Andy Summers’ Coral Sitar
You’ve heard it on songs by everyone from Steely Dan to The Clash, it’s that buzzy tone that you just can’t get from a regular guitar: the electric sitar. It’s a relic from the time when musicians were trying to get far out tones that traditional instruments couldn’t make.
In the late ‘60s many in the rock and roll royalty--The Beatles, The Stones, etc--had started experimenting with non-western instruments. The classical Indian sitar, with it’s bulbous body, 20-plus strings, and unique sound drew converts wishing to add some exotic color to their songs--not to mention their image. Of course, if you weren’t in a place where you could actually physically purchase a sitar and then actually be able to find someone to give you lessons, you were pretty much out of luck.
Into this void came the Coral Sitar, the first instrument that branded itself as an electric sitar. It had an exotic shape of its own and a few features that set it apart from other guitars at the time. Now, to be clear, none of the instruments we’re talking about here are actual sitars with pickups. These are really guitars fitted with two distinctive features: a unique bridge and usually a set of “sympathetic” strings.
First about that bridge. One of the things that give sitars (real or electric) that certain tone is the bridge. Where most conventional guitar bridges are made up of several thin “saddles” that the string sits on, the “buzz bridge” of the sitar is a piece of wood that has a slight angle to it, so that from the point where the string hits the bridge there is a little bit of wood that the string will vibrate against when plucked, giving it that distinctive sound. This isn’t a guitar you’re going to strum ballads on: it was meant for playing leads and carrying melodies.
The second distinctive characteristic of these guitars is the presence of sympathetic strings. These strings take advantage of something called sympathetic resonance, which means that they vibrate in response to other strings being plucked. You may have noticed this when playing guitar, certain notes you play cause other open strings to vibrate slightly and create subtle overtones. You can also test this on a piano: hold down the damper pedal, play one note repeatedly, and you will hear the sympathetic vibrations of the other strings.
The sitar is one of many instruments that take advantage of these overtones. On the traditional sitar, these strings run under raised frets on the neck. On the Coral Sitar there is a set of 13 strings on the lower left side of the body that have their own pickup. Now, these strings function very differently than the sympathetic strings of a classical sitar. They may pick up some sympathetic vibrations, but more often, players pluck these individually.
In addition to these two distinctive features, the Coral Sitar used Danelectro’s famous “lipstick tube” pickups. These single-coil pickups have a cult following of their own, due in part to Jimmy Page playing a Danelectro for many years.
So what do you do if you’re in a Steely Dan cover band and you really want the solo in Do it Again to sound? Well, despite the electric sitar’s novelty factor, it has retained its popularity enough that they are still made by more than one company. If you want to go vintage, you can check eBay for an original Coral, but be prepared to splash out some serious cash.
For a lot less than that, you can get one made by Jerry Jones here in the US. Jones’ website has a listing of the various types they make. I’m pretty partial to the double neck Supreme Sitar. Looks like a lot of fun.
Like most popular vintage guitars, there are always knockoffs and the electric sitar is no exception. If you look around, you will be able to find very inexpensive versions of the electric sitar. I can’t vouch for their quality, so let the buyer beware.
The incredible staying power of the electric sitar is a testament to the never ending quest of adventurous guitarists for new and different sounds. If you’re looking to get far out, this might be your ticket.
