Tabla Buyers Guide

Bhava Mini Kirtan Harmonium (PRE-ORDER ONLY)

$699.00

NOTICE: Our next batch of Bhava Mini's has reached the U.S. and will arrive at our shop in late-May. This instrument is frequently sold out, and with the current situation in India, supplies are likely to be constrained throughout 2021. Pre-orders will stay available while we have them. Thanks!

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• The Bhava Mini has set a new standard for "mini" harmoniums delivering full, robust sound, impressive sustain, and smooth play in a reasonably small package. While we'd still recommend a full-size box for the recording studio, this one gets close and hits a real sweet spot in terms of portability and sound quality. It is by far our best-selling harmonium.
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
  
  
• - Weight: 16 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 19 x 7 x 12 in. (closed), 19 x 13.5 x 12 (open)
  - Color: Brown
  - Finish: Melamine Clear Polish
  - Exterior Construction: SEL Kail Wood
  - Interior Construction: SEL Kail Wood
  - Box Type: Folding, Safari Style
  - Key Construction: One-piece
  - Number of Keys: 32
  - Reed type: Punjabi style, Classic 
  - Reed banks: 2 sets (Bass, Male)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal
  - Stops: 2 (Bass, Male)
  - Drones: 2 (C#, G#)
  - Coupler: none
  - Scale changer: none
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to its full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

MKS SB1 Concert 1 Octave Shruti Box

$299.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• The quality of a shruti box is determined primarily by two traits - sustain and tuning. By the first measure, this box is phenomenal. It sustains long, even tones easily. And by the second measure, our tuning process ensures you'll get just what you need in terms of perfect tones and intervals calibrated however you choose.
  
  Whether you're buying it for musical accompaniment, meditation, sound healing, or any other use, the MKS Concert 1 Octave Shruti Box creates the beautiful, dynamic organ tones you're desiring across a standard 13 note chromatic scale (C3 to C4) - playable in any western key. Zipped up in it's carrying case, it's lightweight and a great, musical travel companion.
  
  
  
  
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, Illinois
  
  
• - Weight: 8.5 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 16 x 12 x 2.5 in.
  - Color: Medium Tone Natural Stain Finish
  - Finish: Matte
  - Exterior Construction: Teak
  - Interior Construction: Teak
  - Box Type: Shruti Box
  - Valve Construction: Wooden
  - Number of Notes: 13 notes (C3-C4)
  - Reed type: Palitana 
  - Reed orientation: Flat
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Panipat Standard Mini

$599.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• The Panipat Standard Mini is a well crafted traditional 32-key Delhi-style harmonium, with surprisingly great sustain for its size. Along with excellent fundamentals, it is finished in a modern Poly clear coat for exceptional sheen and durability.
  
  This is a top pick for students. For overall quality at a good price, it is an exceptional value. 
  
  Sound Sample and User Guide:
  
  
  
  Includes:
  - Padded gig bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
• - Weight: 16.5 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 19 x 12 x 10 in.
  - Color: Natural
  - Finish: Poly Clear Coat
  - Exterior Construction: SEL / Clear Grade Kail Wood
  - Interior Construction: SEL / Clear Grade Kail Wood - no particle board
  - Box Type: Standard
  - Key Construction: One-piece
  - Number of Keys: 32
  - Reed type: Standard, Punjabi
  - Reed banks: 2 sets (Bass, Male)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal
  - Stops: 2 (Male, Bass)
  - Drones: 2 (C#, G#)
  - Coupler: None
  - Scale changer: None
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Paul & Company Fixed 3 Reed Harmonium

$2,099.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• Paul & Co. manufactures some of the worlds very best Kolkata-style harmoniums. Precision craftsmanship is evident in every detail and distinguishes their instruments from lower cost scale changers. This is their fixed 3 reed model and it is without a doubt one of the very best harmoniums we've ever played.
  
