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Post by jtc111 on Jun 6, 2009 23:09:42 GMT -5
Funny that the first build pictures for my bouzouki have arrived tonight since I just happened to mention this in the Bamburg thread. Paddy Burgin has a sense of humor. www.burginguitars.co.nzHere's how he started the email to me. "Hi Jim, Here's a pic of your instrument. I think I need to do a bit more work on it yet." And these are the two pictures he sent... The top is mastergrade redwood and it's Honduran rosewood for the back and sides. I'm also getting a nice Celtic knot inlay as a 12th fret marker.
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Post by folkstrum on Jun 7, 2009 6:08:38 GMT -5
This is good, Jim! Another build thread, and for a Bouzouki, no less. Loved those since my tender "yoot," when Dave Guard used one for the Kingston Trio's unique (and still is) "Christmas" album, "Last Month of the Year." No Frosty; no Santa's comin'; no Jingle Bells. Just well-researched tunes, including a beautiful solo, "The White Snows of Winter" set to a Brahms symphony tune. I digress. Guard used a Bouzouki on a couple of the tunes--unique sounding, mandolin-like but more like those "mandolas" they sell. Will yours be a gourd-shape? How did you get into Bouzoukis? Inquiring minds want to know.
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Post by jtc111 on Jun 7, 2009 6:58:34 GMT -5
This is good, Jim! Another build thread, and for a Bouzouki, no less. Loved those since my tender "yoot," when Dave Guard used one for the Kingston Trio's unique (and still is) "Christmas" album, "Last Month of the Year." No Frosty; no Santa's comin'; no Jingle Bells. Just well-researched tunes, including a beautiful solo, "The White Snows of Winter" set to a Brahms symphony tune. I digress. Guard used a Bouzouki on a couple of the tunes--unique sounding, mandolin-like but more like those "mandolas" they sell. Will yours be a gourd-shape? How did you get into Bouzoukis? Inquiring minds want to know. I love the Kingston Trio but I don't have their "Christmas" CD. I'll have to put that on my list. Like you, I've been wanting one for a long time. I listen to a lot of Celtic music and I love the role the bouzouki plays in that genre, but for me, the clincher came when I heard Richard Shindell use the bouzouki for Are You Happy Now? That was the first time I'd heard it used in a singer/songwriter context and it blew me away. The 'zouk is going to be teardrop shaped but with a flat back, no bowl.
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Post by jtc111 on Jun 8, 2009 12:18:28 GMT -5
I just noticed that the link to Paddy's site isn't working but found another that is... homepages.paradise.net.nz/pgburgin/2K4_bouzoukis.htm#irishI'm not sure if this is a new site or an old site, but the Irish bouzouki pictured there is what I'm getting ...with some modifications including a wider fret board to accommodate my sausage-like fingers.
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Post by folkstrum on Jun 8, 2009 12:47:53 GMT -5
I just noticed that the link to Paddy's site isn't working but found another that is... homepages.paradise.net.nz/pgburgin/2K4_bouzoukis.htm#irishI'm not sure if this is a new site or an old site, but the Irish bouzouki pictured there is what I'm getting ...with some modifications including a wider fret board to accommodate my sausage-like fingers. Very nice, or SWEEEEEEET! as they say. Love to try one out myself!
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Post by jtc111 on Jun 8, 2009 14:13:51 GMT -5
Very nice, or SWEEEEEEET! as they say. Love to try one out myself! Well, if you ever get down to Long Island, you can.
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Post by jtc111 on Jul 1, 2009 11:00:11 GMT -5
A couple more pics of my Paddy Burgin bouzouki build. Here's the binding getting glued. Originally, we were going with blackwood binding, but after gluing it in and scraping it smooth, Paddy thought there wasn't enough contrast with the Honduran Rosewood back and sides, so he cut it out and replaced it with some deep purple EI Rosewood. The original wood for the back in the pictures at the beginning of this thread didn't appeal to me. It was flatsawn and reminded me too much of plywood or Ikea furniture. I asked Paddy to find me a set with straighter grain and something closer to quartersawn. Here's the new back wood.
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Post by jtc111 on Jul 22, 2009 9:59:29 GMT -5
Got some new pics of the 'zouk I'm having made. Here she is on the bench... Here's a closeup of the top. The redwood is gorgeous! Beautiful Honduran Rosewood for back and sides... And here's the 12th fret Celtic knot inlay... She might be in the air from New Zealand next week sometime. Woohoo!!!
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Post by jtc111 on Jul 27, 2009 6:49:09 GMT -5
A little more bouzouki porn just showed up... She's finally been strung up. I think the wood overlay on the tailpiece is an especially nice touch. Paddy sent this picture to check with me on the location for the strap button. She should be making the flight from NZ later this week.
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Post by folkstrum on Jul 27, 2009 8:38:46 GMT -5
The woods--particularly the top wood--is really gorgeous. Kind of a "flowing river of grain" so to speak. Nice.
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Post by jtc111 on Jul 30, 2009 9:38:59 GMT -5
The woods--particularly the top wood--is really gorgeous. Kind of a "flowing river of grain" so to speak. Nice. Thanks, Norm. I think she's a beaut! And she goes in the mail tomorrow!!!!! ...but all the way from New Zealand...ugh...the waiting.
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Post by lindaloo on Aug 7, 2009 9:28:34 GMT -5
Wow!! ;D Don't she look real purdy.
Hope she arrives safe and sound.
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Post by donalgdon on Aug 8, 2009 22:49:01 GMT -5
Redwood is beautiful stuff. I'd love to hear a sound sample, if it's possible.
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BMQ
New Member
Posts: 45
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Post by BMQ on Nov 16, 2009 1:02:32 GMT -5
very cool, I love the couple short scale bouzoukis' I have but would love to get to full scale one one on these days. BTW regarding Guard's use of the bouzouki on the KT Christmas album... I think he tuned it like a guitar. I only say this because we (the Dustmen) played a Christmas concert last year and decided to include a couple songs off the KT Christmas album - White Snows of Winter and Sommerset Gloucestershire Carol. I was planning on playing the latter on my octave mandolin but could not duplicate the sound from the album on my bouzouki. Then as I was playing around with it on guitar and discovered that (as best as I could determine) Guard tuned the bouzouki like a guitar instead of using traditional bouzouki (GDAE or GDAD) tuning. Rather than bringing an extra instrument for only one song I played it on guitar for the concert.
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