Was wondering if anyone had any input reagrding a good maker of an Irish Bouzouki in the $500- 800 range? Used. Thanks.
I’ve heard several good reports of Trouboudor bouzoukis. These are made in Roumania and distributed by David Kilpatrick. The price is lower than the range you mention. http://www.troubadour.uk.com/ I’ve never tried them but I think there may be some MP3s that you can access from David’s page. Another source is Doug Dieter in Indiana. His instruments are roughlyin that price range. Again, I’ve never played one but have heard good reports.
http://www.kennaquhair.com/
Steve
There’s a brand of bouzouki which is quite OK and probably in that range. Trinity College is the name I think and they’re made somewhere in Asia. I have one and it’s OK although it can’t match an instrument for about twice that price by a top maker.
If I’m right about the name there are a lot of ironies here. Trinity College was where the Anglo Irish would have gone for an education; anyone likely to play ITM would most likely have gone to University College, although things would be different now I think. But what the heck, bouzoukis only entered the music in the '60s long after the British had left Dublin. The very idea of an ‘Irish’ bouzouki is an irony in itself.
http://www.folkofthewood.com/page677.htm
Several video samples are online.
I got a bouzouki from http://www.the-music-room.com/system/index.html by mail order from
The Music Room
HEAD OFFICE
located at
35 Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD19 3JN. UK
tel. +44 (0)1274 879768
Mail Order. 01274 852020
opening hours: Mon to Sat 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
The Tonewood TBZ100-S Bouzouki costing £99.00 was the one I went for as I am a beginner on the bouzouki I didn’t want to pay to much for one.
All the best
What a store!!! I could spend a week or two at that place.
The Tonewood looks a lot like the zouks sold by David Kilpatrick. He has them made to his specifications but I think that’s mainly small cosmetic things. Anyway, people who have them find them pretty nice.
Steve
i ordered last year one of those romanian bouzoukies from web site :
www.hora.ro they are very cheap, especially from people from europe. it is same models as troubadour bouzoukies. it cost me about 100 $ ( together with postage to croatia). in general, i am satisfied with this bouzouki, especially for this price range !
marin
trinity college instruments used to be made in korea but they’re made in china now and aren’t as good. you can still get the korean ones but they’re branded with the name “ashbury” now, I’ve got one in stock and it plays pretty nice, if I remember right the price tag on it is $530, most places are selling them for around $600
the chinese ones are going for about $350 with case on ebay