Need some help with choosing CBOM

[draugwath]

Hello there! I'm new here, so hi everyone, I'm really glad to join your great community!
So here is the question of mine. I need a new bouzouki, as my Romanian Hora doesn't please me anymore. Well, I mean it's still a great instrument with wonderful sound when it is plugged in, but I don't like its sound unplugged. What is more, it has a lot of issues with intonation. We had a show on Saturday and my strings got detuned every song, and it was really terrible to end up with a detuned instrument in the middle of a very nice slip jig. Well, if you know what I mean I can't envy you. Damn stage lights, I hate you even though you look great.
So I'm looking for a new zouk. Actually my ideal instrument is a cittern or waldzither with large scale (at least 580, 650 is ideal), because I won't go against some extra course, but another zouk will do.
The price is the issue where everything gets complicated, as I'm from Russia and maybe some of you have heard that our currency rate dramatically changed and now I can afford an instrument half cheaper than a year ago. My price cap is 350 euro, because I also need to pay for the shipment.
So what can you recommend? I've been looking at APC zouk B305 which has laminated top. I'm pretty sure that this instrument even with its laminated top will sound better than my Hora, but this variant is quite obvious. What else? I'm sure there are some other instruments worth to check them out.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IRISH-BOUZOU...item3f3da5d7fe - this one looks like a fake cittern with its onion shaped body and six strings. But maybe a luthier can add 4 more machine heads and change the bridge, so I'll get my beloved cittern. Is it possible?
I'm looking forward to hear your recommendations. Thanks in advance.

[Mandobart]

Not to derail anyone out looking for a new axe, but is there anything you can do to bring the old girl back up to fighting trim? New strings or tuners, etc.?

[Bernie Daniel]

Good luck and welcome to the Mandolin Cafe! really do not know the instrument scene in Europe so I'll let others advise you on that! Cheers!

[draugwath]

Not to derail anyone out looking for a new axe, but is there anything you can do to bring the old girl back up to fighting trim? New strings or tuners, etc.?

Well, yesterday I've made a small tech inspection, tightened the screws on the tuners, sorted a little problem with the truss rod and it seems to stay in tune now. But it always used to seem like it stays in tune, and on stage it always gives me some sort of a headache. So it's pretty damn insidious. And it doesn't solve the problem with low range response, Hora really lacks it, to my mind. I like this instrument, but it sounds great only plugged in, and we as a band play a lot in the streets.
Bernie Daniel, thanks! I'm pleased to meet you!

[draugwath]

So here I am again. I've bought a replacement for my poor Hora. It is an APC instrument made in Portugal (I hope). Probably the cheapest instrument of their chart. 305, with big portuguese guitar body, solid top and laminated body.
First of all it's really a great bouzouki. It's good looking, well-made (with few minor flaws however) and it definitely sounds much better than my Hora.
I've noticed that the neck is quite wide. I knew it but I didn't know that it is _so_ wide. I had a Strat once and its neck was just a bit wider than the neck of my APC. It will take some time to get used to it, but that's not a problem at all.
The stringing was quite strange: D course was stringed with unisonic strings, while G course was stringed in octave pairs. I've changed this octave course for unisonic and whoa! it sounds great and the temperament is really good.
What really surprised me is the absence of strap buttons. I mean OK, that's fine when acoustic instruments have only one strap button on the bottom of the body, but this one comes with none at all! That's really strange.
The price is quite high for Russia now, but a year ago its price was just a little bit higher than Hora's. Unfortunately I've been saving money for a custom built bouzouki, and now I can hardly afford this portuguese axe. Funny, isn't it?
Now I'm selling my Hora and thinking about pickup. Can you recommend any? I'm thinking about a custom made one, with stompbox style preamplifier, but maybe you can recommend something? I play mostly Irish trad and celtic fusion like acoustic covers of Eluveitie songs, 50%/50%.
Thank you for your responses anyway, you guys are great!

[garryireland]

So here I am again. I've bought a replacement for my poor Hora. It is an APC instrument made in Portugal (I hope). Probably the cheapest instrument of their chart. 305, with big portuguese guitar body, solid top and laminated body.
First of all it's really a great bouzouki. It's good looking, well-made (with few minor flaws however) and it definitely sounds much better than my Hora.
I've noticed that the neck is quite wide. I knew it but I didn't know that it is _so_ wide. I had a Strat once and its neck was just a bit wider than the neck of my APC. It will take some time to get used to it, but that's not a problem at all.
The stringing was quite strange: D course was stringed with unisonic strings, while G course was stringed in octave pairs. I've changed this octave course for unisonic and whoa! it sounds great and the temperament is really good.
What really surprised me is the absence of strap buttons. I mean OK, that's fine when acoustic instruments have only one strap button on the bottom of the body, but this one comes with none at all! That's really strange.
The price is quite high for Russia now, but a year ago its price was just a little bit higher than Hora's. Unfortunately I've been saving money for a custom built bouzouki, and now I can hardly afford this portuguese axe. Funny, isn't it?
Now I'm selling my Hora and thinking about pickup. Can you recommend any? I'm thinking about a custom made one, with stompbox style preamplifier, but maybe you can recommend something? I play mostly Irish trad and celtic fusion like acoustic covers of Eluveitie songs, 50%/50%.
Thank you for your responses anyway, you guys are great!

