Sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee, and Mark Lettieri of Snarky Puppy, collaboratively told us about their sitar/guitar loves...
Purbayan Chatterjee: My new custom-built P&Bros electric-acoustic sitar, handcrafted by master luthier Suman Karmarkar, has quickly become one of my most versatile instruments. Suman comes from a distinguished lineage of sitar makers—his father trained under the legendary Hiren Roy, whose sitars remain my instrument of choice for traditional classical performances. This beautifully resonant sitar possesses a rich, smooth acoustic voice that is wonderfully captured through condenser or transducer microphones, while a handmade bridge humbucker, designed and fitted by Rohit, opens up an entirely different sonic world.
Running through my HoTone Ampero amp modeller, the pickup delivers everything from warm, dreamy textures to crunchy, expressive electric tones. By blending the acoustic and electric signals, I can tailor the instrument’s presence to suit any musical setting, from intimate classical concerts to contemporary crossover performances. Exceptionally travel-friendly and equipped with remarkably smooth machine heads for effortless tuning, this sitar combines the juicy, singing acoustic character of a fine Hiren Roy instrument with the flexibility and power of a modern electric setup.
Mark Lettieri: My PRS Mark Lettieri Signature Fiore electric guitar is my main instrument, and go-to guitar for composing, recording, and performing. I designed it in collaboration with the incredible team at Paul Reed Smith Guitars in 2020 and I've used it on all my albums and performances since. The Fiore is a very versatile guitar that combines many of the tones and features of some of my favorite instruments I've had over the years into a "do-it-all" instrument - a necessity for me as a player who shifts between multiple styles and genres, sometimes within the same song! It's proven to be a valuable asset to other players as well, as I've seen it used on stages with everyone from Janet Jackson to Deep Purple. There's really no voice I can't find with the Fiore, and I look forward to continuing my sonic journey with it for years to come.
Purbayan Chatterjee and Mark Lettieri's Feathered Creatures album is out now.
Photo credit: Stephanie Lumas
