Mirza Kovačević

Luthier

Haris Čalkić ©Michelangelo Foundation

Electric feels

Mirza has been making guitars for two decades
He creates for prominent musicians from the Balkans
For him, building guitars is an act of love

Luthier Mirza Kovačević has made more than a thousand guitars since 2000, for customers around the world. Famous Balkan musicians, such as Vlatko Stefanovski, Bata Kostić and Damir Imamović play instruments made by Mirza. He brings a lot of dedication and love to every guitar that he makes, being an expert in strings, bridges and tunes. He loves listening to music played on a guitar he has handcrafted. Using top-quality Bosnian wood such as maple or ash, Mirza devotes a lot of time and patience to each instrument, which is why it takes about four months to make one instrument.

Interview

Haris Čalkić ©Michelangelo Foundation

Haris Čalkić ©Michelangelo Foundation

Why did you start making guitars?: For me, a guitar is not just an instrument you play, it is an art object and making guitars is an act of love. I have loved guitars since childhood. That love never disappeared, even though I had distanced myself from their construction for a while.
Do you still own the first guitar you made?: The first guitar I made as a high school student was not that good. Many years later, I tried to build another one: that guitar, which I made in 2000, looked like a nice Stratocaster. It is still in my possession, since it's invaluable to me, I would not sell it for anything.
How do you choose the wood you use?: It all depends on the customer. For those who like a deeper sound, I use mahogany and maple for the body, and mahogany and rosewood for the neck. For more fluffy tones, I use alder for the body, and maple and rosewood for the neck.
Do you train apprentices?: I worked with my son-in-law but he moved away. A lot of curious people came to me and I always showed everyone everything I know. I really don't want this craft and the love for guitars to disappear. I hope that they will stay and that someone will continue this craft.

Mirza Kovačević is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2000 and he started teaching in 2023