Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi everyone! I've played the bouzouki for a couple of weeks and it is going quite well. I wonder, where do you get strings from? It seems quite difficult when I ask people, and it shouldn't be as simple as for the mandolin since it can have so many different tunings. I have mine tuned GCGC, what sizes would you suggest and is there anywhere on the net where I can order bouzouki strings? Are there sets that would suit my bouzouki or do I have to order single strings?

Come on, there must be some bouzouki players here!!

I tune my zook GDAD and use unison strings - I get mine from Tony 'Sully' Sullivan (www.halshawmusic.co.uk) so just ask for a set but I think mine are 42/32/16/12 but I might be wrong . . .

sfj

Many irish bouzouki players swear by Malcolm Newtone's handmade round-cored strings, available in a number of locations on the net: http://12fret.com/retail/newtone.htm, although the actual factory is in the UK.

Other alternatives are to buy regular guitar strings individually in the appropriate sizes. Unless your bouzouki has a scale length beyond about 25 inches, guitar strings should be long enough.

Sometimes zouks need loop end rather than ball end strings; it's possible to use a pair of wire cutters to gently break the ball free without injuring the loop, a practice known as 'ball-crushing".

I play a Phil Crump B-III 10-string.
Slightly over 25 inch scale.

I absolutely love Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds and don't think I'll ever "go back".

The George Benson set (two of them), light gauge, gives me an awesome set, and without having to pay those high single-string charges.

However, my tuning is DGDAE.