in selling your Pygmy Sitar? If you still own it after all these years. Thanks!
    Good luck to you. The last time the OP posted here was over 3 years ago. And the maker's site is long gone as well. You could have one of the ace luthiers around these parts attempt a similar instrument.

    The first video above is no longer on youtube. The second one was posted in 2010 and the channel does belong to the luthier who made it. Perhaps you can reach him through that channel though I think that video was the last he uploaded over 8 years ago.
    Jim

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  30. #25
    Registered User jmp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pygmy Sitar

    I still own it! Not interested in selling, sorry.

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