Hello fellow music lovers and welcome to our first month's edition of "Forum Finds"!

As many of you know, I'm always on the lookout for stories about unique and unusual instruments. Well, I recently stumbled upon a post on Reddit that sent me down a rabbit hole. The instrument is the Rajah Zeetar electric sitar from the late 1960s.

It all started with this simple photo posted by a Redditor, asking for help identifying an instrument they had come across. The instrument had the familiar curves and shape of a sitar but with some very unusual features - a short neck, missing strings (and pegs), and what appeared to be electric pickups. Intrigued, I dove headfirst into researching it.

Here's what I was able to uncover about the Rajah Zeetar:

Based on the information provided in forums and on Instagram, a few famous musicians and bands were mentioned as possibly using the Rajah Zeetar, but most of these claims seem to be speculation or rumor rather than confirmed facts:

The most fascinating story in the forums, however, comes from a man named Jeff Solomon, who claims that he and his father actually invented the Zeetar in the late 1960s. According to Solomon, they took orders for hundreds of instruments after debuting the Zeetar at a trade show, but the manufacturer in Japan disappeared with the design and never delivered the instruments. It's a tantalizing tale, but like so much about the Zeetar, hard to verify.

Nonetheless, I found an old Billboard magazine clip that shows a young man named Jeff Solomon demoing the Rajah Zeetar. So I do at least believe he was involved in the creation of this fascinating hybrid instrument.

Despite (or perhaps because of) its short lifespan and quirky nature, the Rajah Zeetar has developed a following among collectors. Selling prices on the secondhand market range from around $500 to upwards of $1000 for instruments in good condition, often with the original case.

In 2019, a Zeetar sold at auction for $260 on the low end, while another is currently listed for sale at $895. Collectors are drawn to the Zeetar's unique look, rarity, and strange place in music history. Some are musicians looking to add a unique sound to their repertoire, while others are more interested in preserving and displaying these unusual pieces of musical history.

Looking at the Rajah Zeetar with modern eyes, it's hard not to see it as a bit of an oddball. Its papier-mache body and ultra-short neck make it a far cry from a "real" sitar, while its electric pickups and unusual string configuration mean it doesn't quite work as a guitar either.

In many ways, it perfectly encapsulates the wild experimentation and boundary-pushing of late 60s/early 70s music. This was an era fascinated by Indian music and spirituality, when the sitar sounds of Ravi Shankar were everywhere and musicians were eager to incorporate new and “exotic” sounds. In that context, the idea of an electric sitar must have seemed thrilling and futuristic.

But beyond just being a curiosity, I think the Rajah Zeetar has something to teach us about the nature of musical instruments and our relationship to them. At its core, it represents an attempt to bridge cultures and find new modes of expression. Its builders were trying, in their own unusual way, to capture the magic of the sitar sound and make it a little more accessible to non-sitar musicians.

And while it may not have fully succeeded on a technical level, the spirit of exploration and passion behind it is something any music lover can appreciate. It's a reminder that instruments are more than just tools - they're vessels for human creativity, conduits for our endless fascination with sound and expression.

And that, my friends, is the tale of the strange and wonderful Rajah Zeetar electric sitar. I hope you've enjoyed this deep dive as much as I have. Instruments like this are what keep me endlessly fascinated by the world of music - every one has a story to tell, a secret history just waiting to be discovered.

The Rajah Zeetar may not have changed the world, but it's a testament to the enduring power of music to inspire innovation and bridge cultures. Its short but colorful life is a reminder of why we all love instruments in the first place - for their ability to surprise, delight, and spark the imagination.

And who knows? Maybe one of you intrepid readers will be the one to finally uncover the full story behind this mysterious instrument. If you do, you know where to find me. Until next time, keep exploring and never stop loving music!

Ryan Vig
Founder, Instrument Tales