Violinist or lutier, translated into Bosnian builder. Art in the world and craft in Bosnia. In the world, you attend school in order to hold that title, in Bosnia you inherit it. Several builders in Yugoslavia were self-taught, some were lucky enough to pass on their knowledge to the next generation. This is generally how I would start my biography..
Drawing borders for pages
My name is Mensur Avdić, I was born in Tuzla in 1987, I attended the School of Electrical Engineering and today I am a happy family man who spends half of his free time building stringed instruments. drawing, coloring, sketching, technical drawing and enjoying classical music. After a few years after graduating from high school, finding myself in the art world, I saw that I didn't have to wander much. My gift from God, my imagination, inclination towards classical music and my dad were the recipe for me to become (builder, luthier or violinist).
In the beginning, I couldn't even imagine that today I would be a builder of stringed instruments, because the first things I did were wood sculptures that I carved. Thanks to my father, Sifet Avdić (65), who has been making various stringed and stringed instruments for several decades, I decided to try my hand at making miniature instruments. Considering that the maple from which the stringed instruments are made is precious and broken, I used a different neck of wood to begin with. When I managed to create-make a violin in a small size, I looked at it and compared it with an adult violin, I was not afraid to take on the challenge. I quickly built my first full size 4/4 violin with the help of my dad. Image
After making it, dad made a setup, played it and it didn't sound bad at all. It now has a special place in our studio because it was a key role for my survival in this art. Today is 10 years since I found myself in this art and I am especially pleased because I have a couple of my violins playing around Europe. At the same time, one must also be humane, because I would not know what true pleasure is if one does not do something and help someone. In the course of the first decade of my work, I also found space to give away or do a free restoration, especially to younger ages who showed talent in primary music schools. Violin making is an often forgotten or foreseen art, but necessary for the expression and preservation of large pieces of music. From its earliest beginnings, the violin has been the embodiment of the highest
ideals of art. Violin making is more than a trade and involves much more than just the construction of the violin. A builder must perfect many areas of expertise to be a true builder. Knowledge of the material and the ability to feel the advantages and disadvantages of a certain piece of wood is necessary. To emphasize the design, the architecture and the choice of wood determine the ultimate potential of the finished violin.
The most favorite moment I experienced during
ten years of work, is when I was working small
restoration on his violin located in Slovenia. It's an indescribable feeling to hold an instrument in your hands again that you created a few years ago. Sometimes I think how he would like to be surrounded by his violins that I have built, and in due course to have an exhibition in
to their city, but it is impossible to build so many buildings without finding their buyer. Making one violin under normal conditions takes up to 400 hours of work. A lot of attention should be paid to the making of a violin. The most beautiful violin I built found its buyer in the United States of America, a pensioner from the mission during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was interesting
apparently, from the rare shell maple. I must say that I am very satisfied with my work so far, I strive to be even more professional, because this art does not tolerate mistakes and you can never overdo it with precision. The first condition for a violin to be of high quality and to have an outstanding tone is dry quality wood. It must be cut after the growing season, when it emerges from it
all the juice, then properly prepared for the natural way of drying in airy rooms not exposed to the sun. When we say handmade, it refers to every part
violins, of which there are a total of 50, except for the chivi, which are machine-made. As there is no inventing measurements during the making of violins, the same is true with varnishing. There are measures and no tricks to making a violin, though
I rely on instinct and seek to improve the sound on each new violin through slightly controlled variations depending on model architecture or dimensions. When playing a violin weighing 420 grams can be
capable of filling the farthest point of the concert hall with sound and conveying the sound of fiery emotions or subtle nuances to every listener. Each violin has a unique sound unlike any other created by the predominance of its own particular spectrum and abundance
overtones
.
There are two ways to varnish an instrument
unique methods, namely oil varnishes and varnishes with alcohol and natural resins. Then there are parts that must not be varnished, which are the pinch, the saddles of the chivia and the wiring harness, or rather it is that beautiful black wood. That wood grows in India and I supply it in optimum quantities because it is really expensive and it is called Ebony. It is distinct
solid structure and does not wear easily, that is why it is used for this purpose. Board for the speaker ie. I get the spruce from the Alps and the maple, of course, from our area. I have the good fortune that the best and most beautiful maple grows in our area, as it is written in the books that Amati and Stradivari used
in my time, maple exactly from the territory of Bosnia, which turned out to be correct because, meeting builders from other countries, I received requests to procure and sell certain quantities.
From time to time our studio
in addition to visiting customers from various countries, there were meetings with builders David Somenzi from Cremona, Giulio Maisenti, Davorin Strukan, and even with celebrities from our area Goran Bregović, Halid Muslimović. My biggest challenge and goal is to participate in the competition in Poznan in 2021
Poland. There, builders compete in making violins, where appearance and sound are judged. And I was prompted to do so by the fact that one of my violins is now playing in the Vienna Philharmonic, which was given for evaluation and received excellent marks. The most beautiful thing in all of this is that I will present my country in this art.
