Kiwizouki

Trad Strings
1

I am very much interested in New Zealand luthier’s website
of all the website’s I have researched in Australasia.
I don’t know why I am attracted to his Irish bouzouki and cittern the most. I may need to cross the Tasman Sea. I have never been to NZ.

Any advice from chordophonic types would be appreciated. I have only played appalachian zither.

What do think of Burgin’s lutes?
What is their mystery?

2

I have never heard of that luthier but the instruments look attractive and he certainly produces a full range of procucts. The one thing that was missing was a guitar body bouzouki. There were guitar body mandolins though. I didn’t see any lutes or were you referring to the bouzoukis as lutes.

Have you looked at Jack Spira’s instruments. A friend of mine has had two or three of them and they are extraordinary. They are very beautiful and sound great. He’s in Australia.

http://www.jackspiraguitars.com/index.html

3

Converted to US currency, the prices look very reasonable–if they sound as good as they look. I don’t see any links to sound clips of citterns, bouzoukis, or mandolins, though. Have I missed something? Guess we’ll have to rely on you to find out. Let us know how the trip to Kiwiland goes.
(Be sure to take a digital recorder, so that you can post your own sound clips. :thumbsup: )

Note the Pin Bridge bouzouki. That’s something I’ve never seen before.

4

Steve, I meant “lutes” generically. guitars, sitars, sarods, citterns, mandolins, levantine uds and the derivative lute, tambouras (turkish, persian and indian), saz, greek and irish bouzoukis etc etc come under the lute family
cf
appalachian dulcimers, cantele, rudra vina etc which come under zither family.

Yes I checked out Spira’s sight but the Burgin one attracted me more.
Thanks for your input.

5

I’ve never personally had any contact with that luthier, but if it’s something you’re interested in, go for it…prices look good.

6

Never heard of that guy.

The makers in this part of the world with the best reputations are Davey Stuart in New Zealand (Wellington?) and Graham McDonald in Canberra. Graham made me a beautiful bouzouki. He will discuss 'zouk and cittern designs with you and build you exactly what you want unless he thinks it won’t work.