Received a mail from someone wanting to buy an electric guitar here in Delhi. Thought I'd paste the transcript for the benefit of any music lovers who might be reading this, and/or contemplating getting a six string themselves. And if I may add, it is never too late to start on one.

Electric guitar prices start anywhere from Rs.3,000 for Indian brands like Givson and can go up to, well, over 5-10 lakhs for international brands, if you are interested.

Aspiring teenagers usually have really low budgets to begin with. Like Bhuvan here who wanted to buy an electric guitar for Rs. 4,000.

The only brands that fit in that budget are Givson and Java, the former made in Calcutta and the latter an import (basically a Fender clone) from China and Indonesia.

My first suggestion to him was to try increasing his budget a bit (maybe save up a little more) so that he could also bring in brands like Tansen, J&D, GB&A and Aria under his consideration set.

Tansen guitars are made in Chennai by Harmony Guitars who are also OEM for several reputed international brands, especially Jackson. Though made in India, quality and variety wise Tansen guitars offer much better value, and obviously so because of their OEM linkages. Prices are a wee bit higher at 7K onwards, but what you get is definitely better quality too. Here's a Java guitar listed for 4,600 at Bajaao.com.

Some Aria guitars can be seen listed here.

Problem with living in this country is that the price you pay for keeping your eyes and ears open is too high. And if you are the rare few who also like to watch with their minds silently, and listen with their hearts then, well, you are in big trouble.

I've been to Bombay and back over this one week break and the differences between the two cities have already stirred half a dozen bloggable thought streams in my head.

And here I am trying to figure out which one I want to write first about (talk about having unfinished business).

But while I try to shy away from indexing those inside my head, let me write on my new found or, rather, self -imposed predicament, that of writing a blog.

The first challenge of course if to be regular with what I write. But a bigger challenge is maintaining objectivity in what I write.

Only a day before I was sharing with someone how partially let down I was feelng by the blogs being written by the Bollywood brigade these days. Anurag Kashyap kinda echoed my views there yesterday (and we actually havent spoken since 1995).

The entire superstar persona comes crashing down when just a few posts reveal that the Big As and Big Bs of tinsel town are actually more human than most of us. Aamir resorting to taking a dig at Shahrukh Khan by writing about a dog named so, Amitabh Bachchan reacting to some absolutely absurd suggestions from the health minister regarding film stars smoking on the screen and more. Anurag puts it well when he says that Blogosphere is being used to wage celebrity wars and the space which was once a medium of expression and discussion has become a washbasin for personal grievances".

Not quite the way I would have put it, but yes, in priniciple similar to my concern that if you write in the pubilc space then it is important not to wear your heart on your sleeve.

That to me is always the biggest challenge of writing here. More than worrying about the grammar, keeping the humour alive, researching before commenting  on anything and everything (it's my blog right ?), overcoming the fear of baring my personality online, handling brickbats when they come in, keeping the writing tight and consistent (that's from the wish list dummy. I am not saying that I am already doing it), spell chex, content archiving, google rankings, writing about mundane and awfully smelly stuff like men pissing everywhere and still hoping that I'll pass off as the stud in town, ... and well.. phew..

Excuse me, why exactly I am doing this ?

If you are a resident of Delhi then it is difficult to not have come across the furore over the first leg of the BRT. Chances are that you also share the negative sentiments that the project has evoked, and which the media seems to have fallen totally in love with.

Seemingly trigger-happy, pen-toting journalists have taken it upon themselves to prove the project a failure on every ground. And if I look around, the consensus seems to be echoing the same.

Staying in South Delhi, I have happened to use the BRT corridor on several occasions and I was both amused & fascinated with the observations that I made. Nothing earth-shattering but none the less worth mentioning here.

And in the light of my observations I was suddenly able to notice that the media interest in blaming the BRT (and hence the ruling government) for any and everything that seems to be going wrong on that stretch, was becoming a bit too obvious.

So much so that the (breaking) news of a cyclone hitting Myanmar and claiming more than 100,000 lives was pushed to page 9 or 10,  on the first day and then repeatedly, day after day. (Weigh this against the fact that a recent bomb blast in Jaipur which claimed 60 lives got front page coverage)

I'll continue this post a bit later, but in the meantime here are a few videos from the BRT stretch which seem to have been uploaded by zealous citizens:



More videos here


(to be continued..)

Designer Kavita Bhartiya's collection draws ideas from the classic flaws of mankind

That was the headline on a page 3 article in HT City some time back. If you really want to understand what that means then look at the legs of the model who was chosen to show off the collection.

Look carefully and tell me (and I mean, cross your heart / hope to die) if the poor girl doesnt look as if her left leg might have been afflicted.

