The instrument making depends on the musician’s body type and uses two styles. The first is the Foustalieris style with a -67 scale, and the second is based on an old bulgari instrument with a -70 scale.

The types of wood that are used for a solid carved instrument are black mulberry tree (around 200 to 500 years old), local walnut tree, and other types of wood that the musician prefers.

The body with wooden components allows us to use ebony, rosewood, Brazilian rosewood, zirokote, venge, kokobolo, and other exotic wood types, as well as for the fingerboard.

For the neck I use walnut tree, mulberry tree, black mulberry tree, mahogany, sipo mahogany, linden wood, and a fingerboard.

The instrument keys are divided into two categories. The wooden keys are made of ebony or indian rosewood. The mechanical keys are a true imitation of the wooden keys in appearance and weight, with the exception of an internal mechanism with cogwheels that offers better control and precision in the tuning of the string.

For the neck I usually use fishing line, since the fets can move. Another option after custom order is copper wire, or steady fets. The copper wire also needs more frequent tuning due to the contraction and expansion from the temperature variation per season.

For the instrument decoration I use φίλντισι- seashell-άμπαλον- άμπαλον white-άμπαλον purle- semi-precious stones, ταρταρούγκα, φιλέτα και πυρογραφία on the top.

Bulgari

Bulgari is an instrument originating from the ancient greek pandura, from the tambura family, that took that shape in Crete and stands out for its distinct sound, as well as the way it is built and played. According to testimonies from old bulgari players, the name might be based on the burganes, which some call bulgares (wrapped cords). Nevertheless, no one really knows the true origin of the name.

Bulgari is a carved instrument with a large hole on the body, and it also has three smaller holes on the top. The body is usually made out of black mulberry tree. The neck is made from a softer wood and the top is made from lebanese cedar or fir. It has three pairs of double cords, where the top two pairs use burganes (wrapped cords) with a tuning (A, D, G-G, D, G, etc). The spaces on the neck are made with fets and it can be played with a feather.

Various carved instruments that use fets have been called by the same name from time to time. However, the original cretan bulgari is a very special instrument. It is difficult to build a bulgari the right way, so that it soes not look like a sazi, tzoura, three-stringed bouzouki, or a tempura of a different kind. The main criteria for building the cretan bulgari is mainly its distinct sound. The standards that exist today for the production of the bulgari is the bulgari of Foustalieris which is over 150 years old, as well as a second bulgari, potentially even older. For years we are in a great struggle to preserve this almost extinct musical instrument.

Lute

Lutes are built based on the body type of the musician, the tuning (A-D-G-C old, E-A-D-G new), and the musician’s sound of preference, using five different molds for the cretan lute for body scale and variety in types of wood.

Νο1.Kissamos style, pear-shaped 75 scale (medium-large body)
Νο2. Kissamos style, pear-shaped 73,5-74 scale (small body)
Νο3.G.Fraggedakis style, 74 scale (large body)
Νο4. G.Fraggedakis style, 74 scale (medium small body)
Νο5.Th.Moudakis style, 74 scale (large body)
Νο6.Children-student style

The body is usually made from black mulberry tree (around 200 to 500 years old), local walnut tree, and other types of wood that the musician prefers, such as ebony, rosewood, brazilian rosewood, zirokote, venge, kokobolo, and other exotic wood types, as well as for the fingerboard.

For the top, I use fir, lebanese cedar, cedar from Canada and Oregon. For the neck, I use walnut, mulberry, black mulberry, mahogany, sipo mahogany, linden wood. The instruments tuning keys are divided into three categories. The classic iron keys, such as groove and saller, with a hole at the bottom or the side. The wooden keys are made from ebony or indian rosewood (custom order). The mechanical keys are a true imitation of the wooden keys in appearance and weight, with the exception of an internal mechanism with cogwheels that offers better control and precision in the tuning of the string. I use fets made from fishing line, since they can move.

I use seashells for the instrument’s decoration - άμπαλον white-άμπαλον purle (σγουρό)- semi-precious stones, ταρταρούγκα ,πάστα ,ροζέτα ,φιλέτα, bones, a carved lion’s head at the top of the neck, and other designs (custom order).

Three-string bouzouki

The instruments are built based on the body type of the musician, the tuning (D-A-D three-stringed, D-A-F-C four-stringed), and the musician’s sound and decoration of preference, using five different molds, three molds for three-stringed small/medium/large pear-shaped body, and two molds for four-stringed medium/large, on a scale of 67,68,69,70 cm and the following types of wood:

Νο1.three-stringed, small, pear-shaped, Zozef style
Νο2. three-stringed, medium, pear-shaped, Zozef style
Νο3. three-stringed, large body, Zozef style
Νο4. four-stringed, medium body
Νο5. four-stringed, large body

The body is usually made from black mulberry tree (around 200 to 500 years old), local walnut tree, and other types of wood that the musician prefers, such as ebony, rosewood, brazilian rosewood, zirokote, venge, kokobolo, and other exotic wood types, as well as for the fingerboard.

For the top, I use fir, lebanese cedar, cedar from Canada and Oregon. For the neck, I use walnut, mulberry, black mulberry, mahogany, sipo mahogany, linden wood. The instrument’s tuning keys are divided into three categories. The classic iron keys, such as groove and saller, with a hole at the bottom or the side. The wooden keys are made from ebony or indian rosewood (custom order). The mechanical keys are a true imitation of the wooden keys in appearance and weight, with the exception of an internal mechanism with cogwheels that offers better control and precision in the tuning of the string.

I use shells for the instrument’s decoration - άμπαλον white-άμπαλον purle (σγουρό)- semi-precious stones, ταρταρούγκα ,πάστα ,ροζέτα ,φιλέτα, bones and other designs (custom order).

Lyre

I build my instruments in two different styles. The first is the Em.Stagakis style. The cretan lyre in its present form was first built and established around 1940-45 by Em.Stagakis. Influenced by the violin, he added the snail design at the top of the neck, and the fingerboard, but he also changed its timbre.

The second style is a possibly older pear-shaped lyre from my collection, with a fingerboard and snail design at the top of the neck from an unknown maker.

For the top, I use lebanese cedar, fir, cedar from Canada and Oregon. The body of the carved instrument is made from black mulberry (around 200 to 500 years old), local walnut tree, and other types of wood that the musician prefers, such as ebony, rosewood, brazilian rosewood, zirokote, venge, kokobolo, and other exotic wood types.

The instrument’s tuning keys are divided into three categories. The wooden keys are made from ebony or indian rosewood. The mechanical keys are a true imitation of the wooden keys in appearance and weight, with the exception of an internal mechanism with cogwheels that offers better control and precision in the tuning of the string. And finally the iron keys (groove).

The instrument’s decoration is made with φίλντισι- seashell-άμπαλον- άμπαλον white-άμπαλον purle- semi-precious stones, ταρταρούγκα, φιλέτα και πυρρογραφία.

Repairs

The repairs refer to old historical musical instruments from famous instrument makers and musicians, such as G.Koutsourelis, Emmanuel, Georgios and Eleftherios Fraggedakis, Mountakis, Stagakis, Malinakis, Apartian, etc. The main goal is to preserve the old wood, which is more difficult that building a new instrument, as well as preserve the artistic quality of the instrument in order to reflect its era of origin.

Special thanks to the Koutsoureli family for entrusting me with the instruments.

INSTRUMENT MAKING

Bulgari

Bulgari

Lute

Lute

Three-string bouzouki

Three-string bouzouki

Lyre

Lyre

Repairs

Repairs