  Visiting the Paul & Company shop in Howrah, West Bengal, we have seen first-hand how these artisan craftsmen go about creating some of the worlds finest harmoniums. In that same spirit, we engage in an unparalleled tuning and refinement process, optimizing each unique piece to achieve it's full potential. Our efforts combined, Old Delhi Music delivers the absolute best Paul & Company harmoniums available anywhere.
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
• - Weight: 38.5 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 25.75 x 16 x 8.5 in. (closed), 25.75 x 16 x 10.5 in. (open)
  - Exterior Construction: Teak
  - Interior Construction: Teak
  - Box Type: Traditional Collapsing
  - Key Construction: Two-piece
  - Number of Keys: 44
  - Reed type: Palitana, Jivanlal R.T. Samrat 
  - Reed banks: 3 sets (Bass, Male, Female)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal (Bass) / Vertical (Male, Female)
  - Scale changer: None
  - Stops: 4 (Bass, Male, Female, Tremolo)
  - Drones: 7
  - Coupler: left action
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Paul & Company 9/3 Scale Changer Harmonium

Sold Out

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• Paul & Co. manufactures some of the worlds very best Kolkata-style harmoniums. Precision craftsmanship is evident in every detail and distinguishes their instruments from lower cost scale changers. This is their standard 9 scale, 3 reed model and it is without a doubt one of the very best harmoniums we've ever played.
  
  Visiting the Paul & Company shop in Howrah, West Bengal, we have seen first-hand how these artisan craftsmen go about creating some of the worlds finest harmoniums. In that same spirit, we engage in an unparalleled tuning and refinement process, optimizing each unique piece to achieve it's full potential. Our efforts combined, Old Delhi Music delivers the absolute best Paul & Company harmoniums available anywhere.
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
• - Weight: 39.5 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 25.75 x 16 x 8.5 in. (closed), 25.75 x 16 x 10.5 in. (open)
  - Exterior Construction: Teak
  - Interior Construction: Teak
  - Box Type: Traditional Collapsing
  - Key Construction: Two-piece
  - Number of Keys: 37 sliding
  - Reed type: Palitana, Jivanlal R.T. Samrat 
  - Reed banks: 3 sets (Bass, Male, Female)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal (Bass) / Vertical (Male, Female)
  - Scale changer: 9 scales
  - Stops: 4 (Bass, Male, Female, Tremolo)
  - Drones: 7
  - Coupler: left action
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Saras Travel 32 Harmonium

$499.00 $579.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• The Saras Travel 32 is a wonderful "Mini" (short scale) collapsing harmonium. It's built into a traditional collapsing case with a side-fold bellows, 2 stops / 2 drones, and finished in a beautiful walnut stain. This one's perfect for students looking for a great entry point into harmonium!
  
  
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
  
• - Weight: 22.5 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 19 x 8.25 x 14.25 in. (closed), 19 x 11.75 x 14.25 in. (open)
  - Color: Walnut
  - Finish: Polyurethane 
  - Exterior Construction: Cedar
  - Interior Construction: Pine (no particle board)
  - Box Type: Traditional Folding
  - Key Construction: One-piece
  - Number of Keys: 32
  - Reed type: Brass, Panipat 
  - Reed banks: 2 sets (Bass, Male)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal
  - Stops: 2
  - Drones: 2
  - Coupler: none
  - Scale changer: none
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Bhava Classic Limited Edition Teak Harmonium

$999.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• The Bhava Classic Teak is unparalleled. Finished in a smooth poly and built into a collapsible frame, the Bhava Classic Teak is both beautiful and very portable - perfectly sized for easy transport in the overhead compartment of a plane. The highly durable and unquestionably beautiful, select grade teak shell resonates to produce profound clarity in voice. Tight interior construction by the very best builders in India and top notch refinement in the U.S. combine to ensure a warm, dynamic sound that is certain to only improve with age.
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
• - Weight: 26 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 23.5 x 7 x 12 in. (closed), 23.5 x 13.5 x 13.5 in. (open)
  - Color: Natural
  - Finish: Polyurethane
  - Exterior Construction: Teak Wood
  - Interior Construction: SEL Grade Bhutan Pine / Kail Wood
  - Box Type: Folding, Safari Style
  - Key Construction: One-piece
  - Number of Keys: 42
  - Reed type: Punjabi style, Classic Premier
  - Reed banks: 2 sets (Bass, Male)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal
  - Stops: 2 (Male, Bass)
  - Drones: 4 (C, D, G, A)
  - Coupler: none
  - Scale changer: none
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

TAAL Pro Tabla / Dayan - 5.5 inch

$199.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• TAAL Professional Neem wood tabla’s are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional Sheesham, which was added to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species list in 2017.
  
