Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I found this video last night and liked the sound.

I searched the web for both bouzouki and mandocello, which are in the video's title, but didn't get the instrument in the video, so I am assuming there is a difference.

Is it an octave mandolin?

Thanks to anyone who responds,

Matthew

I don't know, but it is a nice sound isn't it? A solid-body or hollow-body one with a toaster might not be too shabby either....
The original vid says "Irish Mandocello Bouzouki"

You sure that's not a mandocello?

I'm not sure, but I think mandocello refers to the tuning, as in it's tuned like a cello, and not the instrument itself.

Matthew

rickosound wrote:I'm not sure, but I think mandocello refers to the tuning, as in it's tuned like a cello, and not the instrument itself.

Well, it's a combination of both. A mandolin is tuned the same as a violin, except each string is doubled. Low to high, G-D-A-E.

So, as you can imagine, a mandocello is tuned the same as a cello, again except for the doubled strings. C-G-D-A.

In order to tune like a cello, however, the instrument must be made longer, which the mandocello is. It's very close to a guitar's scale. The mandolin and the violin are very close to eachother as well.

Its an Irish Bouzouki..
They are a cross between the greek bouzouki and a martin style mandolin. They have been around since the mid to late 60s.
Usually they are tuned GDAE an octave below the mandolin but they are often tuned GDAD for a more chordal approach.

This one seems to have the G and D tuned in octaves rather than the slightly more common unison tuning.

I have a Bouzouki that was previously owned by Mike Oldfield!

emac.

Wow - 29 minutes and 4 responses! Sounds like I'm not the only one who likes this sound. Thanks.
So would this be an Irish bouzouki? It appears to have the lower two strings in octaves. I might be interested in purchasing one of these. Eventually.
http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/TC375.htm

Matthew

Check this out:
Irish bouzouki from Wikipedia. And here's an article about the Octave mandolin also from Wikipedia. To add to the confusion here we have the Cittern.

Hard to tell which instrument that is in the video.

Here's a photo of my cittern, a 10 stringer.

JimK

Here's mine. It's a nine-ribber. We haven't put it into the ground yet...

jingle_jangle wrote:Here's mine. It's a nine-ribber. We haven't put it into the ground yet...

cittern.jpg

emac.

rickosound wrote: I might be interested in purchasing one of these. Eventually.
http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/TC375.htm

Matthew

Thanks for posting tis Matthew. I may just do the same one fine day