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  #1  
Old 01-24-2018, 04:48 AM
cmac cmac is offline
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Default Bouzoukis, or things like them

I'm of a mind to get a flat-backed bouzouki, but after 34 years of guitar playing I'm not really well placed to learn a new tuning so I'd want to set it up with CFAD.

How should this influence my choice of instrument? I'm thinking specifically of scale length here, since (as I understand it) CFAD will require certain string tensions and that, in turn, will suggest a specific scale length.

I've read that CFAD is standard for round-backed Greek bouzoukis with a 670mm scale length; is it as simple as finding a flat-backed bouzouki with a 670mm (or close) scale length?
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Old 01-24-2018, 05:07 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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D you mean something like this ? :



it's in the Classifieds - EU etc.
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  #3  
Old 01-24-2018, 05:15 AM
cmac cmac is offline
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I saw your ad :-) but I'd be looking for something a bit cheaper, and a more classical Irish bouzouki shape, e.g.
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Old 01-27-2018, 05:11 PM
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Erithon Erithon is offline
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I think you'll want to go with a shorter scale than 670mm, especially if you are tuning it C3 F3 A3 D4.

My Irish bouzouki, made in County Meath by Jan Muyllhaert, has a scale length of 25.75 inches. I generally tune it G2 D3 A3 E4 like a mandolin, just down an octave. There is a lot of variation when it comes to bouzoukis, but your proposed instrument would sound (in the bass) a fourth above mine so it seems to me that a shorter scale length might better serve you. Maybe something like 24 or 25 inches. For comparanda: the violin, tuned a 5th above the viola (albeit on all strings, not just the bass string), has a shorter scale length than its alto-clef counterpart.

A longer scale length can impart more sustain and volume and will probably affect the timbre as well, but it can also create some really tricky stretches in the left hand, especially when the strings are tuned in fifths--you'll somewhat avoid that with the guitar-inspired tuning, but I'd still encourage you, if you can, to try out different scale lengths and see what feels the most comfortable.
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Old 01-27-2018, 06:50 PM
cmac cmac is offline
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Thanks. I do need to spend some time with as many bouzoukis as I can find in local stores. There's a lot to learn here, especially when I've spent my life with a single, standard guitar tuning.
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Old 01-28-2018, 11:28 AM
Mandobart Mandobart is offline
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The best source of info on the 'net for this is the CBOM section of mandolincafe.
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Old 01-28-2018, 02:34 PM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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Funny this comes up ... played at a friend's new open mic last week. The owner of the restaurant, Ionni, turned out to be a bouzouki player. We got him to do a couple of songs, and he pulls out his axe from the closet, and I was tipped off when he asked to plug in (a bouzouki with a pickup!). Man, he shredded the bejeezus outta that thing! I jokingly told him if he could play in a major key we'd hire for our bluegrass band.
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Old 01-28-2018, 10:27 PM
M Hayden M Hayden is offline
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Zouks and citterns are fun. I have a friend who’s got several, and it’s a stretch to play the chords....it’s a great sound, with the stacked fifths.
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Old 05-15-2018, 04:10 PM
PHJim PHJim is offline
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Rustyaxe - Greek bouzoukis are often equiped with D'Armond pickups; in fact this is almost standard for professional players.
Mando-things come in various scale lengths, numbers of strings and tunings.
Octave mandolins are about 20" scale and often have unison courses tuned GDAE or GDAD, but sometimes have octave tuning on the 3rd and 4th courses.
Irish bouzoukis usually have a longer scale lengthand more often have the octave courses. Citterns (not real traditional citterns,but thse used in Irish music) often have more than four courses.
There is a lot of confusion in the Mando world because not everyone uses these terms the same way. Quite often two players with essentially the same instrument might call it by two different names. An octave mandolin is sometimes called an octave mandola, although it's not tuned an octave away from a mandola(CGDA). Donnal Lunny called his mando-thing a "blarge". I've heard them called "Octophones". A guitar player I play with calls them all "Monster mandolins".
Master Toronto luthier Grit Laskin calls his "long necked mandolins" whether they have four courses, five courses, octave courses or unison courses.

Hope this clears things up.

Guitar players are not nearly as confusing. It's still a guitar whether it's shaped like a flying V, a dreadnought, a parour size; whether it's solid body electric, semi hollow electric, acoustic electric or acoustic; whether it has four, five, six, seven, nine or twelve strings.
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Old 05-15-2018, 06:43 PM
philjs philjs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PHJim View Post
Donnal Lunny called his mando-thing a "blarge .
My understanding is that Donal's "blarge" came from the hang tag in the music shoppe and was shoppe shorthand for "bouzouki, large" (as opposed, of course, to a "bsmall").

Phil
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