  Neem wood is part of the mahogany family. It is harvested from a fast growing, drought resistant, heat tolerant tree that is common throughout India. These drums are made with the densest part of the Neem tree - the root wood. This root wood is dried for months before being cut and hollowed out into the drum shape.
  
  This tabla / dayan measures 5.5 inches at the rim and will tune up nicely to B, C, or C#. Precise construction of the syahi (gob) give these drums incredible bell-like clarity. Video samples are included below -- 
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - Padded Tabla Bag when purchased with any TAAL Bayan (sorry, no single drum bags available at this time)
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- classes on tabla, harmonium, and more!
  
  Played with "Concert" Copper Bayan - 5KG weight:
  
  
  Played with "Professional" Copper Bayan - 4KG weight:
  
  
  Played with "Standard" Copper Bayan - 3KG weight:
  
  
  Played with "Standard" Brass Bayan - 3KG weight:
  
  
  
• GENERAL:
  - Overall Dimensions: ~11 inches x 7.5 inches
  - Weight: ~9-10 lbs.
  - Head diameter: 5.5 inch, tunes to B, C or C#
  - Wood: Neem 
  - Color: Dark / natural
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Sursargam Sur Tanpura | Tanpura + Swarmandal 2-in-1

$399.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• This Sursargam "Sur Tanpura" is a combination of two Indian instruments. The first is a tanpura, which can be tuned to female or male range and is strung with common wound guitar strings. The second is a 15-string swarmandal strung with plain steel guitar strings and a variety of tuning options. Both instruments are built on the same sound box. It is fitted with all modern gear tuners for easy tuning.
  
  Includes:
  - Soft Case
  - FREE SHIPPING (within continental U.S. only) from our Urbana, IL location
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 35 in. x 11 in. x 3 in. (including strings and tuners)
  - Weight: 3.375 lbs.
  - Tanpura Strings: 4
  - Swarmandal Strings: 15
  - Color: Natural / Redwood tone
  - Finish: Poly
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

TAAL Concert Copper Bayan / Dugga - 5KG weight

$449.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• This is a very heavy, concert quality floral pattern 5KG copper Bayan / Dugga made in Varanasi, India. It’s an absolutely unbeatable drum, and an ideal match for any TAAL Dayan / Tabla.

  
  Includes:
  - Cushion and cover
  - Gig bag and hammer (when purchased with any single TAAL dayan / tabla only)
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- classes on tabla, harmonium, and more!
  
  Played with TAAL 5 inch Tabla
  
  
  Played with TAAL 5.25 inch Tabla
  
  
  Played with TAAL 5.5 inch Tabla
  
  
  Played with TAAL 5.75 inch Tabla
  
  
  Played with TAAL 6 inch Tabla
  
  
  
• GENERAL:
  - Overall Dimensions: ~11 x 11.5 inches
  - Head Size: 9 inch
  - Weight: 5 kg / 11 lbs.
  - Construction: Copper
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Sursargam Box Tanpura

$349.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• The Sursargam "Box Tanpura" can be tuned to female or male ranges and is strung with common wound guitar strings tied to modern gear tuners for easy tuning. It's not a traditional gourd design tanpura, but it's still quite beautiful and sounds surprisingly great. Whether you buy it for convenience or affordability, this instrument is a convenient way to explore and enjoy this traditional Indian drone instrument at home or anywhere.
  
