The bugarija (also called kontra) is a flat-back tamburitza with six strings in three courses. Its role in the ensemble is chordal accompaniment — a percussive, strong tone that gives the rhythmic foundation to the whole orchestra.
Structurally the bugarija differs significantly from the other tamburitzas. A flat back, a wider and shallower body, an increased soundboard area — all this serves powerful projection of low and mid frequencies. The body is built from walnut or maple, the soundboard from carefully selected spruce.
The strings are grouped in three courses of two strings each, enabling full chordal expression with a single pluck. The hardware must be precise — the time between pluck and string response is critical to the rhythmic function.
Our bugarija has a characteristic, percussive tone that cuts well through a mix with the other tamburitzas of the ensemble. We can build it in different variants — from the classical bugarija through the 'large bugarija' to specific local versions.
The bugarija evolved from the Turkish chord tamburitza of the Ottoman period, reshaped through the 19th century into the form we know today — flat back, shallow body, six strings in three courses. Its role in the tamburitza orchestra is irreplaceable: it holds the rhythm, sets the chord structure and provides that characteristic 'pulse' of tamburitza music that no other instrument can produce. Folk ensembles often have two or three kontraš players — multiple bugarijas in a single orchestra.
Building a bugarija typically takes ten to thirteen weeks. The starting price for a standard bugarija is EUR 700. The order can specify the body size (classical or 'large' bugarija), number of strings, soundboard dimensions and specific player ergonomics. Optional extras include selected inlay work, special rosette patterns, a custom bridge with adjustable height — all aimed at making each bugarija fit a specific performer.
The bugarija is the hardest-working instrument in the ensemble — it plays almost continuously through an entire performance and must endure a relentless dance-tempo. That is why building a bugarija demands particular attention to acoustic resilience and mechanical stability. Our workshop builds bugarijas with extra bracing at strategic points, and later offers all tamburitza service work — voicing, repair, restoration and acoustic adjustment.
Special attention in building a bugarija goes to the soundboard thickness distribution. The bugarija must withstand the mechanical tension of six strings playing rhythmically, almost percussively. Our soundboards are built with reinforced central bracing and slightly thinner peripheries, giving both strength and dynamics. The neck is often a laminated walnut-maple joint that minimises bending under string tension. All of this comes from decades of experience building tamburitzas in Varaždin — and is what separates a bugarija that lasts five years from one that lasts fifty.