Custom Triple-Neck Instrument Fusetar
Approximately two years in advance, Shahab Tolouie began the realisation of his long-term idea. He wanted to gather the diverse strands of Persian, jazz and flamenco together in a manner that incorporates modern technologies in one instrument to attain the precise timbres that are optimal for live performance of his original style Persian&Flamenco fusion.
The name coined from “fuse” – English for “fusion” and “tar” – Farsi for “strings”; hence ‘fusion of strings’. In addition, The nickname Lucifer is that of the mythological morning star, the bearer of light.
So, it took a year and half for two luthiers Mehr & Owrang to build the FuseTar. The instrument is made of thirteen different types of wood and weighs 2.1 kg. With an acoustic chamber approximately 4cm larger than that on a regular guitar, the FuseTar possesses three necks. Where the uppermost is a fretless neck, which makes possible to play the quarter-tones peculiar to eastern music. The middle neck is the ‘guitar neck’, a combination flamenco/jazz guitar configured with the “true temperament” fretting technology. It produces more accurate intonations and longer sustain than a normal guitar. True temperament fretting also used by John McLaughlin and Steve Vai. The third neck is a Iranian ‘Setar neck’ with four strings fretted for quartertones. Setar is a traditional instrument whose roots stretch back 2,000 years. Moreover, that this is the first time a traditional Persian instrument has been modernised with the fixed, “true temperament” fretting system.
FuseTar is also a unique work of art – carefully decorated by elements from three most significant historical periods of Persian Empire. Achaemenid: the Lion-griffin – a protector from evil. Parthian & Sassanid: Derafsh Kaviani – symbol of independence and freedom. Lion and Sun – always been associated with Persian royalty. And Faravahar – the best-known symbol of Zoroastrianism.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Luthier & designer: “Crimson Oath” custom guitars (Stockholm – Sweden)
Top: German Spruce
Back and sides: 3 types of Rosewood
Guitar neck: Spanish cedar (double carbon rods inside each guitar neck for more support)
Setar neck: Mahogany, Bubinga (Guibourtia), Purple Heart (Purple Wood), Maple & Plywood
Setar neck has a hollow through-neck inner chamber which is then connected to acoustic box to produce more sustain & resonation.
Fingerboards: Ebony
Bridge & Headstock: Ebony
Frets: (flamenco guitar & Setar): The “true temperament” fretting. (This system produces much more accurate intonations than a regular guitar and is used by John McLaughlin and Steve Vai for example)
Bracing: “Kasha system” produces more sound isolation per instrument.
Fingerboard: Purple Heart, Ebony, Brass, Mother of pearl (Abalone), Padauk & Walnut
Inlays: Mother of Pearl (Abalone), Brass, Copper, Aluminum & Bones. (The motifs are from 3 (Achaemenid, Parthian (Arsacid) & Sassanid) empires.
Other Specifications:
Net-weight: (without machine head and electronics): 2.1kg
Electronics: 3 independent pickups made by LR Baggs with dedicated volume knobs on a custom Aluminum control surface decorated by Persian Cuneiform scripts.
- Guitar: “Anthem” combination of built-in condenser mic and under saddle piezo.
- Setar: “ibeam Active” bridge plate transducer with an endpin preamp.
- Fretless Guitar: “Under Saddle” element active system.