  Includes:
  - Soft Case
  - FREE SHIPPING (within continental U.S. only) from our Urbana, IL location
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 36 in. x 5.75 in. x 3.25 in. (including strings and tuners)
  - Weight: 3 lbs. 4 oz. 
  - Tanpura Strings: 4
  - Color: Natural / Redwood tone
  - Finish: Poly
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

MKS Flatback Female Tanpura

$699.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• This MKS Flatback Tanpura delivers rich sound in a portable platform. This is the female version. It measures 53 inches x 8 inches x 3 inches deep and includes a form fitting travel case.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - Professional Set-Up / Service (available ONLY because we have our products on hand and do not distribute via wholesale / drop shipping companies...this is a BIG deal!)
  - One Extra String Set
  - Professional Hard Case
  
  

• - Overall Dimensions: 53 x 8 x 3 inches
  - Weight: ~4 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahogany
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

MKS Instrumental Tanpura - B-stock

$399.00 $519.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• This traditional Instrumental Tanpura made by MKS in Kolkata. It's well-crafted with tun wood and finished in a beautiful dark stain. 
  
  These are set-up with care and shipped only from our U.S. location in Urbana, IL. We do not drop ship.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - Professional Set-Up / Prep
  - Carrying Case
  - One Extra String Set
  
  Optional:
  - Additional string sets (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Tanpura Pickup (add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 40 x 12 x 4 inch
  - Weight: ~3.8 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahagony
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: If you want to buy a great Tanpura, you're in the right place.
  
  Our passion is to connect people like you with India's very best handcrafted folk instruments, and since 2010, our little family-owned operation has steadily evolved for this purpose.
  
  If you're curious, PBS dug into a little bit of the back story in 2014:
  
  
  
  And if you're curious about what we've been up to more recently, our sitar buddy Jeff Starr released this interview in 2021:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains comparatively primitive. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this old-fashioned production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument. 
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

MKS Instrumental Tanpura

Sold Out

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• This traditional Instrumental Tanpura made by MKS in Kolkata. It's well-crafted with tun wood and finished in a beautiful dark stain. 
  
  These are set-up with care and shipped only from our U.S. location in Urbana, IL. We do not drop ship.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - Professional Set-Up / Prep
  - Carrying Case
  - One Extra String Set
  
  Optional:
  - Additional string sets (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Tanpura Pickup (add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 40 x 12 x 4 inch
  - Weight: ~3.8 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahagony
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: If you want to buy a great Tanpura, you're in the right place.
  
  Our passion is to connect people like you with India's very best handcrafted folk instruments, and since 2010, our little family-owned operation has steadily evolved for this purpose.
  
  If you're curious, PBS dug into a little bit of the back story in 2014:
  
  
  
  And if you're curious about what we've been up to more recently, our sitar buddy Jeff Starr released this interview in 2021:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains comparatively primitive. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this old-fashioned production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument. 
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Panipat Deluxe Studio Harmonium - B-stock

$649.00 $699.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• The Panipat Deluxe Studio is a very well crafted traditional 42-key Delhi-style harmonium. It has wonderful, long sustain and allows the player to express dynamics the way only a well constructed, full-size harmonium will allow. Along with excellent fundamentals, these are finished in a modern Poly clear coat for exceptional sheen and durability.
  
  
  
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
• - Weight: 21 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 24 x 11 x 13 in.
  - Color: Light Brown
  - Finish: Poly Clear Coat
  - Exterior Construction: SEL / Clear Grade Kail Wood
  - Interior Construction: SEL / Clear Grade Kail Wood - no particle board
  - Box Type: Standard
  - Key Construction: One-piece
  - Number of Keys: 42
  - Reed type: Punjabi style, Classic
  - Reed banks: 2 sets (Bass, Male)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal
  - Stops: 5 (Male, Bass, Bass, Bass, Male)
  - Drones: 4 (C#, D#, G#, A#)
  - Coupler: Yes
  - Scale changer: None
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Naeem No. 1 Female Concert Tanpura / Tambura

$1,599.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• Many of the most remarkable Tanpuras in India have origins in Miraj. This full-decoration Female is the very finest Tun wood model made by this renowned maker. It's truly one of the best we've heard.
  
  Naeem Sitarmaker maintains integrity and artistry using only locally sourced materials and honing them into fine quality instruments, as has been the tradition in his family for over 150 years. This instrument is an example of some of their very best work.
  
