The long neck saz is the traditional, original baglama β a 23-fret long-necked lute that carries the full microtonal vocabulary of Turkish folk music. With its extended fingerboard, deeper bowl resonance and long sustain, it is the instrument of the asik (minstrel) tradition, halk turkuleri (folk songs) and Alevi devotional repertoire. Conservatory students in Turkey learn the long neck first because it teaches every makam fret position before the hand is asked to compress that knowledge onto a shorter neck.
At Sala Muzik we have built long neck sazes in Istanbul since 2009. This collection brings together 87 instruments β from a $249 walnut beginner saz to concert-grade Brazilian rosewood and divan saz models β each set up by hand, tested for fret intonation across the full 23-fret range, and shipped worldwide.
Quick recommendation
If you are new to the long neck saz, start with the Walnut Baglama Saz ASL-202 at $249 β full traditional 23-fret range, AMP jack included, ready to play out of the box. For a more resonant traditional voice suited to asik repertoire, step up to the Mulberry Long Neck Saz ALB-204 at $299. For stage work, the Electric Acoustic ALB-305 at $599 is our most balanced electroacoustic. Serious players who want the deepest concert voice should look at the Carved Mulberry Divan Saz SDS-410 at $1399.
Quick picks by player type
Best for traditional & asik
Mulberry Long Neck Saz ALB-204
$299 Β· Mulberry bowl, warm midrange for halk turkuleri
Best electroacoustic
Electric Acoustic Baglama ALB-305
$599 Β· Built-in pickup, plays acoustic or amplified
Best premium
Special Long Neck Baglama PEARL-1
$2999 Β· Mother-of-pearl decorated, Canadian cedar face, 3-year master build
Long neck vs short neck vs divan saz
The three sizes share the same family DNA β pear-shaped bowl, three string courses, sympathetic microtonal fretting β but they sit in very different musical roles.
| Feature | Long Neck Saz | Short Neck Baglama | Divan Saz |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale length | Long (approx. 104β110 cm overall) | Compact (approx. 90β96 cm overall) | Extra long (approx. 120β130 cm overall) |
| Frets | 23 frets, full microtonal range | 23 frets, but compressed spacing | 23 or more frets, widest spacing |
| Voice | Bright top, long sustain, deep low D | Warmer, tighter, more vocal-friendly | Deepest fundamental, concert volume |
| Best for | Asik repertoire, halk turkuleri, conservatory study | Singer-songwriters, modern arrangements, smaller hands | Solo concert work, Alevi semah, recording |
| Difficulty | Harder β wider stretches | Easier first instrument | Hardest β longest reaches |
| Price range | $249 β $1999 | See short neck collection | $1399 β $1999 |
If you are still deciding between sizes, our guide on the difference between short neck and long neck baglama saz walks through the sound, ergonomics and repertoire trade-offs in detail. Compare the full lineup on the short neck baglama and all saz & baglama collections.
What makes a quality long-neck saz
Bowl woods
The bowl is carved or staved from a single hardwood and is the single biggest factor in tone. Walnut gives a bright, articulate sound with strong projection β ideal for first instruments and players who want their notes to cut through. Mulberry is the classical choice for asik and traditional folk: warmer, midrange-forward, with a singing sustain. Mahogany sits between the two, with a balanced response that suits both strumming and tezene (pick) ornamentation. At the top of the range, exotic rosewood (as on the OSL-5) gives the clearest fundamental and longest decay we offer.
Soundboard
The soundboard is almost always spruce, chosen for its strength-to-weight ratio and microtonal clarity. On higher-grade instruments the spruce is hand-selected for tight, even grain and braced specifically for the long-neck scale so that the lowest D string speaks without flubbing.
Fret precision for makam
The long neck saz has 23 tied gut or nylon frets, including the quarter-tone and three-quarter-tone positions that Turkish folk music requires. On a well-made instrument every fret rings true across all three string courses β we check intonation on each instrument before it ships. Cheap sazes often skip or mis-place the microtonal frets, which makes the instrument unable to play standard halk turkuleri correctly.
Mechanic vs friction pegs
Traditional sazes use wooden friction pegs that you tune by feel. They are light and historically authentic, but they slip in humidity changes and are a known frustration for beginners. Mechanic geared pegs (offered on most of our entry and mid-tier models) hold tune reliably and are the practical choice for anyone who is not yet confident tuning by ear. Either way, see our long-neck saz tuning guide for the standard AβDβA (laβreβla) layout.
Electroacoustic options
An acoustic long neck saz can be amplified with a clip-on, but the cleanest stage sound comes from a built-in piezo system. The ALB-305 is our most popular electroacoustic; the ALB-303EQ adds an onboard equalizer for stage tone shaping. For pure-electric stage and studio use, the DES-3 offers a solid-body feel and minimal feedback. The full electric range lives on our electric saz collection.