Great value for money. I got an Apc custom spruce top OM version. Grest instruments from Kieran Moloneys shop i Galway. Id recommend anybody nearby to try them. The zouks are lovely. Bit big and boomy for some people but that's how i like em!

[draugwath]

Great value for money. I got an Apc custom spruce top OM version. Grest instruments from Kieran Moloneys shop i Galway. Id recommend anybody nearby to try them. The zouks are lovely. Bit big and boomy for some people but that's how i like em!

Yes, it's a great instrument Actually its big body was the main reason why I bought it. I like this shape and I like how it sounds.
Now I can say that this instrument needs light and careful touch, it's no use to drive it at a full blast. It simply doesn't sound right played hard. For me it's a kind of disadvantage, as I play some acoustic covers for Eluveitie with my band, but it just needs time to get used to it.
Also I'd like to say that this instrument possibly can be even better being converted into a waldzither. Its neck allows for that, while the headstock doesn't.

[garryireland]

Yes, it's a great instrument Actually its big body was the main reason why I bought it. I like this shape and I like how it sounds.
Now I can say that this instrument needs light and careful touch, it's no use to drive it at a full blast. It simply doesn't sound right played hard. For me it's a kind of disadvantage, as I play some acoustic covers for Eluveitie with my band, but it just needs time to get used to it.
Also I'd like to say that this instrument possibly can be even better being converted into a waldzither. Its neck allows for that, while the headstock doesn't.

Alot of guys like the k and k stick on type pickups. Cant go wrong really. And they supply a di box i believe too

[draugwath]

Ok, now that I've been playing this instrument for quite a while at least an hour a day (and usually much more), I can say a few words about it.
Once again: I've bought the cheapest APC Portuguese Bouzouki, APC 305. It has solid spruce top and laminated back and sides.
It sounds way better than both Horas I owned. The tone is really solid, it's very dark and smooth, but not without this lovely nasal sound. I really like it, and even chords with thirds are now of use for me.
Concerning the neck, I highly doubt that I'll ever convert to narrow neck bouzoukis again. Wide neck is wonderful, it's surprisingly convenient for both chordal and melody playing. When you play it you feel like you're holding some real stuff in your hand.
But there are few flaws hovewer, for nothing is perfect. It has no strap buttons _at_all_. How sick is that!
I'm surprised by the angle of sides glued together. I mean in the bottom of the body where a strap button should be placed there is a small angle where the sides meet. I'm not sure that it can be considered as a problem, but that's the first time I come across such thing.
The bridge is simply terrible: first, it has a curvy shape and it doesn't have contact with the top except two points. That's not very convenient for installing a pickup into this bridge. However I've already ordered a bridge with a pickup.
But the worst thing about the bridge is that it has cuts for each string, and one string (treble d) simply doesn't sound right on the second fret. Fret buzzing and stuff, you know. I've taken the string out of this cut and simply put it on the bridge on a bit higher point, and now it's flawless.
The dots confuse me as well, as they are put like III-V-VII-X-XII. I personally see no point in putting a dot on the X fret, IX is much better (E chord and stuff). But it's just a matter of habit.
It's a nice and great instrument overall, I really love it. I've even started to play tunes! That's really strange.
If you are interested, I can post a real review with sound samples and quality photos, btw.

[Nick Gellie]

We look forward to hour review and photos for sure. You have already provided a mini review of the APC305 irish bouzouki. Good lucking with finding or making a good bridge.

It is great to have a member of the cafe from Russia - provides some fresh new insights. We look forward to any videos of you and your band too!

[garryireland]

So here I am again. I've bought a replacement for my poor Hora. It is an APC instrument made in Portugal (I hope). Probably the cheapest instrument of their chart. 305, with big portuguese guitar body, solid top and laminated body.
First of all it's really a great bouzouki. It's good looking, well-made (with few minor flaws however) and it definitely sounds much better than my Hora.
I've noticed that the neck is quite wide. I knew it but I didn't know that it is _so_ wide. I had a Strat once and its neck was just a bit wider than the neck of my APC. It will take some time to get used to it, but that's not a problem at all.
The stringing was quite strange: D course was stringed with unisonic strings, while G course was stringed in octave pairs. I've changed this octave course for unisonic and whoa! it sounds great and the temperament is really good.
What really surprised me is the absence of strap buttons. I mean OK, that's fine when acoustic instruments have only one strap button on the bottom of the body, but this one comes with none at all! That's really strange.
The price is quite high for Russia now, but a year ago its price was just a little bit higher than Hora's. Unfortunately I've been saving money for a custom built bouzouki, and now I can hardly afford this portuguese axe. Funny, isn't it?
Now I'm selling my Hora and thinking about pickup. Can you recommend any? I'm thinking about a custom made one, with stompbox style preamplifier, but maybe you can recommend something? I play mostly Irish trad and celtic fusion like acoustic covers of Eluveitie songs, 50%/50%.
Thank you for your responses anyway, you guys are great!

Ive got the OM version and very happy with it. Gigged last week with it and the guys loved the sound. Agreed with thr bridge, its not great. A bit of filing and sanding sorted that for me, great value for money imho