Interview with Vladimir Milune

It was the first precedent at the ‘Rock-coronation-2000’ awards ceremony for the nomination of the ‘best guitar-guitar maker of the 20th century’. Vladimir Milune was awarded in it, and in the addition to the aplause of the audience he was given with the ovation from all the musicians attending. Not accidentally. There’s no well-known band in Belarus, that wouldn’t have dealt with him. Among his clients are the rocker Pete Pavlov, jazzmen Alexander Kalinovski and Vladimir Oogolnik…

It was past thirty years ago, but Vladimir remembers well the beginning of his passion.
-- It was in 1974 when I was 14. At that time I was into aircraft modelling and even succeeded in it. The first electric guitar I made for my friend using layout-drawings from "The Young Technician" magazine. When the guitar was finished, I felt I want to master it too. This passion turned to be contagious, as usual among the boys of that age.

-- Vladimir, what is professionalism for an instrument-maker, in your opinion?
-- For me it means executing my client's desire as precisely as possible, first of all. Although there are some nuances: I never contradict a client as far as shape or colour are concerned. But as regards such questions as wood for a guitar, electronic parts, circuit diagram and so, I hold my own, I know about that much more than most of them.. You know, if you want a usual guitar with a common sound, go to a shop and buy it! I am scrupulous about quality, since times of Stradivarius it associates with the name of the master. My purpose is always the same - to produce a guitar up to the highest acoustic and artistic criteria.

-- How much creation is involved in your work? I mean such things as.. invention, innovation..
-- Oh that's just right what I've been doing for all those years! Just recently, tuning and revising an instrument I made some improvements in it that still no-one could ever hit upon.. Now this guitar sounds much better, more qualitative. You know, the sound of an instrument - it's a kind of lottery. For instance, the electric guitar, done on an assembly line, can sound well or not, even by the theory of probability. One should learn how to choose the right instrument. But if you really understand your subject, you can exclude the randomness element and you're able to perfect the quality. Well, I'm talking about my innovations, and all those know-how that I invented. To sum up I know how to improve the instrument with optimal investment.

-- Are you planning to patent your inventions?
-- Yes, that would be nice, I'd like to expose some of my latest instruments at 'NAMM show' in LA.. It's a first-rate exhibition, one of the most large and popular in the world. The masters and companies from everywhere.. But I'd like to take out patents before, though I understand that the financial outlay would be pretty serious... I will try to put my plans into practice. By the way, some of my know-how's cannot be patented. I think I re-invented one of Stradivarius' secrets. They couldn't unriddle it for centuries!

-- The competitive work in this sphere has to be grounded on the special education, hasn't it?
--Yes, sure. While practicing and developing, I understood how thankful should I be to my teachers from Belorussian State Polytechnic Academy. The standarts of instruction were very high there, increasing as closer to graduation. I was a student of the insrument-making industry faculty, and they taught me good. The principles of construction that I know have been always helping me in my work, that's really invaluable.

-- Have you already created your ideal guitar? If not, try to describe it!
-- I'm still struggling for this ideal, but well I really can see it in my mind. You know the guitar is like a woman for me, having a soul and a shape.. Wait a while .. Oh. It would be a kind of.. electro-acoustic instrument of my original design.

interview by Anatoliy Mealguy