Fret Size

[ace1112]

Hello everyone

I have begun the construction of my first sitar completely from scratch and i have gathered all other materials but one thing still eludes me

I wish to bend and cut my own Pardas but i can't find what gauge/material of wire to use so that the parda maintain their shape even after long hours of practice. Does anyone know what AWG sitar frets are or even their standard diameter

Thank you

[Lars]

You'd be better off just buying some frets really but I think it would be nickel silver wire, very thick. I used to know but long gave up on that stuff so let me try and measure it and get back to you. Perhaps Tony or someone else has the info on the top of their head.
Good luck....

Lars

Rain City Music

[Stephen David]

I don't know what kind of material the frets are made of... mine kinda have a bronze-like color.

But, I took a precision toolmaker's micrometer and measured some of my frets for you. They are all pretty much around 0.193". That's a smidge above 3/16" (.187) and less than 7/32" (.218).

I am guessing its some metric size, but my old machinist tools are from the '70s and aren't metric.

HTH!

Stephen

[Stephen David]

Actually, I found an online metrics conversion calculator:

.193 inch = 4.9022 millimeter

So, I think its a safe guess that my frets are 5mm in diameter.

(I haven't used the micrometers significantly since 1983 when I changed careers, so my "feel" is probably a bit rusty.)

HTH
Stephen

[ace1112]

thank you all so much for your answers i'll be sure to post pictures when its all said and done

[Stephen David]

Where do you plan to get your gourds? Do you have a local grower who has some the right size?

I built of cheesy wooden sitar from a kit many years ago. It was very simple, sounded pretty dead and had no sympathetics.

But I have always thought it would be cool to try to make a real one, although it seems extremely complicated.

Good luck! Hope it works out for you!

[povster]

My 1999 Barun #1 uses 0.183" (4.65mm) frets. An RKS from a few years ago (pre-orange gourd) has 0.187" (4.75mm).

[ace1112]

yes i am getting my gourd (only doing one out of sound and feel preference) from a local grower

Thanks to the measurements and a little more research i found that the frets are usually gauge 4 AWG that is hammered into shape (that would explain differences in thickness)

for anyone interested the soundboard will be made of Western Red cedar (a bassey wood that's prized for classical guitar, my other instrument) and the neck will in all likelihood be made of maple. Any thoughts on neck woods that will reduce the issues of neck warping