If that is what classic flaw of mankind that Ms. Bhartiya is planning to show off... then I think her fashion line succeeds.

Additionally, I am wondering.. how did the girl become a model any way. Whatever happened to visual aesthetics and body symmetry.

How did the photographer (Rajesh Kashyap), modeling agency and the fashion designer select the girl as a model in the first place ??

I wonder if these people realise that modeling takes a lot of guts and hardwork. They should not glorify health trends that make a complete mockery of the trade, not to speak of the effect it has on youngsters aspiring to be models.

© Hindustan Times

I'll keep on writing this blog... but in the meantime I do sit and wonder if instead I can refuse to inherit this world.

Did I ever have that option ?

Looks like I was not the only one 'pissed' off about the issue. An interesting article from Indrajit Hazra that appeared in the HT the very next day:


On Sunday, as you were sitting down for dinner, or tying your pajama strings before hitting the sack, or making Uncle Anbumani worry about your drinking habits, a landmark arrest was being made in New Delhi.

Baljit Singh Sabharwal and Harjit Singh, law-abiding citizens and happy-go-1ucky fellas, decided that when you gotta go, you don't necessarily have to go too far.

That decision of theirs may lead to a change in behavioural patterns of urban Indian men forever. Being around 9 pm in balmy Delhi, our two friends figured that since they were in the vicinity of a Metro station and needed to empty their bladders, the premises of the station would do very well for the purpose, thank you very much. As they helped themselves mark their territories, a few Metro Rail employees tried to stop them from tinkling. It wasn't the right spot. And it wasn't the right time. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)personnel were called in, who in turn handed over our lightened but unenlightened friends to the police. Ba1jit'n'Harjit were arrested for committing nuisance.

Read the full article here

© Hindustan Times

An article from Delhi edition of HT dated May 03, 2008.




© Hindustan Times

The method is simple but would be extremely effective. I have always felt that in a country where the erring-citizen and the law-keepers cross-patronize each other, policing the regular way is not the way out.

Fines are ok but their sting does not last for long. Instead you gotta hit people where it hurts the most, i.e. their over-swollen pride. And more so because a high percentage amongst these are repeat  offenders and they break the law so as to prove a point to themselves.

Well.. whip and regulation couldnt scare them since they have enough money to buy those all up.

So we fight fire with fire.

If an inflated ego is what you have then we go a step further and give you a little attention to inflate that ego further. And when I say attention, why not some public attention ?

Just try and visualise this:

1. You stop your car in the middle of any where you feel like, walk up to the nearest wall and rather nonchalantly start to unzip. And then... instead of the familiar whistling sound that signals relief....,  lotsa whistles and, basically, sonic mayhem.

Maybe you have also left the car engine running since your family members are waiting in the car.

Wow !

- Bought top of the line sedan to show off my financial status to the world: Rs. 8.5 lakhs
- Weekend getaway with family at nearest holiday resort: Rs. 40,000
- Bottle of drinking water to quench thirst on the long drive to the resort: Rs. 12
- Stopping to pee in the open and being blasted by the Whistle Blower Gang infront of family and passer-bys: PRICELESS !!

Now, that's a mastercard moment.

Projecting further, I think it would be fabulous to have the tables turned on men and have women whistle at them instead. Am sure they will take it in extremely good spirits since it's just taking a leaf out of their very own books.

Ladies, any thoughts ?

I get this question asked very frequently.

You can always google for it and get a thousand results to get started. But the problem is that all of them, while explaining, refer to brands that are almost never available in India. And even if they are, they end up being too expensive on account of forex conversions. So they aren't too helpful unless you have some relative whose agreed to bring the guitar along on his next trip to India.


I answered a similar question on a forum where I write quite frequently.

"Hi!

I'm Prateek. I am from Bangalore and I wanna pick up a guitar from Mumbai while I'm there sometime shortly. Please help me with the following:

1. My budget is 8k MAX! I had a chinese made J&D which I just sold. It was warping a bit after 3 years. What can I pick up in my budget? I want a cutaway acoustic, jumbo size.

2. Which shop(s) should I go to?

I just don't want the guitar to get screwed later coz initially they all look n sound great! Also, should I buy a higher version on brands like gb&a or the starting versions of Yamaha/Ibaneze which would fit in my budget.

Like you see, i need help! Thanks!

-Prateek."

Hi Prateek

I would love to help you out but I dont stay in Mumbai and I am not due to be there anytime soon.

But from my experience the best place for buying guitars in Mumbai would be Furtados. I'll try and dig out its address and mail it you. They are the authorised importers for most of the foreign brands (except perhaps Fender) and you will be assured that you are getting the maximum range of models and untampered prices. They also have indian brands so you can always do a comparison in sound /quality.

