The Tirupati Basic is a particularly simple, small, light, robust and inexpensive harmonium with a warm sound. It is ideal for on the go, for practicing, as a second instrument for lessons and workshops, as an introduction for children, as a shrutibox replacement, as well as for all those who simply want to try themselves out.
The Tirupati Basic has only a single set of reeds in the bass register for sound production. This makes it sound less rich, impressive and complex compared to other harmoniums, but still pleasantly soft, warm and full. The absence of extras like a second or third reed set, separate air chambers, drone notes, octave coupler or scale changer makes this harmonium surprisingly light. Despite its small size, it is still relatively easy to play simple chords evenly without getting disturbing volume fluctuations or to play quite softly - after all only a single set of reeds needs air supply. Thanks to the very simple construction without any frills, the Tirupati Basic is also particularly robust. It is certainly not suitable for the big stage, but can be a great friend in everyday life!
- 27 simple stick keys
- range of two octaves and one whole tone from G2 to A4
- one reed per note in bass register
- top fold bellows
- cabinet made of pine wood
- removable cover (jali) over key mechanism
- metal handles
- incl. padded bag with shoulder strap
Dimensions: height 23 cm, width 39 cm depth 24 cm, weight 5.1 kg (5.6 kg incl. bag). Each instrument is individually made by hand and may differ from our description.
Pine wood is the first choice for harmoniums around Delhi and in North Western India. It is much softer than teak wood, which is more common in Mumbai and Calcutta. Therefore pinewood harmoniums often get little dents or scratches during manufacturing, storage or transit to Europe. Such marks are a natural property of the wood and can not be seen as flaws or defects.
TIRUPATI is the international brand name for instruments from Sharma Musicals in Ghaziabad, a neighbouring city of Delhi. Sharma Musicals was founded in 1934 by Jagdish Prasad Sharma and is today one of the leading Indian harmonium makers. The current manager Mayank Sharma runs the business in the fourth generation. Thanks to solid infrastructure, long experience and good quality awareness, Sharma Musicals is a reliable supplier of all harmonium models typical of Delhi and North-West India. In 2014 and the following years, instruments from Sharma Musicals had temporarily been sold in the USA under the name Bhava Harmonium and were recommended by renowned kirtan teacher Daniel Tucker back then. Sharma Musicals is a partner of India Instruments since 2016.
GENERAL INFORMATION, CARING/TUNING INSTRUCTIONS AND RETURNS
Air temperature and blowing pressure influence the vibration frequency of harmonium reeds. At higher temperature and higher pressure, it decreases; at lower temperature, it increases. The instrument will be tuned at room temperature around 20 degrees Celsius before shipping.
Complaints and returns are, of course, an important topic, but fortunately they are very rare in our experience. By far the most common issue concerns buzzing, rattling, or metallic sounds.
In essence, this is not a defect or damage but a simple fine adjustment that every harmonium owner should be able to handle themselves — comparable to inflating a bicycle tire. Let us know if you need further instructions and we'll be happy to assist!
Of course, a simple case of “not liking” the instrument is a valid reason for withdrawal and return within 14 days of receiving the goods (using the DHL delivery confirmation as reference). In such a case, the buyer must return the harmonium at their own expense. Still, we will assist you with the return shipping. Please contact us to discuss the details before you send the instrument back 🙏🏻
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