Kostadin Dimitrov

KD Basses

Guitar maker

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Making music through woodwork

Kostadin creates handmade electric guitars and basses
Many of his tools are custom made
He organises the luthier convention Bulgarian Music Workshop

Kostadin Dimitrov became a luthier by chance. He was working as a professional lathe operator in 1997 when a friend approached him about making the hardware for three different guitars. Kostadin agreed, but his friend abandoned the job abruptly to go to Portugal and Kostadin was left to finish it himself. When he started woodworking he fell in love with the craft. He experienced an international breakthrough when a German music producer noticed one of his basses and invited Kostadin to form a partnership, which helped him gain an appreciation of the high standards of the larger competitive markets. Nowadays, his modesty keeps him level-headed and open to new methods and ideas.

Interview

What are the distinctive features of your guitars?
My choice of wood, which is a prerequisite for achieving the characteristic sound of my guitars. I use extremely rare woods with a unique appearance. Bulgarian wood is highly valued by luthiers all over the world. Legend has it that Stradivari used Balkan maple and spruce from the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains.
How do you combine traditional craft techniques with innovations?
I believe the future lies in traditional techniques. I don’t use CNC machines to craft my instruments; they are made entirely by hand. One of the most interesting innovations I use in my work is multicoloured stabilised wood, which, as far as I know, is my unique invention for the European market.
What do you like most about your craft?
My greatest joy is seeing my instruments being played and inspiring musicians. In such moments I realise that I am indirectly participating in the creation of music, and that my ideas and talent have helped to delight fans.
Is there anything about your wоrk that people might not know?
What customers can't realise at the time of purchase is how close we will become during the process of completing their custom-made guitar. It happens naturally as we converse over hundreds of emails, phone calls and chats. By the time the project is finished we have become very good friends.

Kostadin Dimitrov is a master artisan: he began his career in 1997 and he started teaching in 2018