Dieter Zarnitz Surbahar (1992)

This is the Surbahar (a large bass-sitar) made by Dieter Zarnitz in 1992 from flamed maple (neck, head & body), spruce-tabli and ebony-pegs.

SPECIFICATION	MEASUREMENT
Total length	163 cm
Scale length	104.3 cm
Bridge height	2.2 cm
String height over last fret	15 mm
Neck width	11.2 cm
Tabli diameter	45 cm
Toomba circumference	118 cm
Weight	4.3 kg
Meend range (at F# tuning)	S → d ; P → g (higher)

*Dieters first shot of it right after it was finished*

*A recent shot of this super-large and gorgeous creation*

*A very round tabli shape. Most tablis are far from round and often *asymmetrical*. Not this one.*

*Heavy one-piece ebony pegs and a headstock reminiscent of a double bass*

*A unique ornament carved into the string-guide*

*Notice the bass-string hook on the last fret. A clever click-on device*.

*A solid maple-peghead with heavy-duty one-piece pegs made from the best ebony available*.

*A footrest* *to balance the heavy instrument*.

*Geometry of sound: a wide range of musical possibilities*.

This Surbahar was repaired thoroughly by Klaas Janssens sitarfactory in 2026. Read the report here.

A soundsample recorded just after the repair:

Pictures from Dieters workbench documenting the process of the making of his Surbahar. In the first picture you can see Dieter taking the measurements for his instrument from a Radha Krishna Sharma Surbahar that belonged to Gerhard Kissel.