This Large 4 String Khushtar is part of the ancient Uyghur musical tradition. It was handmade in the tradition of Uyghur master instrument makers in Kashgar, Xinjiang. It shares the styling and construction of its sympathetically stringed cousin, the Large 11 String Khushtar. Like the Large 11 String Khushtar, this item is professional quality, made for making beautiful music.

Our Khushtar is made from the wood of a mulberry tree. This version has four playing strings, and no sympathetic strings. The strings are tuned to the normal western scale (1-G 2-D 3-A 4-E). If you can play a Violin or Viola, you can learn to play the Khushtar in no time.

The Khushtar's beautiful form and resonate sound has made it a mainstay of Uyghur Orchestras. In recent years, it has also gained in popularity among mainstream Chinese as well as with many westerners.

Some History

The Khushtar is named for the carved bird that is placed on top of the handle. Khush means bird, and tar means strings. The sound of a Khushtar is very clear and resonate, reminicient of a birdsong. The Khushtar evolved, in ancient Kashgar, from the venerable Ghijek instrument, taking on the lower tones as its specialty. Amazingly, this musical instrument was actually lost for some generations. However, after meticulous research, the Khushtar has been brought back to the forefront and is crafted once again according to tradition.

About Us

The instruments spend about 2 months in our shop from start to finish. All of our stringed instruments are hand made by an experienced team of master craftspeople according to Uyghur traditional style. Each instrument is built to order and unique. We have been selling instruments worldwide for 18 years from our headquarters in Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China.

Our decorative wooden musical instruments are crafted with serious professionals in mind, but can also be enjoyed by collectors or any who enjoy traditional or rare musical instruments.

Each of our musical instruments is carefully packed into a custom built, sturdy wooden box to ensure its safe arrival at your home. Please allow 20 to 30 days for priority shipping. If you wish, we can also arrange express shipping.

We are eager to answer any questions you may have, please feel free to ask the seller.

Be sure to visit our store, The Camel's Back, for more exciting treasures from Central Asia