Description
A well-made Persian santur rings with a bright, bell-like shimmer, and this hand-built 9-bridge santur from the Iranian maker Homayoun Masoudi is voiced for exactly that singing resonance. The santur is the trapezoidal hammered dulcimer of Persian classical music, struck with two light wooden mallets — and Masoudi builds his in the standard full-size form that carries the tradition’s full range and colour.
A warm, singing voice
What sets a santur apart is its voice, and the Masoudi santur leans toward warmth — a rounded low register, clear sustaining trebles, and the long ringing decay that lets dastgah phrases bloom and overlap. Because the open strings are left to ring, the instrument rewards a light, articulate touch, and rapid riz tremolos and ornament-rich runs sit naturally under the mallets.
Hand-built in walnut
Masoudi works in walnut, the hardwood Persian makers have long favoured for the santur. Dense and close-grained, it lends the body strength and a warm tonal core, while the thin soundboard stretched across the trapezoidal frame turns the strings’ energy into the instrument’s signature shimmer. Each santur is assembled and voiced by hand, so no two are quite alike in figure or grain.
Seventy-two strings over nine bridges
The instrument follows the classic 9-bridge (kharak) layout — nine movable bridges on each side, eighteen in all — carrying 72 strings in courses of four. Each course can be struck on either side of its bridge to sound two different pitches, and it is this doubling that gives the santur its broad, roughly three-octave compass and the harp-like ring of its open strings.
Tuned in the classical tradition
This is a diatonic santur, tuned in the fixed manner of Persian classical practice. The player sets the instrument to the mode at hand and adjusts individual strings by ear to move between dastgahs — the same hands-on relationship with tuning that has shaped santur playing for generations.
Specifications
| Instrument | Persian santur (hammered dulcimer) |
|---|---|
| Maker | Homayoun Masoudi — Iran |
| Bridges (kharak) | 9 per side (18 total) |
| Strings | 72 (courses of four) |
| Tuning | Diatonic (fixed) |
| Body wood | Walnut |
| Mallets | Mezrab / zahme (included) |
| Length (longest side) | approx. 90 cm |
| Back edge | approx. 36 cm |
| Depth | approx. 27 cm |
| Height | approx. 6 cm |
| Weight | approx. 5 kg |
| Origin | Handmade in Iran |
Dimensions follow the standard Persian santur and are approximate; each handmade instrument varies slightly.
In the case
Every Masoudi santur arrives ready to play:
- Masoudi 9-bridge Persian santur
- Pair of mezrab / zahme mallets
- Tuning key (wrench)
- Professional hard case
- A set of spare strings
Choosing the Masoudi santur
This is a santur for the player who wants a warm, expressive standard instrument without stepping up to a top-tier concert build — a strong choice for the committed student consolidating technique and for the performer who values tone and reliability in solo taksim, vocal accompaniment, and ensemble work. Explore the full range in our Persian santur collection and the wider string instruments family.
Looking after your santur
Store the santur in its hard case away from radiators, damp, and quick swings in temperature, all of which pull an instrument out of tune. A soft, dry cloth keeps the soundboard and strings clean, and the supplied key lets you make the small, frequent tuning adjustments a new santur needs as it settles.
Worldwide shipping & 15-day return.
