Although it instantly found a home in traditional Celtic music, the Irish Bouzouki is a relatively new invention. It likely first appeared in 1969 when Irish musician Dónal Lunny was given a Greek bouzouki by a friend. Lunny is left-handed, so he reversed the strings and also mounted them in unison, which fundamentally changed the character of the instrument. This modified Greek bouzouki became fully integrated into Irish folk music when Lunny played it with his band Planxty in 1972. Since then, players across all acoustic genres have used the Irish Bouzouki to explore new sounds and directions. Played in a variety of different tunings (most commonly GDAE, GDAD, ADAD, and CFAD), the Irish bouzouki fills an interesting void between the mandolin and the guitar.
Thanks to its guitar-influenced body design, the Gold Tone BZ-1000 produces warm, resonant tone that is nicely balanced across the register. It also has a shorter, inviting 24-3/4" scale length, and its familiar guitar-shaped body is more comfortable and manageable than many bouzouki/octave mandolin designs. The BZ-1000 also features a solid Spruce top, which gives it dynamic response, and it comes set up with octave strings on the third and fourth courses and unison strings for the first and second courses. With a factory-installed Fishman pickup on board, the BZ-1000 is ready for the stage, too. Hardshell case included.
- Scale Length: 24-3/4"
- Nut: 1-3/8" Bone
- Top: Solid Spruce
- Back & Sides: Mahogany
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Select Hardwood
- Fingerboard Inlay: Snowflakes
- Truss Rod: Two-Way Adjustable
- Bridge: Ebony with Compensated Bone Saddle
- Tuning Machines: Sealed Guitar-Style
- Pickup: Fishman Undersaddle with Preamp