Description
The Persian Setar by Davood Fashi is a handcrafted long-necked lute that brings the intimate voice of Persian classical music within reach of students and developing players. Fully handmade by Davood Fashi and supplied with a fitted soft case, it pairs honest, traditional construction with a striking decorative body — an accessible setar that still carries the warmth and clarity the instrument is loved for.
The pear-shaped bowl is built from a mixed hardwood layup of walnut, mahogany and maple, assembled in alternating staves that give the back its distinctive striped appearance. Beyond its visual character, this multi-wood construction lends the body a balanced, focused resonance — firm in the low end while keeping the quick response that solo playing demands.
The soundboard is cut from mulberry wood, the timber Persian luthiers have favoured for centuries — the same material seen on historic setars held in museum collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Thin and lightly worked, the mulberry top translates the bare-finger touch into a clear, singing tone with the gentle, introspective quality at the heart of the setar’s character.
The long neck is shaped from walnut, inlaid with maple decorative lines that run toward the fingerboard, with matching walnut pegs. It carries movable gut frets that can be repositioned along the neck — essential for tuning the quarter-tone koron and sori inflections of the Persian dastgah system. Like most modern setars, the instrument is strung with four strings (typically three steel and one bronze) and is usually tuned C–C–G–C, supporting a range of more than two and a half octaves.
Specifications
| Maker | Davood Fashi |
| 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, mahogany & maple (striped staves) |
| Soundboard | Mulberry |
| Neck | Walnut with maple inlay |
| Pegs | Walnut |
| Frets | Movable gut frets |
| Strings | Four (steel & bronze) |
| Tuning | Typically C–C–G–C |
| Weight | 0.4 kg |
| Included | Fitted soft case |
| SKU | DVO-1 |
Build your setar set
Your Davood Fashi setar arrives with a fitted soft case included. For fuller protection on the road, a matching Setar Hard Case — waterproof, padded and built to fit all Iranian setars — is available at 50% off when you buy it together with this setar.
Who it’s for
Where our professional setars by Darvish and Hamid are voiced for stage and studio, the Davood Fashi setar is an inviting first or second instrument. It suits beginners and intermediate players stepping into Persian classical music, students of the radif, and anyone who wants an authentic, fully handmade setar with genuine tonal character at an approachable price.
Musical use
The setar sits at the centre of solo avaz performance, taqsim-style improvisation, and vocal accompaniment in the Persian classical tradition. Played with the nail of the right index finger in rapid riz strokes, it speaks softly and personally — a contrast to the bolder, plectrum-driven Iranian Tar within the wider Persian Instruments family. The movable frets make it equally at home in modal study and contemporary cross-over playing.
Care
Keep the setar in a stable environment, away from direct heat and sharp humidity swings, to protect the thin mulberry soundboard. The gut frets can be nudged along the neck to fine-tune intonation, and should be checked periodically as they settle. Wipe the strings and body down after playing, and loosen string tension if the instrument will be stored for a long period.
Every setar is individually checked by our string-instruments specialist Sertan Sarioglu at our Brisighella, Italy showroom before it ships. Worldwide shipping & 15-day return.
