Bina
Bina has been building harmoniums long enough that, for a lot of players, the name is shorthand for the instrument itself. They are a Delhi maker, and Delhi-style boxes are the standard instrument most players learn on — lighter and more straightforward than the heavier Kolkata builds, and consistent from one unit to the next.
Every Bina we stock is a two-reed instrument with a coupler. Two reed banks means the same note sounds in two octaves at once, and the coupler adds the octave below whatever you play — together that is what gives a modest box enough body to sit under a voice. The double-fold bellows hold pressure so long phrases do not sag.
What we stock
- No. 8 — 2 reeds, 3.25 octaves, 7 stops, coupler. Natural or rosewood. The standard student instrument.
- No. 11 — 2 reeds, 3.25 octaves, coupler, rosewood.
- No. 9 and No. 9A — 2 reeds, 3.5 octaves, coupler. Teak or rosewood. A quarter of an octave more range than the No. 8, which is the range most players eventually want.
- No. 23B Deluxe — folding, 2.5 or 3.5 octaves.
- No. 17 — 3.5 octaves, 9 stops, coupler, rosewood. More stops means finer control over which reed banks are open.
- Sangeet — 3.5 octaves, 9 stops, coupler, teak.
- No. 17 Deluxe — 3.5 octaves, folding, dark mahogany.
Which to choose. First harmonium: the No. 8. If you want the extra range: the No. 9. If it has to travel or live in a cupboard: the folding 23B or 17 Deluxe.
We retune every one before it ships. Bina tune their instruments at the factory, but not to the standard we want to send out. We have tuners who work for us specifically: every harmonium is tuned, checked, and tuned again if it needs it. It is the single biggest thing we change about an instrument between the workshop and your door.
