Should I buy a new or an old sarangi?

Most players use sarangis 50 to 100 years old, often inherited, and a new instrument needs about two years to settle. Joep Bor warned that new sarangis made for export or tourists were usually of very poor quality, and that good old instruments and skilled repairers were scarce. Either way, tone depends on set-up: bridge, skin fitting, string height and peg fit.