Posted on June 13, 2024January 21, 2025 by Dale Phillips Alexander Illitch Eppler Alexander Illitch Eppler by Kent Rayman Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Newsletter Vol. 4, #1, 1976 Seattle-born Alexander Illitch Eppler attended the Bulgarian State Conservatory and is a established virtuoso and teacher of the kaval, a Balkan end-blown flute. He has toured widely as a soloist in Eastern Europe. An accomplished maker of violins and other stringed instruments, his wide interest in and knowledge of rare woods as led him into the manufacture of wooden Boehm-system flutes, baroque flutes, and other woodwind instruments. Date of Interview: April 10, 1976 Where did you get your start? I got my start here in America with a violin maker in Seattle by the name of Julian Clark, an excellent violin maker. He’s a very straightforward and unpretentious fellow and I met him. Without exploiting me at all he devoted countless hours to teaching me all that he knew and that’s where I got my start here in Seattle. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on August 11, 2021March 6, 2024 by Dale Phillips The Cimbalom The Cimbalom by Alexander I. Eppler Originally published in American Lutherie #5, 1986 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 The cimbalom is by far the most sophisticated and highly-developed instrument of the hammered dulcimer world. It enjoys the status not only from the point of view of musical performance, standards, and practice, but also from that of actual construction and design. The appearance of the instrument is rather grand. Its beautiful carved case stands on four turned legs with a graceful, lyre-shaped pedal. Other than its elegant and compact tuning system (see illustration), what sets the cimbalom apart from all other dulcimers is that it is fitted with a full set of dampers and pedal. The legs and pedal are removable for easy transport, and the instrument also has a lockable cover to protect the strings and dampers when the instrument is not in use. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