  These are set-up with care and shipped only from our U.S. location in Urbana, IL. We do not drop ship.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within U.S. (excludes HI and AK)
  - Fiberglass Hard Case ($399 value)
  - Professional Set-Up / Prep
  - One Extra String Set
  
  Optional:
  - Additional string sets (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Tanpura Pickup (add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 52 x 15 x 13 inch
  - Weight: ~6 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahagony
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: If you want to buy a great Tanpura, you're in the right place.
  
  Our passion is to connect people like you with India's very best handcrafted folk instruments, and since 2010, our little family-owned operation has steadily evolved for this purpose.
  
  If you're curious, PBS dug into a little bit of the back story in 2014:
  
  
  
  And if you're curious about what we've been up to more recently, our sitar buddy Jeff Starr released this interview in 2021:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains comparatively primitive. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this old-fashioned production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument. 
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Naeem No. 1 Male Concert Tanpura / Tambura

$1,799.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• Many of the most remarkable Tanpuras in India have origins in Miraj. This full-decoration Male is the very finest Tun wood model made by this renowned maker. 
  
  Naeem Sitarmaker maintains integrity and artistry using only locally sourced materials and honing them into fine quality instruments, as has been the tradition in his family for over 150 years. This instrument is an example of some of their very best work.
  
  These are set-up with care and shipped only from our U.S. location in Urbana, IL. We do not drop ship.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within U.S. (excludes HI and AK)
  - Fiberglass Hard Case ($399 value)
  - Professional Set-Up / Prep
  - One Extra String Set
  
  Optional:
  - Additional string sets (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Tanpura Pickup (add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 56 x 16 x 13 inch
  - Weight: ~6 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahagony
  - Finish: Poly
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: If you want to buy a great Tanpura, you're in the right place.
  
  Our passion is to connect people like you with India's very best handcrafted folk instruments, and since 2010, our little family-owned operation has steadily evolved for this purpose.
  
  If you're curious, PBS dug into a little bit of the back story in 2014:
  
  
  
  And if you're curious about what we've been up to more recently, our sitar buddy Jeff Starr released this interview in 2021:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains comparatively primitive. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this old-fashioned production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument. 
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Naeem Teak Female Concert Tanpura / Tambura

$1,899.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• Many of the most remarkable Tanpuras in India have origins in Miraj, and this one is among them. This unique, full-size teakwood Female Concert-style Tanpura is a treasure.
  
  Naeem Sitarmaker maintains integrity and artistry using only locally sourced materials and honing them into fine quality instruments, as has been the tradition in his family for over 150 years. This instrument is an example of some of their very best work.
  
  These are set-up with care and shipped only from our U.S. location in Urbana, IL. We do not drop ship.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within U.S. (excludes HI and AK)
  - Fiberglass Hard Case ($399 value)
  - Professional Set-Up / Prep
  - One Extra String Set
  
  Optional:
  - Additional string sets (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Tanpura Pickup (add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 52 x 15 x 13 inch
  - Weight: ~6 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahagony
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: If you want to buy a great Tanpura, you're in the right place.
  
  Our passion is to connect people like you with India's very best handcrafted folk instruments, and since 2010, our little family-owned operation has steadily evolved for this purpose.
  
  If you're curious, PBS dug into a little bit of the back story in 2014:
  
  
  
  And if you're curious about what we've been up to more recently, our sitar buddy Jeff Starr released this interview in 2021:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains comparatively primitive. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this old-fashioned production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument. 
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Naeem Teak Male Concert Tanpura / Tambura

Sold Out

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• Many of the most remarkable Tanpuras in India have origins in Miraj, and this one is among them. This unique, full-size teakwood Male Concert-style Tanpura is a treasure, and currently available by special order only. Please contact us for more details.
  
  Naeem Sitarmaker maintains integrity and artistry using only locally sourced materials and honing them into fine quality instruments, as has been the tradition in his family for over 150 years. This instrument is an example of some of their very best work.
  
  These are set-up with care and shipped only from our U.S. location in Urbana, IL. We do not drop ship.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within U.S. (excludes HI and AK)
  - Fiberglass Hard Case ($399 value)
  - Professional Set-Up / Prep
  - One Extra String Set
  
  Optional:
  - Additional string sets (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Tanpura Pickup (add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 56 x 16 x 13 inch
  - Weight: ~7 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahagony
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: If you want to buy a great Tanpura, you're in the right place.
  
