In this entry of the Forgotten Arts of the Old Bazaar we present two makers of musical instruments, the brothers Dimitar and Ljubomir Gievski. Before we start, I would like to stress that crafting handmade musical instruments is a long, painstaking process. The two brothers are second generation makers of string instruments who inherited the workshop and their skills from their father Ivan Gievski. So they have kept the art of handmade musical instruments alive through a family tradition that has now lasted over 80 years.
As we walked around the Old Bazaar looking for a standout workshop to explore, we were attracted by the Gievski’s well worn shop and diverse stock of instruments, especially string varieties. The shop itself seemed to beckon us inside, where we were greeted by a very pleasant artisan, Dimitar Gievski, and we were quickly swept up into his description of life and experience as an instrument maker.
The Art of Making Musical Instruments
He Explained that string instrument makers inevitably must be skilled in blacksmithing, mechanics, wood processing, wood varnishing, and of course, music, since the artisan is the first to test each newly produced instrument. His favorite string instruments to make are guitars, but the fickle nature of market forces and individual tastes means he must be ready to produce whatever instruments his customers desire. As a result, he is involved in the production of many different kinds of stringed instruments, including mandolins, mandolas, prims, kanuns, lutes, tamburas, zithers, sitars, and more.
Some of the musical instruments we found in the shop were brand new, whereas others were apparently quite old. We even saw an old sitar dating from 1894 that was recently brought into his shop for repair.
Economy of scale has an important place in instrument production. Since the typical time required to make a stringed instrument is about three months from start to finish, they normally produce 10-15 string instruments at a time to make the effort worthwhile. As much as eighty percent of the production work is done by hand, with machines used only for the rough preparation of the wood.
The best wood for stringed instruments is walnut for the foundation and juniper for the upper plate. The wood is first cut into planks and left unprocessed for at least 5 years. Only after the material is properly aged, the long and complex process of music instrument making begins. There are exotic materials as well, such as the occasional sitar made from a pumpkin, or the prim made from a turtle. Once built, the climax and greatest excitement for every music instrument maker is trying the instrument for the first time.
Dimitar further informed us that the very first electric guitar in Macedonia was made by his father, which he produced after just looking at a photographed model from another country. He is proud of this bit of family history, even though he still believes it takes greater skill to produce an acoustic guitar than an electric one.
Musical Instruments Are A Tough Business
When asked what was in greatest demand, Dimitar mentioned that the foreigners are mostly after traditional tamburas, which cost from 300 to 350 Euros depending on their size.
In addition to production of stringed instruments, the shop repairs a great variety of music instruments. Gievski said that production is much easier and more satisfying than repairs, because in many cases first he must undo owners’ unskilled attempts at repair before getting down to the real business of fixing an instrument.
Even though this handmade art promises the highest quality workmanship, it is tough to compete with mass production. Large factories use cheaper poplar and plywood instead of higher quality woods, which simply can’t match the strength and the quality of sound produced from a fine hand crafted instrument. The difference is significant for professionals, but beginners are usually more concerned about cost.
For Dimitar, making instruments is a skill, an art and a way of life. It has provided for his family, and allowed him to play an important role in making some great music. Precisely these things make it all worthwhile.
Information:
Handmade Musical Instruments
6 Evlija Chelebija
The Old Bazaar
Skopje
Republic of Macedonia
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