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Indian classical music instruments by Ultimate Guru
Indian Classical music has been an acclaimed art form for 6 centuries and has grown multifold since. However, as piracy grew prevalent, excellent instruments grew scarce. They began to be confined to diminutive pockets in the country. Hence in collaboration with Bajaao, Ultimate Guru brings to you the answer to all these hassles.
Ultimate Guru was born to a fraternity of percussionists, vocalists and performance artists. Hence they entirely understand the need for exceptional quality musical instruments. Given the profit in selling average quality instruments, duplicitous dealings are rife within the industry, as are anywhere else. But with UG, you can be rest assured that the instruments you receive are checked for quality by professional musicians.
Believed to have been derived from the Veena, the Sitar was quickly adapted in Hindustani and Carnatic music. The handcrafted Sitars are the key jewels which have especially received a lot of acclaim. These are crafted under expertise from luthiers who have been Sitar makers for seven generations. There’s no problem that they can’t solve. Sitars with impeccable tuning are a quality norm at Ultimate Guru. Special care is taken that there aren’t any cracks in the wood and no joints in the neck or in the gourd.
Excellent Tabla sets perfectly tuned through decades of expertise. Available in Student and Concert grade quality. For the Hindustani Pundit, UG presents the Sheesham and Copper Tabla Dugga sets crafted by master craftsmen from Pune, Maharashtra. The deep tones and resonant bass sounds are a result of the optimum head-skin thickness which helps retain tuning for a longer periods of time. For the beginners there's a specialized Student Tabla set which is lighter, easier to handle and doesn't need repeated adjustments. Ultimate Guru Tablas are made from the finest materials available in the market. Hand crafted by master craftsmen, the Tablas are 100% made in India. The features of a good Tabla are that the sound on the kinaar (The sound when the Tabla is struck on the rim) and the Sur (The sound when the tabla is struck on the centre) is produced in the same note. The chaat and the thaap respectively, sound exactly the same, this maintains the consistency of resonance. Our Tablas are tested by professionals and only the best get through our strict quality standards.
For the Quintessential Carnatic connoisseur, UG presents the Carnatic range of instruments.For the percussionists, there's the authentic Thanjavur Thavvil, lauded as the King of percussion instruments and the Mother of South Indian Percussion, the Mridangam, famous for its rich metallic timbre. The UG Kanjira quality has resonated internationally too! For the Folk Folk, there's the Dholki, a high pitched drum used in the Maharashtrian folk music. The Dholkis are the best sellers within this category and of course, the distant North Indian cousin,the Dholak.
World renowned Concert Grade Manamadurai Ghatams crafted to deliver the perfect tone. Available in 7 shrutis. - The UG catalog boasts of the world’s greatest Manamadurai Ghatams which come perfected in exacting tonal specifications. Ghatams are used by Carnatic musicians of South India, and Udu drummers in world music. The Manamadurai ghatam is thicker and heavier than the Madras Ghatams with tiny shards of metal ( brass/copper and other "secret" ingredients that the potter mixes) into the clay. Add in the unique clay of that area, and the result is a ghaṭam that requires greater finger force to play, but one that exudes a delightfully rich tone with an even and clear sound, which is overwhelmingly favored by the pros. For hundreds of years now, this Manamadurai soil has enigmatically proven to contain some naturally occurring ingredients which produce this unique tone. This tone is still unavailable in ghatams made elsewhere in India.
The Mridangam is the mother south Indian percussion instruments widely acclaimed for its strong sound rhythmic sounds and distinct tonality. Used in Carnatic music, the Mridangam is made from jackfruit tree/ sheesham wood. The Mridangam has a deep metallic timbre and powerful middle frequency bass sounds. The shyahi on the end of the mridangam is a black paste called satham or karanai which occupies a larger surface area than does the shyahi for the tabla or Pakhawaj. This is placed on two non-homogenous membranes over three layers, which produce the distinct high pitch and harmonics of the mridangam treble drum.
