Looking for a pedal to emulate a sitar

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CFH Eternal
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Looking for a pedal to emulate a sitar

Post by CFH Eternal »

Anyone know of a pedal besides the sitar swami by Danelectro or even a technique to get an electric guitar sound somewhat like a sitar?
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Pfl?yd
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Post by Pfl?yd »

There really isn't much of a technique to replicating the sound and pedal is only useful for so much in trying to simulate it.

The core of a sitar's sound comes from sympathetic strings that ring along with the core note harmonically. The drone is the key to the sound. There are a couple of manufacturers who make "electric sitars" that essentially play like a guitar (Jerry Jones being the most famous).

If you're talking more of the tonality of the plucked string, you need an instrument with a resonator or find a way to replicate that sound manually. You'd probably have to experiment with taking something like an old high E string and intertwining it through the strings near the bridge to give it that "koto" effect. Remember that sitars, kotos, and the like do not have a lot of sustaining notes on the plucked strings and that the vibration of the string hitting something else is what gives it that "twang". It's the same reason why a banjo makes a similar sound because an unfixed bridge has direct contact with a vibrating resonator.
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croninburg
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Post by croninburg »

You could try leaving a guitar standing near your amp plugged into another one, that would probably give a similar effect - I don't know how the sympathetic strings are supposed to be tuned though.
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Bronco
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Post by Bronco »

This thing does the sitar in so many ways it'll make your head spin.
plus 80 or 90 amp/stack,mic settings silulators Awesome

it is the absolute best investment I ever purchased



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5-to 600 bucks

and a $100 dload to max it out with all line6 available effects
Wah/volume pedal32 x 4 banks, tap delay setter
and the best inline tuner I have come across yet

They also have a base expansion package to use
It is a recording phenominon(sp.)
i use it for everything

http://line6.com/
Last edited by Bronco on Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Skull Dragon
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Post by Skull Dragon »

Usually pitch shifters make a good sitar sound...
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Post by Pfl?yd »

[quote="Skull Dragon"][/quote]


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soulburn
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Post by soulburn »

just strum towards the bridge, use a lot of open strings for droning, and used vibrato on your fingered notes.
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