A short history
The long neck saz traces its lineage to the kopuz, an ancestral two-string lute played by Central Asian Turkic peoples more than 1,500 years ago. As Turkic communities migrated west into Anatolia, the kopuz evolved β gaining a third string course, a longer fretted neck and the microtonal fret system that Anatolian music demanded. By the Ottoman period the long-necked baglama had become the voice of the asik (minstrel) tradition: travelling poet-musicians who carried news, legend and protest from village to village in song.
In the 20th century the long neck saz moved from village squares to concert halls and conservatories. Asik Veysel, the blind asik from Sivrialan, brought the instrument and its repertoire to a national audience. Neset Ertas, son of asik Muharrem Ertas, carried the Kirsehir asik tradition into the modern era and shaped how a generation heard the saz. Ruhi Su, a classically trained baritone, recorded the great halk turkuleri with long-neck accompaniment and proved the instrument could hold its own on the concert stage. Their recordings are still the reference points by which long-neck players measure tone, phrasing and ornamentation today.
FAQ
Why is the long-neck saz harder to learn than the short neck?
The frets are spaced further apart, which means bigger left-hand stretches and more accurate finger placement to play microtones in tune. Beginners with smaller hands or no fretted-instrument background often find a short neck more comfortable to start on. The trade-off is that once you can navigate the long neck, you have the full traditional fret vocabulary β which is why Turkish conservatories teach it first.
What is a divan saz?
The divan saz is the extra-large variant of the long neck baglama. It has a bigger bowl, a longer scale and is tuned lower, giving it the deepest fundamental in the saz family. It is used mainly for solo concert work, Alevi devotional music and recording. Our concert-grade SDS-405, SDS-408 and carved-mulberry SDS-410 are all divan sazes.
What is the difference between saz and baglama?
In common usage they are the same instrument. "Saz" is the older, broader term β historically it referred to any stringed Turkish folk instrument. "Baglama" became the specific name for the three-course, 23-fret long-necked lute we sell here. Today most players use the two words interchangeably, and we list our instruments under both names so customers can find them either way.
How is the long-neck saz tuned?
The standard tuning bottom-to-top is AβDβG (laβreβsol), the most common setup across our catalog. The exact pitch can vary with bowl size and scale length β instruments with a larger or longer body are often tuned a step lower, with BβEβA as the common alternative. Several traditional alternate tunings (baglama duzeni, kara duzen, asik duzeni, misket) are used for specific regional repertoires. See our tuning guide for note frequencies and string-by-string instructions.
How do I learn asik repertoire?
Start by listening β the recorded canon of Asik Veysel, Neset Ertas and Ruhi Su is the foundation. Then work through the standard tunings (baglama, kara and asik duzeni) on the long neck so the fret positions become physical memory. A teacher, even online, will save you months of self-correction on microtonal placement and tezene (pick) technique. Our buying tips also covers what to look for in a first instrument that will not hold you back as you progress.
What strings should I use?
We ship every long neck saz with a fresh set of saz-specific strings. For replacement, Pyramid Saiten makes the most widely respected long-neck saz sets β clear, balanced and long-lasting. Avoid generic steel-acoustic strings; the gauges and core construction are wrong for the saz scale and will sound dull or break under tension.
Mechanic or friction pegs β which should I choose?
Friction pegs are the traditional choice and what about 90% of our catalog uses β light, authentic, and the standard for both beginner and most professional sazes. They take a few weeks of practice to tune confidently but hold up well once you have the technique. Mechanic (geared) pegs are an upgrade option on a small number of higher-tier models. They hold tune more reliably under humidity swings and stage lighting, which makes them popular for working musicians. For most players, a well-fitted friction-peg saz is the natural starting point.
Electroacoustic or pure acoustic β which do I need?
If you only play at home, an acoustic saz is the purest tone and the lower price. If you ever plan to perform, record or play with other musicians, an electroacoustic (built-in pickup) is far more practical than mic-ing the instrument every time. The ALB-305 is our most popular crossover model β it sounds like a proper acoustic saz unplugged and plugs straight into any amp or PA.
Will my saz arrive tuned and ready to play?
Every instrument is set up and tuned at our Istanbul workshop before it leaves. International shipping pressure and humidity changes will pull the strings slightly out of tune in transit, so you will need to re-tune on arrival β usually a 2-minute job once you have done it once. If you are new to saz tuning, our online tuning guide walks through it step by step.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes β Sala Muzik has shipped sazes worldwide since 2009. Every instrument is professionally packed in a hard or semi-hard case inside a double-walled outer carton, fully insured. Free standard shipping delivers in 3β5 weeks. Express shipping is available at extra cost and typically arrives in 3β5 business days.
Explore the full saz family
All Saz & BaglamaThe complete catalog
Short Neck BaglamaCompact, easier first instrument
Electric SazStage and studio models
CuraSmallest, highest-pitched saz
Saz AccessoriesStrings, cases, picks, tuners
Handcrafted in IstanbulOur own workshop since 2009
Set up before shippingIntonation checked on all 23 frets
Worldwide shippingInsured, double-boxed, tracked
Player supportTuning & setup help after delivery