Authenticity :
Ultimate Guru only deals in authentic, handcrafted instruments which are made to exacting specifications of tones. The instruments are stored under strict environmental conditions to avoid deterioration from weather. And each instrument is dispatched with a certificate of authenticity which ensures that it is an original UG product. All Ultimate Guru products are sourced from reliable and genuine suppliers. These luxuriously crafted instruments reach you in tune and come with a 10 day return guarantee if you’re not entirely happy with the quality.
ULTIMATE GURU GANDHAR PANCHAM CONCERT GRADE SITAR
This Sitar is a Gandhar Pancham style sitar which has 6 main strings and 11 sympathetic strings. It is 48 inches tall and weighs about 3.5 kgs. The facades have handmade celluloid patterns on the borders. The neck-toomba joint has faceted celluloid detailing on the front which lends a sheen to the surface. The dark brown color brings out the contrast between the celluloid detailing and the Sitar color. The metal string-set is made from the best quality steel, copper and bronze. Wooden knobs have a swirled design. Knobs for the sympathetic strings are smaller and made with a plain wooden surface which facilitates the grip on the knob. The sympathetic strings are attached with the celluloid beads. Ultimate Guru's key sitar maker was even profiled by the prestigious discovery channel.
Ultimate Guru Gandhar Pancham Concert Grade Sitar Features are:
- Custom made handcrafted Red Cedar wood Sitar
- Acoustic in nature
- Gandhar Pancham Model: Has 6 main strings and 11 sympathetic strings
- Neck and gourd carved from singular pieces.
- Professional grade instrument
ULTIMATE GURU CONCERT GRADE DHOLKI
The dholki is a small high pitched drum which is generally used in folk music. The Dholki has found its presence in classical music fusion very recently. The smaller head makes high notes and the larger surface makes low notes. These dholkis are made from the finest wood by master craftsmen and tuned to perfection by professionals.
Ultimate Guru Concert Grade Dholki Features are:
- Hand made Pudis
- Nut bolt tuning
- Quality tested by Ultimate Guru Music
ULTIMATE GURU MRIDANGAM TUNING CLAY
The beats produced on the faces of the Mridangam are "Chaapu Naadham","Meethu Naadham" and "Thoppi". All these sounds must be corresponsing to each other. To tune the right face of the Mridangam, a special clay or a Rawa paste is used. This Rawa paste maybe perishable and has to be made repeatedly. Ultimate Guru brings to you a special imported clay which can be used to tune the Mridangams and to get a good bass sound. This clay if re-usable and can be removed and stored after it has been played. The Mridangam skin suffers no damage with the usage of this clay.
Features for Ultimate Guru Mridangam Tuning Clay are
- Storable and re-usable
- Non-perishable uptil one year
- Can be used with three Mridangams upto a 3 months or one Mridangam upto one year.
- Is delivered in air locked and zip locked bags to avoid moisture loss
- Should be stored in cool, dark place.
ULTIMATE GURU GIG BAG FOR GHATAM
The Ghatam is an oddly shaped circular instrument and hence is difficult to carry around. The Ultimate Guru Gig Bag for Ghatam is a sturdy Rexene bag which increases ease of carrying the ghatam. The bag has coarse texture which makes it repellent to dust and can be cleaned very easily. The gig bag has extra padding which helps in shock absorption and has a tough exterior foam based material lining the inside of the bag. The gig bags are closed with two sturdy zips and have two sturdy cloth handles which allow one to put the ghatam bag on the shoulder as well.
Ultimate Guru Gig Bag for Ghatam features :
- Easy to carry, Easy to maintain
- Washable but not water repellent.
- Coarse texture. Dirt can be dusted off
- Has plastic piping on joints to avoid tearing and withstands damage
- Double Zippers.
- Has extra pocket on the outside for small items viz. cellphone.