  Our passion is to connect people like you with India's very best handcrafted folk instruments, and since 2010, our little family-owned operation has steadily evolved for this purpose.
  
  If you're curious, PBS dug into a little bit of the back story in 2014:
  
  
  
  And if you're curious about what we've been up to more recently, our sitar buddy Jeff Starr released this interview in 2021:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains comparatively primitive. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this old-fashioned production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument. 
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

MKS SB1 Concert 1 Octave Shruti Box - B Stock

$279.00 $299.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• The quality of a shruti box is determined primarily by two traits - sustain and tuning. By the first measure, this box is phenomenal. It sustains long, even tones easily. And by the second measure, our tuning process ensures you'll get just what you need in terms of perfect tones and intervals calibrated however you choose.
  
  Whether you're buying it for musical accompaniment, meditation, sound healing, or any other use, the MKS Concert 1 Octave Shruti Box creates the beautiful, dynamic organ tones you're desiring across a standard 13 note chromatic scale (C3 to C4) - playable in any western key. Zipped up in it's carrying case, it's lightweight and a great, musical travel companion.
  
  
  
  
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, Illinois
  
  
• - Weight: 8.5 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 16 x 12 x 2.5 in.
  - Color: Medium Tone Natural Stain Finish
  - Finish: Matte
  - Exterior Construction: Teak
  - Interior Construction: Teak
  - Box Type: Shruti Box
  - Valve Construction: Wooden
  - Number of Notes: 13 notes (C3-C4)
  - Reed type: Palitana 
  - Reed orientation: Flat
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

Paul & Company Fixed 3 Reed Harmonium - B-stock

$1,899.00 $2,099.00

 NOTE: This item is listed as b-stock due to minor cosmetic imperfections only. It's condition is otherwise the same as any normal Paul & Company product.

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Custom Options & Value Adds
• Disclaimer

• Paul & Co. manufactures some of the worlds very best Kolkata-style harmoniums. Precision craftsmanship is evident in every detail and distinguishes their instruments from lower cost scale changers. This is their fixed 3 reed model and it is without a doubt one of the very best harmoniums we've ever played.
  
  Visiting the Paul & Company shop in Howrah, West Bengal, we have seen first-hand how these artisan craftsmen go about creating some of the worlds finest harmoniums. In that same spirit, we engage in an unparalleled tuning and refinement process, optimizing each unique piece to achieve it's full potential. Our efforts combined, Old Delhi Music delivers the absolute best Paul & Company harmoniums available anywhere.
  
  Includes:
  - Padded Gig Bag
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S.
  - One month FREE access at Bhakti Breakfast Club -- hundreds of harmonium classes to explore!
  - Expert tuning and refinement services completed at our shop in our Urbana, IL
  
  
• - Weight: 38.5 lbs.
  - Dimensions: 25.75 x 16 x 8.5 in. (closed), 25.75 x 16 x 10.5 in. (open)
  - Exterior Construction: Teak
  - Interior Construction: Teak
  - Box Type: Traditional Collapsing
  - Key Construction: Two-piece
  - Number of Keys: 44
  - Reed type: Palitana, Jivanlal R.T. Samrat 
  - Reed banks: 3 sets (Bass, Male, Female)
  - Reed orientation: Horizontal (Bass) / Vertical (Male, Female)
  - Scale changer: None
  - Stops: 4 (Bass, Male, Female, Tremolo)
  - Drones: 7
  - Coupler: left action
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• 
  
  

  It's a shame when we receive harmoniums purchased elsewhere and have to bill someone a couple hundred dollars for the work we would have included for free...

  
  
  
  
  Q: How long have you been doing this?
  
  A: Since 2010.
  
  Q: How'd you get started?
  
  A: Our first "factory checked" shipment of harmoniums arrived needing some serious attention. Rather than selling bad products, we went to work learning how to make them to sound great and we've been improving at that ever since.
  
  Q: So you know what you're doing?
  
