I don't see the logic in the reader's response.While looking at back issues of your excellent newsletter, I saw a speculation on whether or not the word sitar was related to the word guitar. I also noticed that in subsequent issues nobody had written a comment about this. In fact the two words are not related even remotely.
The Indian sitar is descended from a smaller Iranian instrument called the setar, which merely means "three strings" - se meaning three, and tar meaning string. With a Hindi accent, setar became sitar. Oddly enough most of the Iranian setars have four strings these days (which would properly make them chahartar) and the Indian sitar usually has around 17. Would this be a satdastar? (My Hindi is rusty verging upon nonexistent), Sitar is certainly easier to say.
-Tim