I’m hacking around on DADGAD guitar for some time now, but I simply don’t get it. I recently tried a friend’s bouzouki and found it a lot easier to play, perhaps because it has effectively two strings less… So I’m looking out for an affordable bouzouki (or octave mandolin) suitable for a beginner. I found this “Fender FBZ 66” in a local store’s catalog for €419. Does anybody know that instrument and if it’s a good choice or not? Those Freshwater “Accord” models are still in my range, too. Any opinions?
I do not own one, but have played one of thoese fender 'zouks. It was very nicely built and cleanly executed. Had a nice, rich, sound, and a fairly comfortable neck (it was a ‘c’ shape, and I prefer ‘v’ shape). It also had electronics in it. Played it through an accoustic 30 watt amp, sounded really nice.
If you’re looking for a ‘Gg Dd aa ee’ tuned bouzouki in that price range, I’d go for the fender. Granted, I’ve never played an accord.
I played a Fender about a year or so ago. I liked it, but I really don’t have any long experience with it. But it seemed well made and had a nice tone for its price. The pickup is a nice addition too, but I didn’t get to try it amplified. As I recall it was pretty quiet unplugged.
I don’t know anything about the Freshwaters, sorry.
It sounds like a fine instrument. Just make sure to look at the neck before buying it. Long-neck instruments like the bouzouki tend to have neck warping problems. Make sure the neck isn’t bent. If it is bent a little bit, it can be fixed by tweaking the rod, but it is better to buy a straight instrument. When I purchased my bouzouki, I had little experience purchasing instruments and accidentally bought one with a slightly bent neck. Luckily, though, it was fixable and I have been playing it for three years now.
I would suggest the Freshwater over the Fenders. I have not played a Freshwater and the Fenders Zouks are made in the same factory as other brands which I have played, namely Trinity College and Gold Tone. In general a handmade instrument such as the Freshwater will be a better quality instrument than one imported from Asia.
A Fender Zouk is likely a perfectly fine instrument and would suit a beginning player just fine, but a Freshwater is likely a step up in quality as it is handmade by someone who has studied and preformed the craft for years as opposed to being built in a factory by a machine.
Some people won’t agree with me in this statement I have just posted, but in my experience with Bouzoukis and Octave Mandolins I have found handmade instruments to be on a different level of quality than those made in Korea. Remember, you get what you pay for.
in my experience with Bouzoukis and Octave Mandolins I have found handmade instruments to be on a different level of quality than those made in Korea. Remember, you get what you pay for.
I do agree with this statement, in general. Usually, hand made instruments from a repuatable shop are superior to those churned out by the hundreds in a factory. However, I have played several ‘hand made’ instruments, and some of them have been quite atrocious. Even the most skilled luthier can made a poor instrument. Likewise, some mass produced cheaper instruments can play and sound very very good. For example, I have an ‘espanola’ brand mandolin (made in korea) that I bought back in 2004. I have tried out several ‘high end mandolins’ (gibson, collings, weber to name a few) and my korean mass produced mando holds its own in their presence. I’ve never felt the need to upgrade.
While its typically true that more $$$ means more quality, sometimes you don’t need to dump huge amounts of cash to get a relaible, easy to play, quality instrument. Its really impossible to gauge an instruments potential (unfortunatly) simply by its brand name. The best way to figure this out is to play it, IMHO.