  A: Yup. We know how to bring just about any harmonium to it's full potential.
  
  Q: Shouldn't that be the builders job?
  
  A: The builders put the instruments together, and we mostly work with people who do that well. Our job is refinement - we coax the good sounds and feels out by manipulating this and that - scraping here, turning there. On a Kolkata-style box, that process can consume an entire day. On a standard twin reed, 3-4 hours is pretty typical. It's a process, but when you've drawn out all the goodness, it's totally worthwhile.
  
  Q: But is it really practical to do this with each one?
  
  A: Well, "The Harmonium Handbook" does say that fully retuning "an entire harmonium" (even a two reed) is impractical. But we do it anyway...every single day.
  
  Q: Is it tedious?
  
  A: Sure. But it's also fairly meditative, and the days go pretty fast.
  
  Q: So it's worthwhile?
  
  A: Absolutely. Taking an instrument that's "decent" to awesome in a few hours is good work. No question.
  
  Q: I've shopped around, and your prices are pretty competitive. Given the level of service you're talking about, how do you do it?
  
  A: We do pretty good volume, and we don't have a storefront, so we keep our expenses low.
  
  Q: Any other competitive advantages to note?
  
  A: Definitely. We are THE ONLY shop anywhere that offers custom, hand tuning services for ANY new two, three or four reed harmonium. Only one competitor offers a similar service, and that's only for a couple of their two reed models.
  
  Q: But don't all the others claim to have A440 tuned harmoniums?
  
  A: Many competitors advertise harmoniums that are "~A440" or "A440+/-...", but for true precision and accuracy, every single reed must be touched, allowed to settle, and refined until the tuning is stable. The process takes time, and it can't be rushed or sit too long in a warehouse waiting for eventual fulfillment. Quality, custom set up and tuning can ONLY be completed on a per-order basis, which means you'll have to wait a few extra days. It's NOT a service you can offer via Amazon Prime.
  
  Q: Tell me about your tuning options?
  
  A: We can do anything. But in general, we offer these three options:
  
  - Equal tuning (Free): An Equal or Indian tuned instrument can be played with other instruments as long as they are tuned to match the harmonium. To complete this basic service, we determine roughly where the instrument is already settled out, which is typically higher than A440 and generally out of tune up and down the scale. Once we know about how it is generally pitched, we check and adjust each reed individually as needed and then match octaves along with common intervals. Altogether, it's a lot of small to medium adjustments and in the end, we have generally touched 75-100% of the reeds to get everything in tune. This is our standard approach.
  
  - Concert Pitch / A440 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Concert Pitch tuned harmonium will match the default tuning for Western Instruments, meaning this is a very versatile tuning choice. For this service, all reeds are retuned up and down to scale to correspond with Concert Pitch standard tuning where the middle A note resonates at 440hz. This service requires additional wait time since we have to first tune everything once, allow it to settle out for a day or so, and then go back through it again to make finer adjustments similar to what we do when Equal tuning. Only in this case, we are Equal tuning so that everything is pitched to correspond right with A440.
  
  - Cosmic Pitch / A432 tuning (Optional; fee varies): A Cosmic A432 harmonium will work only in conjunction with other A432 tuned instruments. This is a newer service, and we offer this for only select harmoniums that handle this tuning well. With this service, all reeds are drastically retuned nearly a quarter tone below Concert Pitch to match a middle A resonating at 432hz., which is said to be a frequency that resonates in true harmony with the universe. This service takes a week+ to complete.
  
  Q: Do you believe the hype about A432?
  
  A: It does sound pretty deep and beautiful when it's done, but who knows...
  
  Q: What aren't you guys good at?
  
  A: We focus on the instruments, which means we often times lag on website updates. And social media is definitely a priority...
  
  Q: So what's the best way to contact you if I have additional questions.
  
