Bouzouki, Mandola, or Octave Mandolin

Trad Strings
1

Hi all,
I wish to buy an instrument to accompain (and sing maybe) Folk music (specially Irish music), I’ve no experience in string instruments, I’ve thought to take a mandola or octave mandolin for their reduced size, however the bouzouki has some nice lower notes.
Wich is your personal choiche?
I will take a cheap instrument, like thomann.de or hora.
Thanks

2

You can easily tune an octave mandolin as a bouzouki… think of it as a short-scale bouzouki.
I use one for GDAD accompaniment, and it has a scale length of 22.75".

3

I would agree with Thomaston.

I’ve preferred mandolins generally over bouzouki personally. A mandolin has the reduced size advantage for certain. Depending on the design, an octave mando may not save you all that much in overall size. A mandola can seem quite compact in comparison to a bouzouki or a guitar. The octave mandolin would be my choice between the two though. Plenty of lower end there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lewRHqq7zI

If you really want a big bottom you might look for a mandocello. :slight_smile:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEAB5Bib02M

Feadoggie

4

Isn’t a mandocello normally in CGDA? That’d make Irish accompaniment a bit more difficult. Although tuning up to DAEB is an option.

Or, I guess DGDA could work well.

5

Strings is strings. Frets is frets. Tuning is tuning. They’ve all got tuning gears on the head. That’s what they are for, right? :slight_smile: Tune 'em any way you like. I’ve never subscribed to or prescribed any interval scheme as a “standard” tuning for any genre. But that’s just me. Do as you like. Just have fun doing it.

Feadoggie

6

Very true, but you have to take into account that if you start deviating too much from the “intended” tuning, bridge and nut slots can become an issue. And not everyone is savvy enough to change that kind of stuff around themselves.

Having said that, I’d LOVE to experiment with a Gold Tone cello banjo tuned an octave below gdae tenor banjo tuning.

7

Timberflute22, I had a free moment and thought I’d do a quick video playing my octave. It’s as much melody as it is accompaniment, but I don’t have another melody player here to do pure accompaniment with. Anyway, hope you enjoy it and find it educational regarding your injuiry.
http://youtu.be/wj-SIU_a2xM

8

Thanks a lot for the answers and the suggestions!!
If you have another videos post them, I’m enjoying :smiley:
Have a good day