Post by Bandura on Jan 16, 2006 1:05:34 GMT -5
HOW A BANDURA IS MADE
Since the beginning of the 20th century bandura making has become a craft to
its own. Previously they were made by village craftsmen, but with the rise
in interest in the instrument by the intelligentsia, city luthiers began to
make banduras as well. In the early 20th century these were makers such as
Oleksander Kornievsky in Chernihiv, Anton Paplynsky in Kiev and Snehiriov in
Kharkiv. In the 30's these makers were joined by the likes of Palievets in
Poltava, Horhul in Kharkiv, Kosenko and Tyzychenko in Kiev, and Ivan Skliar
in Myrhorod. Bandura makers also appeared in Russia in the cities of Moscow,
Rostov and the Kuban region, and also spread to Western Ukraine to the
cities of Lviv and Rivne.
Small factory-like operations were started up in the 30's in cities such as
Kharkiv, Poltava, Odessa, and Chernihiv to manufacture banduras for the
growing number of people playing the instrument.
In post WWII Ukraine workshops were developed in Chernihiv, Kiev, Lviv and
Melnytso-Podilsk. The problems of standardisation were adressed. Today the
most popular instruments have been those manufactured by the Chernihiv and
Lviv musical instruments factories.
The standard Chernihiv factory bandura known as the Prima is currently by
far the most popular instrument. It has 55 strings. From the time when it
was first manufactured instruments in 1954 over 40,000 (1990) instruments
have been manufactured. The Prima and the later concert bandura were
designed by master bandura craftsman Ivan Skliar. The Lviv version of the
Prima and Concert bandura were developed by Professor Vasyl Herasymenko in
the 1960's.
Other instruments such as the Melnytso-Podilsk factory bandura occasionally
appear here in the west. This is an instrument using construction techniques
from both Chernihiv and Lviv banduras.
In the West's, banduras were made by individual craftsmen and developed
along slightly different lines basically in th style of the instruments made
in the 1930's. Chief among these craftsmen were the Honcharenko brothers who
designed the instruments for the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in Detroit, USA.
Some of their students include banduramakers Yuri Pryjmak, Vasyl Hirych in
Detroit, and Bill Vetzal in Whitby, Canada. Other prominent makers were
Semen Lastovych in Munich, Vasyl Hlad in England, Ken Bloom in New York,
Myroslav Diakowsky in Toronto, Diachenko, Fedir Deriashnyj, and Robert
Vidikas in Australia.
THE BANDURA IS HAND-MADE
Despite the fact that in recent times most of the banduras in active use
today have been manufactured by the Chernihiv and Lviv musical instrument
factories, the bandura is not mass produced; in fact they are not even
produced in proper assembly line fashion.
Concert Banduras are usually made by one master craftsman, usually at the
rate of 2-3 a month. Some parts and pieces are roughly pre-formed for him by
other craftsmen and the final assembly as well as all the incrustation are
done by specialists with many years of experience. These men know and love
their chosen craft and their names are connected to master craftsmanship for
many years. In the concert banduras they autograph their names on the inside
label. Some of the more renown craftsmen at the Chernihiv factory are:
Kezlia, Mentej, and Shlionchyk.
ONE MAN OPERATION.
The bandura begins much like a small boat. A piece of wood is cut and glued
together to make the back which in most cases is hewn out. Pegboxes made of
hardwood are added to the top and bottom of the instrument. Strips of pine
or spruce are fitted and glued to this frame. The body is inlaid with
veneers, holes are drilled and reamed for the tuning pin holes in a taper so
that the tuning pins will be tight enough to hold the strings taught. The
back is sanded to a perfectly smooth finish.
Each piece of the bandura, particularly the mechanism, is especially made
for that instrument and is usually not interchangeable with any other. In
working with wood and handcrafting it, variations occur due to the nature of
the material; thus fittings, adjustments, etc, are constantly necessary in
the creation of a new bandura.
After many such fitting assemblies, all the wooden pieces of the bandura
match perfectly and are ready for the final lacquering. This is done by a
finishing expert. Five or six, coats of the highest quality lacquer are
sprayed on the bandura and each coat is allowed to harden before it is
rubbed down and a new coat applied.
In the concert bandura the mechanism is screwed in and the pegs are placed
into the pegbox. The strings are strung and tuned to pitch. After the
instrument has been kept at pitch for three days the mechanism is regulated.
It is approximately a month since work on the bandura has been begun.
REGULATION
The regulation of concert banduras in Ukraine is done in the traditional
manner by ear, although electronic tuners are now becoming popular.
Unfortunately, because the ear is not always accurate and the instrument
continues to become accustomed to being tuned the regulation is not always
perfect and requires that it be done a number of times after the player has
received his instrument.
After regulation and checking for cracks and buzzes the instrument is
inspected and placed in a cover and ready to ship.
Banduras, particularly those of the Chernihiv factory are well constructed
and many instruments made in the 1950's are still being played today.
Although the banduras are usually well constructed the other details which
come with the instrument are often not.
The covers for the bandura were usually ordered from another factory and
many of the covers had terrible zippers and badly placed handles. At one
time the zippers were replaced by metals buttons which were even worse
because they soon broke and often damaged the bandura.
