Rob Mastrianni - Electric Sitar Guitar / Harp Guitar / The Introduction and Sympathetic Blues

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Sessions at Avenue A Live. Performing some new songs ("The Introduction, Sympathetic Blues") written by me on my Jerry Jones electric sitar guitar / harp guitar. I'm using the sympathetic strings as a harp. Performed live with no loops or effects. Just Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb pedal. Roland AC33 Amp. Andrew Potenza improvising with me on the Korg Handsonic drum and Cajon.

I've been writing a lot more music lately for my "Coral Electric Sitar Guitar". I just love the unusual sound of this guitar! I usually get 20 emails a week from guitarist and musicians from around the world with questions about this instrument. So here's a very brief history/description.

The prolific session guitarist Vinnie Bell invented the Coral Electric Sitar in 1967. Vinnie Bell was born in 1935 in my hometown of Brooklyn New York! Vinnie was a designer and major innovator for the Danelectro guitar company. He designed and pioneered the first electric 12-string guitar, tremolo, distortion and wah wah guitar effects as far back as the 1950's.

The electric sitars I use were build in the 1990's by Jerry Jones in Nashville, TN. Jerry Jones was a master at building high quality replicas of the Danelectro guitars of the 1950's and 60's. He retired from guitar building in April 2011.

The Coral "Electric Sitar" aka "Sitar Guitar" is a bit of a misnomer and causes much confusion. It is in fact it's own unique instrument that is more similar to a harp guitar then an traditional Indian sitar.

What makes this guitar similar in sound to a traditional Indian sitar is the famous characteristic sound of the "Jawari" style "buzz bridge". The strings basically vibrate on the flat bridge that is slightly curved to produce the buzzing and whirling sound.

The Coral Electric Sitar also has 13 "sympathetic" strings on the guitars body. I personally use these strings as a harp to create finger picked melodies and drones. I also use a variety of alternate tunings when I compose my music on this instrument.