Sitar Brands

Two sitars with identical specifications can sound like different instruments, because the sound is made by the maker.

The seasoning of the wood, the choice of gourd, and above all the filing of the jawari bridge are hand skills, and none of them appear on a spec sheet. That is why experienced buyers shop by name, and why this page puts our makers side by side.

Kanai Lal & Sons of Kolkata is among the most storied names a sitar can carry. Rikhi Ram carries the Delhi lineage and its associations with the players who took the instrument west. Jayanta Sengupta and Hiren Roy through Barun Ray occupy the top of the range. MKS build across the catalogue. Our own workshop covers student and intermediate instruments and electric sitars.

Which maker for a first sitar? Ours or MKS. Step up to the named Kolkata workshops when the instrument becomes your concert companion, not before.

Can you help me choose between two? Yes, gladly. Message us on WhatsApp with your budget and what you play and we will give you a straight answer.

$599 to $3,099. Prices include free shipping to the USA, UK, Germany, Australia and many more countries.

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  • Maharaja Musicals Peacock Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba

    Maharaja Musicals Peacock Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 155)

    Maharaja Musicals Peacock Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 155)
    $2,019.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Angur Patta Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Fiber Case

    Maharaja Musicals Angur Patta Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Fiber Case (No. 90)

    Maharaja Musicals Angur Patta Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Fiber Case (No. 90)
    $2,019.00
  • Kanai Lal Khajoor Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case

    Kanai Lal Khajoor Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 478)

    Kanai Lal Khajoor Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 478)
    $2,029.00
  • Kanai Lal Munda Sitar, Vilayat Khan Style, Fiber Case

    Kanai Lal Munda Sitar, Vilayat Khan Style, Fiber Case (No. 445)

    Kanai Lal Munda Sitar, Vilayat Khan Style, Fiber Case (No. 445)
    $2,049.00
  • Rikhi Ram Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Single Toomba, Fiber Case

    Rikhi Ram Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Single Toomba, Fiber Case (No. 515)

    Rikhi Ram Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Single Toomba, Fiber Case (No. 515)
    $3,099.00
  • Kanai Lal Angur Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case

    Kanai Lal Angur Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 446)

    Kanai Lal Angur Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 446)
    $2,375.00
  • MKS Electric Sitar, Kharaj Pancham

    MKS Electric Sitar, Kharaj Pancham (No. 575)

    MKS Electric Sitar, Kharaj Pancham (No. 575)
    $629.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Black, Tun Wood

    Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Black, Kharaj Pancham (No. 91)

    Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Black, Kharaj Pancham (No. 91)
    $599.00
  • Hiren Roy / Barun Ray Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba

    Hiren Roy / Barun Ray Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 514)

    Hiren Roy / Barun Ray Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 514)
    $2,319.00
  • MKS Munda Sitar, Vilayat Khan Style, Fiber Case

    MKS Munda Sitar, Vilayat Khan Style, Fiber Case (No. 195)

    MKS Munda Sitar, Vilayat Khan Style, Fiber Case (No. 195)
    $2,425.00
  • Kanai Lal Student Model Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case

    Kanai Lal Student Model Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 447)

    Kanai Lal Student Model Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 447)
    $2,835.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Kharaj Pancham

    Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Natural, Kharaj Pancham (No. 118)

    Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Natural, Kharaj Pancham (No. 118)
    $599.00
  • MKS Electric Sitar, Tun Wood

    MKS Electric Sitar, Tun Wood (No. 503)

    MKS Electric Sitar, Tun Wood (No. 503)
    $829.00
  • Kanai Lal Kaddu Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style (No. 443)

    Kanai Lal Kaddu Patta Sitar, Dark, Ravi Shankar Style, 51" (No. 443)

    Kanai Lal Kaddu Patta Sitar, Dark, Ravi Shankar Style, 51" (No. 443)
    $2,049.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Gulab Patta Sitar, Kharaj Pancham (No. 576)

    Maharaja Musicals Gulab Patta Sitar, Kharaj Pancham (No. 576)

    Maharaja Musicals Gulab Patta Sitar, Kharaj Pancham (No. 576)
    $1,849.00
  • Kanai Lal Electric Sitar, Tun Wood

    Kanai Lal Electric Sitar, Tun Wood (No. 561)

    Kanai Lal Electric Sitar, Tun Wood (No. 561)
    $1,919.00
  • Jayanta Sengupta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba

    Jayanta Sengupta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 513)

    Jayanta Sengupta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 513)
    $2,629.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba

    Maharaja Musicals Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 45)

    Maharaja Musicals Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 45)
    $2,019.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Gulab Patta Sitar, Kharaj Pancham (No. 194)

    Maharaja Musicals Gulab Patta Sitar, Black, Kharaj Pancham (No. 194)

    Maharaja Musicals Gulab Patta Sitar, Black, Kharaj Pancham (No. 194)
    $2,019.00
  • MKS Angur Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba

    MKS Angur Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 168)

    MKS Angur Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Double Toomba (No. 168)
    $2,315.00
  • Kanai Lal Jawa Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case

    Kanai Lal Jawa Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 450)

    Kanai Lal Jawa Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style, Fiber Case (No. 450)
    $2,185.00
  • Kanai Lal Kaddu Patta Sitar, Ravi Shankar Style (No. 329)

    Kanai Lal Kaddu Patta Sitar, Natural, Ravi Shankar Style, 47" (No. 329)

    Kanai Lal Kaddu Patta Sitar, Natural, Ravi Shankar Style, 47" (No. 329)
    $2,365.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Kharaj Pancham, Mahogany

    Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Mahogany, Floral Carving (No. 138)

    Maharaja Musicals Electric Sitar, Mahogany, Floral Carving (No. 138)
    $599.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Munda Sitar, Vilayat Khan Style (No. 136)

    Maharaja Musicals Munda Sitar, Tun Wood, Vilayat Khan Style (No. 136)

    Maharaja Musicals Munda Sitar, Tun Wood, Vilayat Khan Style (No. 136)
    $2,255.00

Questions we get asked

Why buy by maker instead of by spec sheet?
Because the spec sheet cannot hear. The jawari work and wood choices are the sound, and the maker's name is the only reliable proxy for them.
Does carving change the sound?
No. Carving and celluloid work are for the eyes. Tone lives in the wood, the construction and the jawari. Buy the look you love at the sound grade you need.
Can you help me choose between two sitars?
Yes, gladly. Message us on with your budget and your music and we will give you a straight answer.