Hopefully that answers your question about the shop. There are other shops like S.B. Music / Alberto's in Malad and Bhargava's / Music Mall towards South Bombay, but none of them will have the choices that Furtados can offer. Also, since all the others are resellers, who are in turn sourcing from Furtados, you may be better off talking to Furtados directly.

Ok, now coming to the model, it will help if you can tell me what level of playing you are at. Since you have had a J&D for 3 years I am assuming that you arent a beginner.

8K is a decent budget if you want to go shopping for an acoustic guitar. I have n't played ibanez acoustics too often so I'll recommend that you also read reviews off the net for evaluating that.

Yamaha is a personal favourite since I have found that even their entry level guitars are made with exceptional quality. There are certain basics that you get in every Yamaha which include great looks, smooth fret work, good low action, and comfortable fretboard.

But the only Yamaha models that you can get under 8K would be the F210 and F310. Both are pretty decent guitars and if you are a good enough player then they will take you quite a distance. The only problem is that it they are not cut-away models. But for sound and quality they are both excellent. Both have laminated tops so dont expect much bottom end from either model. (In case you have smaller palms, then you may want to check the F210. The neck will really fit in well in your hands). A good advantage of going with a Yamaha or a well branded guitar is that you can get good customer support in case your instrument warps or behaves indecently later on.

Another brand you should definitely check out is Walden. It's a lesser known brand but has extremely good sound. Furtados stocks these so do remember to ask for them. And on a comparison with Yamaha you will get better tone woods in Walden at the same price. But I cant remember if they have models under 8K.

I haven't played too many GB&A so my experience with them is limited and not very encouraging. So you may want to avoid them.

Also check for local brands like Pluto (On Stage / Music Mall should stock these) and Signature. Sometimes you end up with a really good piece if you look carefully. I have a Signature cut-away, dreadnought and it has seriously good bass and projection. And it cost me just 2,600. Hobner (export models) are also a surprise package. They have good balanced warm sounds. You can avoid Givsons though. They tend to have very poor string balance and the sound can put you off after a while.

As a final advice I would urge you to trust your ear when buying the guitar since brands are hogwash at the end of the day. But do check for some basic constructional features to judge the quality of manufacturing:

1. Check Intonation (12th fret artificial harmonic should be same as the 12th fret note. Check each string. If this doesnt match don't touch the guitar even with a 10 foot pole.. even if its the most expensive guitar in the shop. Trust me this cant be fixed with a truss rod or anything simple so don't let the shopkeeper tell you otherwise).

2. Check for fret buzz. Minor fret buzz can be fixed and insist on getting it done before buying it. If in fixing the buzz the action becomes too high, drop the guitar. A good guitar is one which manages low action while preventing fret buzz.

3. Check for a truss rod. Lotsa guitars say there is one, but may actually not have one. This would be the Indian brands in case you decide to explore them.

4. Check the guitar by playing soem simple string bends. Does the instrument untune fast ? If yes, then it is best to avoid that piece. Tuners may not be Gotoh but they don't have to be slippery either. Yamaha scores well on this account.

5. Most imp, hold the guitar and play your regular chords right up to the 12th fret. It should feel comfortable and easy to play barre chords. This is basically a match that the neck size/shape matches the size of your palm. Go for a guitar which feels nice and 'right' in your hand. You are not a beginner so you obviously wont have teething problems in playing barre etc. But if you still do then chances are it's the guitars fault. for eg. I find the F210 great for playing licks since the action is really low. But it sucks for finger picking since the strings are spaced closely because of the small neck.

6. Finally, hear the tone of the guitar. Do you want deep bass, bright treble or both or warm sound. Each guitar has a particular character and you need to know your favourite. Dont assume that it will sound better or different when you get back home. Check it there.

Most imp: Test the guitar when the shop is quite. Dont feel pressured to buy it in a hurry. In case the shopkeeper rushes you to decide or doesnt show enough models, tell him to shove it up his a**. 8K is a lot of money and you deserve to spend it well.

Happy hunting and let me know what you find...

Cheers

Soumitra

P.s: Judging from your post, you want a guitar that stays in shape as time passes, so Yamaha may be a good choice.

But irrespective of the brand you buy, if you want the guitar to last, look after it in terms of not leaving it in the open after playing. Weather changes can cause wood to contract or expand leading to the neck bending etc. Also, keep the strings loose when not playing the guitar for a few days or so. If you leave them tuned then the pressure can make the guitar neck warped. You probably already know about this. Basically, the usual drill.