Do sitar strings break easily?

Question:yeah, i'm thinking of buying a sitar, but i'm wanting to know if when your restringing it, do the strings break easily like a violin's strings do, or are they like guitar strings to where they can stretch a little bit.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: yeah, i'm thinking of buying a sitar, but i'm wanting to know if when your restringing it, do the strings break easily like a violin's strings do, or are they like guitar strings to where they can stretch a little bit.

There are different quality of sitar strings available in the States. The suspect ones are more the generic type. At concert pitch of C# of D they will not last very long. They might not break when re stringing your sitar but when you start to play, especially when you do the meend (pulling) work, they will tend to snap. Preferred metal is bronze for the #2, 3, and 4 strings in stead of the brass or copper. For more information including lessons on the sitar, visit my pages at http://www.raganet.com/

Another issue is the right string gauges. There are some sets out there that are simply not correct. Either they are too slinky or too thick. There are multiple issues to consider regarding this mismatch but the net result is that inadequate sitar string tensions result. This stops one from getting the maximum benefit out of their playing experience and risk possible injury to your hands or the sitar.

Stock strings (that come pre-installed) have another problem. They catch rust on their long journey from India. These usually don't last very long and should be changed after acquiring the sitar. Clean the bridges with #00 steel wool to remove any rust or dirt before installing the new strings.

All the best,
Ashwin Batish
http://www.ashwinbatish.com

it depends on the string of course if you wanna go traditional and use the gut string they wil most likely break nylon will last a bit longer