Description
The Professional Persian Kamancheh by Bajalavand is a handcrafted Persian spike fiddle built for players who want the expressive, vocal-like voice at the heart of Persian classical music. Bowed upright on its small spike and played across four strings, this kamancheh pairs a resonant mulberry-and-maple bowl with a natural lamb-skin head, producing the warm, singing tone that has defined the instrument for generations. It arrives complete with a quality bow and a protective hard case, ready to play from the moment you open it.
A Resonant Mulberry and Maple Body
The heart of any kamancheh is its rounded resonating bowl, and on this Persian Kamancheh that bowl is turned from mulberry wood and accented with bright maple inlay. Mulberry is one of the most valued tonewoods in Persian instrument making, prized for the way it carries low-mid warmth and lets each note bloom and sustain. The contrasting maple sunburst across the back of the bowl is both structural and decorative, framing the grain of the mulberry in a clean radial pattern.
Rising from the bowl is a slender hardwood neck finished with fine inlaid banding that runs up to the pegbox, where four turned wooden pegs hold the strings. The proportions are traditional: a long neck for clear intonation and a compact bowl that keeps the instrument light and easy to balance on the knee while playing.
Lamb-Skin Head and Wooden Bridge
Stretched across the open face of the bowl is a head of high-quality lamb skin, the traditional membrane that gives the kamancheh its breathing, voice-like response. A small wooden bridge rests directly on the skin and transfers the strings’ vibration into the membrane and the body of the bowl, so the tone you hear is shaped by the skin as much as by the wood. The four strings run over the bridge to a brass tailpiece at the base of the spike, where fine tuners allow precise adjustment.
This skin-and-bridge construction is what separates the kamancheh from a wooden-topped fiddle: it produces an intimate, slightly nasal voice that bends and sighs under the bow, closely echoing the human singing voice that Persian classical music is built around.
Specifications
| Instrument | Persian Kamancheh (bowed spike fiddle) |
| Maker | Bajalavand |
| Bowl / body | Mulberry wood with maple inlay |
| Head | High-quality lamb skin |
| Bridge | Wood |
| Strings | 4 |
| Total length | 70 cm |
| Scale (bridge to nut) | 34 cm |
| Bowl size | 20 × 15 cm |
| Instrument weight | 0.80 kg |
| Hard case weight | 1.9 kg |
| Included | Bow and hard case |
| SKU | BJL-1 |
Who This Kamancheh Is For
This is a professional-level instrument suited to advancing students, performing musicians, and collectors who want an authentic Persian Kamancheh rather than a decorative copy. The responsive lamb-skin head and balanced bowl reward players developing their bowing and ornamentation, while the included hard case makes it practical for lessons, rehearsals, and travel. If you are comparing options, you can also explore the Lori Kamancheh for a regional Lori voice or the Persian Kamancheh by Hatami at a higher tier.
A Voice for Persian Classical Music
The kamancheh is one of the central melodic instruments of the Persian classical tradition, where it carries the modal melodies of the radif and the dastgah system with long, singing bow strokes and delicate ornamentation. Its expressive range also makes it at home in regional folk styles and in contemporary fusion, where its warm, reedy timbre stands out against guitars, percussion, and electronic textures. You can read more about the instrument’s history on the Kamancheh entry at Wikipedia.
Caring for Your Kamancheh
Because the head is a natural skin, keep the instrument away from extreme heat, damp, and sudden humidity changes, which can slacken or over-tighten the membrane. After playing, loosen the bow hair and wipe the strings and body with a soft, dry cloth, then store the kamancheh in its hard case to protect the skin and the delicate bridge. With simple, consistent care, a skin-headed kamancheh stays responsive and tonally rich for many years. For a closer look at Tapadum’s bowed instruments, browse the Persian Kamancheh collection.
Worldwide shipping & 15-day return. Each instrument is carefully hand-packed before dispatch.
