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Old 11-12-2017, 09:38 AM
philjs philjs is offline
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Location: Halifax, NS, Canada
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I might have gone for the 325 OM (20" scale, unison pairs) rather than the 375 (26" scale, octave-strung) but I don't think you're crazy (per se), Greg. I have one of each (a Crosby "bouzar" which is a 23" scale tenor guitar with unison pairs and a 26" scale, octave-strung Gold Tone bouzouki) and they each have their better features but I find I play the shorter scale, unison-strung bouzar far more than I play the bouzouki.

That being said, I also don't really treat them as "different" from a guitar. I play in DADGAD tunings (both chord accompaniment and fingerstyle) so both my bouzar and bouzouki are tuned GDGC (same intervals as DADG) and I can pretty much play anything on them that I can play on a guitar. The usual tuning for Irish bouzouki is GDAD (but for me that's just upside-down and is just a "stranger thing") so GDGC is not that much different, string-wise. You might try tuning to ADGC (same intervals as EADG) for an initial foray into the instrument, then adjust as needed, possibly to ADGB (same as the inner four strings on a standard-tuned guitar) or somewhere else.

In any case, have fun with it!

Phil
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