  A: Give us a call or send an email.
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

MKS Flatback Female Tanpura - B-stock

$649.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• This MKS Flatback Tanpura delivers rich sound in a portable platform. This is the female version. It measures 53 inches x 8 inches x 3 inches deep and includes a form fitting travel case.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - Professional Set-Up / Service (available ONLY because we have our products on hand and do not distribute via wholesale / drop shipping companies...this is a BIG deal!)
  - One Extra String Set
  - Professional Hard Case
  
  

• - Overall Dimensions: 53 x 8 x 3 inches
  - Weight: ~4 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahogany
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

MKS Female Concert Tanpura

$999.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• This is a full-size Female Concert-style Tanpura made by MKS in Kolkata. It's well-crafted with tun wood and finished in a beautiful dark stain. This female version has a large gourd and rich tone. 
  
  These are set-up with care and shipped only from our U.S. location in Urbana, IL. We do not drop ship.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - Professional Set-Up / Prep
  - One Extra String Set
  
  Optional:
  - Additional string sets (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Tanpura Pickup (add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: 52 x 15 x 13 inch
  - Weight: ~5 lbs
  - Main Strings: 4
  - Color: Dark Mahagony
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: If you want to buy a great Tanpura, you're in the right place.
  
  Our passion is to connect people like you with India's very best handcrafted folk instruments, and since 2010, our little family-owned operation has steadily evolved for this purpose.
  
  If you're curious, PBS dug into a little bit of the back story in 2014:
  
  
  
  And if you're curious about what we've been up to more recently, our sitar buddy Jeff Starr released this interview in 2021:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains comparatively primitive. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this old-fashioned production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument. 
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details

RKS No. 3 Sitar - Lefty

$799.00

• Description
• Product Specs
• Shipping & Store Info
• Disclaimer

• The RKS No. 3 "Lefty" is a well refined, entry level left-handed sitar. It's a fantastic option for new or intermediate players. Radha Krishna Sharma & Co. (RKS) was founded in Kolkata in 1968. They offer well-crafted, professional grade Indian string instruments at accessible price points.
  
  We have spent time with the company owner Saroj Sharma while in Kolkata, and we appreciate the tradition and spirit he maintains running the company. We are very pleased to work with him directly and carry ONLY their "Original" products. (NOTE: "Original" RKS products can be identified with the nameplate reading "Radha Krishna Sharma" and not "Made for...by RKS.")
  
  We have these in our inventory in the U.S., and they are each set up in our Urbana, IL shop before shipping. This model has 7 main strings and 11 taraf/sympathetic strings. The finish is a warm mahogany brown and the carving and penwork are simple and nicely done.
  
  Includes:
  - FREE SHIPPING within continental U.S. from our Urbana, IL location
  - Padded Soft Case ($69 value)
  - One Extra String Set
  - Mirzrabs (for plucking strings)
  - Professional Set-Up / Service (available ONLY because we have our products on hand and do not distribute via wholesale / drop shipping companies...this is a BIG deal!)
  
  Optional Add-On's:
  - Upgrade to Hard Case (add $100 / $300 value)
  - Additional string sets & Mizrabs (discounted w/ purchase)
  - Sitar Pickup (Add $150)
  
  
• - Overall Dimensions: ~49 x 14 x 12 inches
  - Weight: 7.5 lbs.
  - Main Strings: 7
  - Taraf/Sympathetic Strings: 11
  - Color: Warm Mahogany Brown
  - Finish: Shellac
  
  
  
• SHIPPING: Your instrument will arrive safely, and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it. Our packing methods have ensured that over 99% of the instruments we ship arrive undamaged. Should things not go perfectly, we will get you a replacement, refund, part or whatever is necessary. No problem.
  
  STORE: Old Delhi Music carefully curates a selection of only fine quality ethnic musical instruments. Our business is family owned and operated in Urbana, IL since 2010. For the back story, check out this video:
  
  
• While much of India is rapidly advancing, the Indian instrument manufacturing process remains very old school. From touch ups to tuning, much of what we do at Old Delhi Music is add a layer of quality control to an otherwise non-standardized production process.
  
  We wrote THIS ARTICLE to ensure customers understand and might appreciate this vintage production style, the unique products we carry, and how we're working to ensure genuine quality, despite the odds. It's a quick read, and definitely worthwhile for anyone considering the purchase of a traditional Indian instrument.
  
  Thank you,
  Old Delhi Music
  
  

View full product details