I have an opportunity to purchase a sitar. My brother-in-law bought one when he was in India a couple of years ago, however, he is now moving to a smaller home and has to downsize. He will let me have the sitar at no cost - as long as I pay the shipping.
I have no idea if the instrument is decent (my in-law can't find a manufacture name, etc.) and he did not buy a case, so it was shipped from India to the US without a case and would now be shipped from L.A. to Wisconsin without a case - and I do know sitar can be fragile.
I'm guessing he did not buy it from an "instrument store" - more likely from some kind of tourist trap (although he does tend to travel the lesser known routes - and he claims it was not purchased at a trinket store). I figure it's at least worth the cost of shipping - just to mess around with - and if I actually can start to learn and enjoy the instrument I can always try to upgrade in the future.
I've gone on-line and read what I could to try to understand a good instrument from a poor one and the related maintenance, etc. (hell, even learning what kind of strings and where to get them was a learning experiance) - however, I'm hoping some people here at Home Recording may have some additional insight.
I appreciate any knowleged you can offer.
I have no idea if the instrument is decent (my in-law can't find a manufacture name, etc.) and he did not buy a case, so it was shipped from India to the US without a case and would now be shipped from L.A. to Wisconsin without a case - and I do know sitar can be fragile.
I'm guessing he did not buy it from an "instrument store" - more likely from some kind of tourist trap (although he does tend to travel the lesser known routes - and he claims it was not purchased at a trinket store). I figure it's at least worth the cost of shipping - just to mess around with - and if I actually can start to learn and enjoy the instrument I can always try to upgrade in the future.
I've gone on-line and read what I could to try to understand a good instrument from a poor one and the related maintenance, etc. (hell, even learning what kind of strings and where to get them was a learning experiance) - however, I'm hoping some people here at Home Recording may have some additional insight.
I appreciate any knowleged you can offer.