Finnish Line Price 1,499£ Versoul Caspian Electric 12-string Sitar: An unusual 12-string electric ‘sitar’ guitar from Finland complete with Kent Armstrong pickup and Shadow piezo HESE DAYS, THE solid East Indian rosewood. “The Spec Check BEATLES are as popular surface of the bridge has the Versoul CASPIAN ELECTRIC 12 Tas ever and psychedelia same radius as the fingerboard, STRING SITAR in general is firmly back on the 9.56-inches,” says Kari, “and the PRICE: £ 1,499 ORIGIN: Finland musical agenda. Hardly surpris- other direction has a little buzzing BODY: Finnish alder NECK: ing, then, that the electric sitar is radius. Mahogany ROAM: East Indian back too. “When the string is picked the rosewood RADIUS: 9.5 INCHES Western music’s ability to borrow buzzing is created by the string SCALE: 26.75-inches PICK- from the Indian musical system actually touching the bridge. The UPS: Kent Armstrong vintage was no more obvious than during same principle is found on real si- Ainico single-coil, Shadow piezo sections of Vai’s ‘Fire Garden’ tars, but my bridge has adjustable with Versoul preamp BRIDGE album, where he takes his long- bridge pieces, so it’s quite easy AND TAIL: East Indian rose- term love of Eastern themes - a to adjust the angle of the bridge wood FRETS: 19 NUT: Moose Coral sitar has always been his piece to get the right amount of kneebone CASE: Hardshell weapon of choice - and mixes buzz.” case included LEFTIES: Yes, then with all manner of seven- DELHI GOOD upon request CONTACT: string rawk. Unsurprisingly, the Caspian versoul@kolumbus.fi On a more contemporary note, feels a little unusual. The 19-fret Kula Shaker’s Crispian Mills has neck is wide while the long 26.75 The Rivals piloted his entire career to date inch scale tuned down a stop - Jerry Jones Coral Sitar around Indian themes and associ- means the strings are floppy. s/hand ated ‘karma’, and it follows that This is a deliberate feature as Mills is one of Versoul’s big name the looser the strings, the more and even our resident sitar expert customers, having bought one of authentic the sound and feel. Matt Swaine, who’s actually had the Finnish company’s acoustic The one piece mahogany neck lessons from Ravi Shankar, nod- sitars. tapers to a pointed headstock ded in appreciation. This 12-string sitar is something designed to reduce string pull as HELSINKING FEELING? of a departure for company main- much as possible and the moose There’s no doubt this will have man Kari Nieminen. He explains: kneebone nut (no, really ... ) is as limited appeal and £1,499 is a lot “My aim was not to create a real frictionless as soapy ice, of money for an electric 12 string sitar-sounding instrument, but Soundwise, the Caspian is excel- sitar and no matter how great it rather to try to create some kind lent. Having played both a Coral is, this figure is a difficult one to of new instrument altogether, with and Jerry Jones electric sitars, I ignore for something so special- 12 strings to get more buzzing.” found the Versoul behaved more ist. It’s the best electric sitar I’ve placed mother-of-pearl finger- like a conventional electric guitar played, though. If you’re inter- board markers and those pickups. but also had the most authentic ested, talk to Kari... he’s always BOMBAY PLUCK drone and resonance - thanks, in willing to chat. The body, whose shape resem- part, to the 12 strings. bles the Ernie Ball Albert Lee My crucifixion of Metallica’s Simon Bradley model, is fashioned from two Wherever I May Roam intro and pieces of alder, finished in black even a stab at Vai’s version of and topped with nitro-cellulose. Bangkok sound totally genuine Pickup configuration is optional, VERSOUL SITAR but Kari uses Kent Armstrong BUILD QUALITY vintage Alnico singlecoils on his PLAYABILITY electric sitars - this Caspian also SOUND features an undersaddle Shadow VALUE FOR MONEY piezo and, with a stereo Y-lead VERDICT WE LIKED you can have electric and piezo The feel and tone are authentic signals fed into separate amps with a gorgeous build quality at once. WE DISLIKED The sitar sound comes from the High price for something so bridge, made in this case from specialist GUITARIST OCTOBER 1999.