Overall length 692 mm - 27 1/4"

Inside diameter 16 mm - 5/8"

Outside diameter 20 mm - 11/16"
Distance from sharpened end to CENTER of:
Thumb hole 288mm - 11 5/16" (on "bottom")
First finger 315mm - 12 7/16" (on "top")
Second 345 mm - 13 9/16"
Third 374 mm - 14 11/16"
Fourth 401mm - 15 3/4"
Fifth 431 mm - 16 15/16"
Sixth 458 mm - 18"
Seventh 481 mm - 19 1/8"
Devil hole #1 543 mm - 21 5/16" (on "bottom")
Devil hole #2 584 mm - 23" (on "top")
Devil holes #3 622 mm - 24 1/2" (two, one on each "side")
Diameter of holes 8 mm - 5/16"
These measurements are taken from the Macedonian kaval I currently play. Toleran
ces are to the nearest mm or 1/16". The note we call "A" sounds at 444 MHz, A#
on the piano. The all-fingers-down note, we call "C" and it sounds as C# on the
piano. The intonation is not well-tempered, that is, some of the notes sound a b
it sharp or flat when compared to the piano. I consider this not a serious probl
em, because I'm playing with an old-style Macedonian gajda, and the intervals on
the gajda are also a bit off, when compared to the piano. I adjust by lipping e
ach note up or down to match the gajda.
In 1978, I worked at a place that had a full machine shop, where I could sweet-t
alk the technicians into allowing me to use the lathe and drill press after hour
s. With my husband helping a lot, we sawed the pipe into correct lengths, then h
e ran the lathe to bevel the edge of the mouthpiece. (Yes, we used goggles for e
ye protection.)
PROCEDURE kaval
If the length of pipe survived that process, I then inserted it into a template
I'd gotten the technician to make for me, based on the numbers (see above) I'd g
iven him. It was square-cross-section metal tubing, a bit larger than the plexig
lass pipe, with the holes drilled at the correct locations. I'd wedge the butt e
nd of the pipe into the metal template with little pieces of wood or cardboard,
hold this down on the platform of the drill press, and then ever-so-carefully br
ing the drill down on each hole in the template.
Once the holes were all drilled, I'd use a little curved de-burring file by hand
to smooth the outside edges of the holes on the pipes that survived that far. I
didn't go so far as to bevel the holes, just softened the edge of the holes a b
it so they'd feel nicer under the fingers. I'd push a 1/2" wooden dowel down the
pipe to knock off the few curls of plexiglass that would cling to the inside ed
ges of the holes, and clear out any shavings that remained. I sanded the beveled
and butt ends a little to smooth them off, too.

Aceste masuratori sunt luate din kavalul macedonean pe care l joc acum. Toleran?e
le sunt la cel mai apropiat milimetru sau la 1/16 ", notele pe care le numim" A
"suna la 444 MHz, A # pe pian, nota de pe degete, numim" C "?i suna ca C # .Inta
?ia nu este bine temperata, adica, unele note nu sunt prea ascu?ite sau plate n c
ompara?ie cu pianul. Consider ca aceasta nu este o problema grava, pentru ca joc
cu o gajda macedoneana n stil vechi ?i Intervalele de pe gajda sunt, de asemenea
, un pic oprit, n compara?ie cu pianul.Am ajustat prin lipping fiecare nota n sus
sau n jos pentru a se potrivi cu gajda.
n 1978, am lucrat ntr-un loc care avea un magazin complet de ma?ini, unde am putut
sa-i spun dulce tehnicienilor ca mi-a permis sa folosesc strungul ?i sa mannc pr
esa dupa ore. Cu so?ul meu ajutnd foarte mult, am taiat tubul n lungimi corecte, a
poi a alergat strungul pentru a nfrunta marginea piesei bucale. (Da, am folosit o
chelari de protec?ie pentru protec?ia ochilor.)
PROCEDURE kaval
Daca lungimea ?evii a supravie?uit acelui proces, l-am introdus apoi ntr-un ?ablo
n pe care l-am primit tehnicianul pentru mine, pe baza numerelor (vezi mai sus)
pe care le-am dat. Era o tubulatura cu sec?iune transversala, pu?in mai mare dect
conducta de plexiglas, cu gaurile gaurite n locurile corecte. A? pune capatul ca
patului tubului n ?ablon metalic cu buca?i mici de lemn sau carton, ?ine?i-l jos
pe platforma presei de gaurit ?i apoi aduce?i cu aten?ie burghiul n fiecare gaura
din ?ablon .
Odata ce gaurile au fost toate gaurite, a? folosi un mic fi?ier curbat de de?uru
bat cu mna pentru a netezi marginile exterioare ale gaurilor de pe ?evile care au
supravie?uit att de departe. Nu m-am dus att de mult nct sa nclin gaurile, doar am n
bu?it pu?in marginea gaurilor, a?a ca s-ar sim?i mai bine sub degete. A? mpinge u
n diblu de lemn de 1/2 "pe teava pentru a bate cteva buzunare de plexiglas care s
e vor lipi de marginile interioare ale gaurilor ?i de a ?terge orice rumegu?uri
care au ramas. Am ?lefuit captu?itul ?i capatul se termina pu?in Pentru a le eli
mina, de asemenea.