Description
The High Quality Persian Setar by Ravan is a professional-grade long-necked lute built for players who want the full, singing voice of Persian classical music with the protection of an included hard case. Hand-built from premium tonewoods and supplied ready for the stage, the studio or serious home practice, this Persian setar by Ravan pairs a warm, resonant body with the precise quarter-tone control that the dastgah tradition demands.
A Walnut and Maple Bowl
The pear-shaped bowl is carved from seasoned walnut and maple — a pairing chosen for the balance it strikes between warmth and clarity. Walnut lends depth and a rounded low end, while maple brings brightness and definition to the upper register. Together they give the instrument a focused, articulate tone that fills a quiet room without ever turning harsh, the kind of voice that rewards close, expressive playing.
The Mulberry Soundboard
Closing the bowl is a thin soundboard of mulberry, the wood Persian luthiers have favoured for generations. Light and responsive, it transmits string vibration with immediate, delicate clarity — letting the quietest riz tremolo and the subtlest microtonal inflection carry. It is the soundboard, more than any other single part, that gives a fine setar its intimate, breathing character.
Mahogany Neck and Walnut Pegs
The long neck is cut from mahogany, a stable, even-grained wood that holds the setar’s movable gut frets in precise alignment along its length. The four tuning pegs are turned from walnut and friction-fitted in the traditional manner, so the player tunes by hand and can reposition frets freely for the quarter-tone scales of each dastgah.
| Maker | Ravan |
| Instrument | Persian setar — long-necked fretted lute |
| Total length | 86 cm |
| Scale length (nut to bridge) | 66 cm |
| Neck length | 60 cm |
| Body / bowl | 26 × 15 × 15 cm |
| Bowl woods | Walnut & maple |
| Soundboard | Mulberry |
| Neck | Mahogany |
| Pegs | Walnut |
| Frets | Movable gut frets |
| Strings | Four (steel & bronze) |
| Tuning | Typically C–C–G–C |
| Weight | 0.4 kg |
| Included | Fitted hard case |
| SKU | RVN-1 |
Supplied with a Protective Hard Case
Where entry-level setars ship in a soft gig bag, the Ravan setar arrives in a fitted hard case — a lightweight, waterproof shell shaped to the instrument’s small body and long neck. It shields the delicate soundboard and fragile pegbox from knocks, dust and humidity swings, whether the setar is travelling to a lesson, a rehearsal or a concert. The case (normally €165) is included at no additional cost.
Who This Setar Is For
This is an instrument for serious students ready to commit, for performing musicians, and for recording artists and collectors who value authentic tone and traditional construction. Its premium tonewoods and protective case make it equally at home on stage, in the studio, and in a careful player’s collection. Browse the full Persian setar collection to compare it with other makers, or explore the wider Persian Instruments family.
Tuning and Playing
The setar is strung with four strings — typically three steel and one bronze — and tuned C–C–G–C, with the lower courses often retuned to suit the chosen dastgah. It is played with the nail of the right-hand index finger, drawing the rapid up-and-down riz that gives the instrument its shimmering texture, while the gut frets allow the koron and sori half-flat and half-sharp inflections of Persian classical phrasing.
Care
Keep the setar in its hard case when not in use, away from direct heat and dry radiators. Wipe the strings down after playing, and let the instrument adjust slowly to a new room before tuning to pitch. Each Ravan setar is individually checked by our string instruments specialist Sertan Sarioglu before it leaves our Brisighella showroom. Worldwide shipping & 15-day return.