Cases, tuning keys and zippers can however be easily ordered here in the
West.
Since the beginning of the 20th century bandura making has become a craft to
its own. Previously they were made by village craftsmen, but with the rise
in interest in the instrument by the intelligentsia, city luthiers began to
make banduras as well. In the early 20th century these were makers such as
Oleksander Kornievsky in Chernihiv, Anton Paplynsky in Kiev and Snehiriov in
Kharkiv. In the 30's these makers were joined by the likes of Palievets in
Poltava, Horhul in Kharkiv, Kosenko and Tyzychenko in Kiev, and Ivan Skliar
in Myrhorod. Bandura makers also appeared in Russia in the cities of Moscow,
Rostov and the Kuban region, and also spread to Western Ukraine to the
cities of Lviv and Rivne.
Small factory-like operations were started up in the 30's in cities such as
Kharkiv, Poltava, Odessa, and Chernihiv to manufacture banduras for the
growing number of people playing the instrument.
In post WWII Ukraine workshops were developed in Chernihiv, Kiev, Lviv and
Melnytso-Podilsk. The problems of standardisation were adressed. Today the
most popular instruments have been those manufactured by the Chernihiv and
Lviv musical instruments factories.
The standard Chernihiv factory bandura known as the Prima is currently by
far the most popular instrument. It has 55 strings. From the time when it
was first manufactured instruments in 1954 over 40,000 (1990) instruments
have been manufactured. The Prima and the later concert bandura were
designed by master bandura craftsman Ivan Skliar. The Lviv version of the
Prima and Concert bandura were developed by Professor Vasyl Herasymenko in
the 1960's.
Other instruments such as the Melnytso-Podilsk factory bandura occasionally
appear here in the west. This is an instrument using construction techniques
from both Chernihiv and Lviv banduras.
In the West's, banduras were made by individual craftsmen and developed
along slightly different lines basically in th style of the instruments made
in the 1930's. Chief among these craftsmen were the Honcharenko brothers who
designed the instruments for the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in Detroit, USA.
Some of their students include banduramakers Yuri Pryjmak, Vasyl Hirych in
Detroit, and Bill Vetzal in Whitby, Canada. Other prominent makers were
Semen Lastovych in Munich, Vasyl Hlad in England, Ken Bloom in New York,
Myroslav Diakowsky in Toronto, Diachenko, Fedir Deriashnyj, and Robert
Vidikas in Australia.
THE BANDURA IS HAND-MADE
Despite the fact that in recent times most of the banduras in active use
today have been manufactured by the Chernihiv and Lviv musical instrument
factories, the bandura is not mass produced; in fact they are not even
produced in proper assembly line fashion.
Concert Banduras are usually made by one master craftsman, usually at the
rate of 2-3 a month. Some parts and pieces are roughly pre-formed for him by
other craftsmen and the final assembly as well as all the incrustation are
done by specialists with many years of experience. These men know and love
their chosen craft and their names are connected to master craftsmanship for
many years. In the concert banduras they autograph their names on the inside
label. Some of the more renown craftsmen at the Chernihiv factory are:
Kezlia, Mentej, and Shlionchyk.
ONE MAN OPERATION.
The bandura begins much like a small boat. A piece of wood is cut and glued
together to make the back which in most cases is hewn out. Pegboxes made of
hardwood are added to the top and bottom of the instrument. Strips of pine
or spruce are fitted and glued to this frame. The body is inlaid with
veneers, holes are drilled and reamed for the tuning pin holes in a taper so
that the tuning pins will be tight enough to hold the strings taught. The
back is sanded to a perfectly smooth finish.
Each piece of the bandura, particularly the mechanism, is especially made
for that instrument and is usually not interchangeable with any other. In
working with wood and handcrafting it, variations occur due to the nature of
the material; thus fittings, adjustments, etc, are constantly necessary in
the creation of a new bandura.
After many such fitting assemblies, all the wooden pieces of the bandura
match perfectly and are ready for the final lacquering. This is done by a
finishing expert. Five or six, coats of the highest quality lacquer are
sprayed on the bandura and each coat is allowed to harden before it is
rubbed down and a new coat applied.
In the concert bandura the mechanism is screwed in and the pegs are placed
into the pegbox. The strings are strung and tuned to pitch. After the
instrument has been kept at pitch for three days the mechanism is regulated.
It is approximately a month since work on the bandura has been begun.
REGULATION
The regulation of concert banduras in Ukraine is done in the traditional
manner by ear, although electronic tuners are now becoming popular.
Unfortunately, because the ear is not always accurate and the instrument
continues to become accustomed to being tuned the regulation is not always
perfect and requires that it be done a number of times after the player has
received his instrument.
After regulation and checking for cracks and buzzes the instrument is
inspected and placed in a cover and ready to ship.
Banduras, particularly those of the Chernihiv factory are well constructed
and many instruments made in the 1950's are still being played today.
Although the banduras are usually well constructed the other details which
come with the instrument are often not.
The covers for the bandura were usually ordered from another factory and
many of the covers had terrible zippers and badly placed handles. At one
time the zippers were replaced by metals buttons which were even worse
because they soon broke and often damaged the bandura.
Cases, tuning keys and zippers can however be easily ordered here in the
West.