Is it possible to tell the age of a Hemen from its label?

[sam-i-um]

I just won a Hemen on ebay and its my first Sarod. The seller had no info on it. He told me he buys out stores and re-sells the merch and had no idea where it came from or how old it was. The case it came in was beat up a bit and the Sarod is a 2 piece with a small footbal shaped metal label that says:

HEMEN & CO.
140, RASHBEHARI AVENUE
CALCUTTA - 29
INDIA

I would love to know more info on it if anyone has any ideas. I have no idea of the quality of this item but I would imagine it can't be that valuable since nobody outbid me for only $680 bucks.

Also if anyone knows of a good place to start on this site or u-tube for beginning instruction before I have my first real lesson I would appreciate it.

[trippy monkey]

NOT THAT VALUABLE?!?!?!!??
It seems to all intents & purposes you've a little bargain on your hands. Although ne can't tell if it has damage. Can you upload some pics to a site? Try to get all round the instrument if you can.

Hemen are sarod makers Extrordinaire!!!! I managed to visit this shop when in Kolkatta last year.

Nick

[plectum]

Vintage hemen sens are often better than new ones. Hemen sen is 80+ and I believe supervises the making rather than making the new instruments himself. If there is no damage to the instrument you have nothing to worry.

[sam-i-um]

Thanks for the response. The Sarod is in perfect condition and sounds amazing. I just wonder what the age is. I know it can't be very old because it's in perfect condition but I still wonder about it.

It appears to be a 2 piece but its hard to tell. Where do they join the other piece?

Also, looking online at the Ali Akbar store all the Hemen's have a clear coating over the woodgrain so you can see the wood grain clearly where mine has a wood tint added and is harder to see the wood grain. Does that mean it is of lower quality or from a specific year?

Thanks.

[Jhaptal]

There's simply to many variables without being able to see it. If you could throw up a couple of pictures there's a chance of getting close to the decade it was made. I have a Hemen from what I believe is the late fifties, early sixties which doesn't have India written on the tag. I understand that was something that came later,although not exactly sure when,late sixties maybe. I also had a Sarod that had "made for the Ali Akbar College" written on tag. I understand this was something that was done in the seventies, and on his style of Sarod.
As far as the finish, tun wood,(red ceder) Sarod's tend to get a dye or color put in the finish as there grain is not as nice as teak, and you can hide a multitude of sins!.That might explain the finish, although tun Sarod's can look very nice in there own right.
The head stocks on two piece Sarod's are attached just above where the fingerboard ends. You should be able to see a hairline cut on the underside where the two pieces are attached. Hope this helps.