Miroslav Janovec of malonic - Manufacturer of Czech and Scottish bagpipes


He says if Chodsko man will think of unmistakable costumes, Chod cakes, maybe Jan Sladky Kozina, slightly different speech, leaning tower of Domažlice, but especially bagpipes. Miroslav Janovec of malonic near Horšovský Tyn is already produced a number of years. His hands are born not only Czech bagpipes, but also Scottish. Malonice I was looking for a while, but eventually found and surrounded by scented wood workshop with Miroslav Jánovce said.

If someone starts to make bagpipes, devil's tool, I can think, builds on a tradition such as in the family?

We bagpipes bagpipes did not produce one, I got them by accident. I worked in Chodovii in Domažlice. Once I came to like Joseph to work, I guess in 1982, and suddenly I heard from above bagpipes and singing. I open the door and saw a bagpipe with dudama. At that moment I knew that bagpipes I do. So, that's how I got it.

Miroslav Janovec

Have you listened to before Chod folk song?

Bagpipes liked me since childhood, Czech and Scottish, both.

Then what next? You said: I'll make bagpipes. I assume that you are in someone trained.

The bagpipes played there my friend. Others came just to play Joseph. She said she had borrowed bagpipes, but it should also like to own. At the time, bagpipes made only Mr. Konrad and did not have much time. So I went to the workshop and on it I started to measure everything. We used to go there to have Mr. Jírovec and we do occasionally produce předničky the bagpipes. I asked him if he would lend me bagpipes. But, his most bagpipes played somehow. Early on, I discovered that the instrument must be the same pressure. I thought, if I make a new předničku, everything should debug. I was a wood turner and so was not a new problem předničku do, but again, a different problem. From the beginning of it, I could really go crazy. When I said I can not go on like this, it takes some kind of order. Until then began to play the bagpipes, but the beginnings were really terrible.

I understand well that your first bagpipes played?

Exactly, my first bagpipes played. Copied from Mr. Jírovec tool still had some of those flies. I always saw him on something I did not like. Forever I had to redo.

So long as it took you made bagpipes for which you are "ashamed"?

Perhaps such a good year and a half. It was a lot of testing. Finally I told myself that I had to start from the lamina. Because the distance should be holes, they are easy to calculate.

Are each of your bagpipes original?

Each bagpipes are original. Tune is přednička plays beautifully, just as huk, but together they can not. Either it is you piper, but it is bad, or remake. But sometimes bagpipe sounds right the first time so beautifully that it would be a sin to do something with them.

Czech bagpipes

You began to say, the production of bagpipes, traditional Czech but also in the production of Scottish bagpipes. How did this happen?

I take it for granted that it happened. Scottish bagpipes, I had always liked them. Around the year 1988 I went on a bagpipe festival in Strakonice and, of course, played Scottish music. At that time I had met Mr. Charlton. After the festival, I followed him to the hotel and asked him about plans for Scottish bagpipes. He had a friend in the Scottish Museum and within two months my drawings actually came.

When your first Czech bagpipes did not harmonize, as it was with the Scottish?

It was beautiful beginnings. When you somewhere you can buy Scottish bagpipes, you have to blow my mouth. Air Tray is made of leather and it must be earned. But even if it modified the way it should be, to play the Scottish bagpipes is terrible. You have to push and blow all your strength. And that's what I tried in the beginning. But then I thought weld of rubber bellows that would pružil. After some attempts, I have come to the right strength rubber. Now I can totally let go and bellows still playing bagpipes. They can not let him go, they must still push and that makes a big difference. Even my bagpipes but they have a drawback. Bagpipes when they inflate to the correct pressure, blow into it and bagpipes can be heard. I have to attach Huku valves. Bagpipes puff, I closed valves, valve to hit, they are hidden, and only then the bagpipes sound.

Proceeded with someone in the production of Scottish bagpipes similar direction as you?

First bagpipes I built in 1990 and I know that if someone is in this country had.

Going back to Bohemia. When you receive an order, someone at your orders bagpipes. How everything is where it starts, where it goes, where it stops?

First, I'm interested in the customer's imagination. Maybe tuning. If one wants to play with such Violin country is better "D" tuning. May be different visage. The skin may be dark, light, as well as wood. Roztrub under předničkou can be bent or pointed, everything can be arranged. It is also important if you need to make bagpipes playing solo with a powerful sound.

When I look around the workshop, I see a lot of blanks, already ahead of the produced parts. If you're starting from scratch and had to hunt for material? What would you start?

It does not matter what I looked for first, whether wood, horns or brass sheet. I begin to be . First I had to get the lime, at best, linden planks. When I got dry, it would be good, and I would, however, had to give a certain percent complete drying. Only then could be done from them. If I beat the lime itself, I'd have to leave her in the saw cut into planks and let dry. First, naturally three years and then complete drying in an oven. The same applies to other parts of the wood: maple, plum, pear, cherry. So much wood. Cow horns just grind and polish. Then it is necessary to get  plate. From there, you produce ornaments over the corner. Below is předničkou roztrub/Czech expression/, which is made from either brass sheet, or tubes. It depends if it is pointed and curved. The skin on the wooden dmýcháky/Czech expression/ can buy, as well as the right skin bellows. Slightly worse is looking skin on the bellows, to which pushes piper. It can be a fox, goat, calf skin. Can also buy brass rings, tubes and the slices movements. It remains cane slices. This is more difficult, because every wrong. Most of my work with a goat head bagpipes. The  Can Make rollers, leave them doschnout, coarsely and then lathe drills.

When a customer orders at your bagpipes, how long can they wait?

Now I have a lot of parts ready. Předničky/Czech expression/ sewn bellows assembly, and actually bagpipe tune. They are so cash within fourteen days. If I do everything together, bagpipes born approximately two months.