Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm very pleased with the way this came out. It sounds bright and loud, with a more full tone then a typical Irish bouzouki, which is what I was after. I sure hope its new owner (Irish bouzouki player, Tony Dunne, who will be playing a mini-concert on it at the fest, then taking it home to Ireland) is happy!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

If it sounds anything like it looks he should be pleased as punch....! Super job Todd.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

It looks amazing. Forgive my ignorance but I have no hands on experience with bouzouki' what tuning are they generally in?

Super clean nice work Todd. What's the scale length and tuning on one of those?

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

That's really pretty, Todd. I really like that shape. And like the others said, can you teach us more about the bouzouki? If it's anything like my Airzooka, it should be a lot of fun. http://www.thinkgeek.com/clearance/on-sale/60b6/

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

Very Cool, Todd. Nice work.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Yes that is a really stunning piece of art. . Wondeful work there Todd.

All the best. Lars

It looks great Todd! I think your customer will love it. You must be excited to show it at Newport!

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Sure is a nice looking instrument Todd; I'm sure your customer will be pleased,
regards,
jack

That's awesome, can't wait to see it.

Craig L

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Lovely piece of work that. Thanks for showing us.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Thanks, everybody! I really appreciate all your comments.

An Irish bouzouki usually has 4 courses, rather than 5, and is commonly tuned GDAD, all unison pairs, with the low G corresponding to a guitar's sixth string, 3rd fret (i.e. G2-D3-A3-D4, if you know that system). Some use octave pairs for the lowest two courses, and there are some other tunings used as well. The norm is a tear-drop shaped instrument a bit bigger and longer in scale than an octave mandolin.

Tony is unusual in that he tunes his bouzoukis like a guitar missing the lowest string or two. So, his 4 course zouk is tuned DGBE. The instrument I've made for him is tuned ADGBE. The lowest two courses are octave pairs and the other three are unisons. The scale length is 25.6"/650mm. I'm thinking I might recommend to him that we make the G course an octave pair as well (which would make the whole thing just like a 12 string guitar in standard tuning minus the low E course). As it is now, the G course lacks the brightness of the other courses, being the only course with two wound strings, so it sounds a little muted by comparison. I'm going to put an octave G string on and see how it sounds (hopefully I won't have to mess with the nut and saddle too much to accommodate the change).

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Can't wait to see/play that pretty thing!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com