Andy Tobin Bouzoukis

[Reinhardt]

Dont actually have any soundclips Nic. I must do some though. I have an interesting arrangement for an Abba tune believe it or not. They're big in the land of Oz aren't they!!! You've set me a nice challenge , I'll get to it ASAP. i have one of those H2 recorders, an old model. they are absolutely fantastic, now where did I put it!!!

the Forster hasnt arrived yet which is a pain. Adam sent it on Thursday by UPS and guess where they sent it?? Germany!!! I think this bouzouki wants to go back to Nigel who is now based in Leipzig!!! Anyway, its actually in their depot in Dublin now and wont be delivered until Monday. It's a pity cos i'm actually playing tonight in a Cultural Centre with 3 of my pals, pipes, fiddle ,guitar and me who will be playing my old faithful and still brilliant large body Tobin. Did ya see Robbies video?? very tasty work . I've never tried finger picking on the bouzouki ( mainly cos I dont know how!!).

Keep on strummin Nic and have a great weekend. Gettin a bit nippy over here in the Emerald Isle. Winter is coming ( as they say in Game of Thrones!!).

BTW, glad you got Donal's videos, I never saw him play a bouzouki before ( second video)

John

[Nick Gellie]

Well I did find a sounclip for a small bodied Andy Tobin Irish Bouzouki playing here:



It is a tune called Brincadeira played by Begoña Riobó on violin & Xosé Liz on Irish bouzouki.

Anyone else is welcome to find obscure duets or solo pieces played on a Tobin Irish Bouzouki. The Google search engine hides all the good ones and plays the least interesting pieces.

[Reinhardt]

Nice one Nic. Looks like a cedar top.always wondered how they'd sound. both of mine are spruce. Really love the spanish regional music. The Asturians and Galicians play music very similar to Irish tunes particularly jig time. I played at a piping festival in Andorra quite a few times and was amazed to hear the various pipe music from most corners of Spain particularly the Northern regions. Some great bouzouki players too. Met a guy , Ruben Bada who was fab. Played as a substitute bouzouki player for a band called LLangres who were top notch. He normally plays a Sobell but was playing a stevens bouzouki at the gig which when plugged in sounded mighty fine to me. Ruben plays or did play with John MacSherry the piper from Donal Lunny's old band Coolfin.

john

[ukrobbiej]

Here's another one of my arrangements, a couple of Cornish tunes. I seem to remember that the backing was the Tobin and a Brook guitar in Dadgad

[Reinhardt]

Nice one Robbie. well played on all instruments. Really nice tunes by the way. you dont tend to hear many Cornish tunes if any over here which is strange really considering how close we are to each other,neighbours and fellow celts!!!

John

[Nick Gellie]

Nice one Nic. Looks like a cedar top.always wondered how they'd sound. both of mine are spruce. Really love the spanish regional music. The Asturians and Galicians play music very similar to Irish tunes particularly jig time. I played at a piping festival in Andorra quite a few times and was amazed to hear the various pipe music from most corners of Spain particularly the Northern regions. Some great bouzouki players too. Met a guy , Ruben Bada who was fab. Played as a substitute bouzouki player for a band called LLangres who were top notch. He normally plays a Sobell but was playing a stevens bouzouki at the gig which when plugged in sounded mighty fine to me. Ruben plays or did play with John MacSherry the piper from Donal Lunny's old band Coolfin.

john

John according to Andy Tobin that bouzouki has a European Spruce top. It is 20 years old and this is what he says about it.

"Xose's bouzouki has a European spruce top, that's the colour it goes after 20 years or more. Well worth thinking about Cedar though, it's a lovely wood and the tone of it especially with Rosewood back and sides is just gorgeous. It doesn't project as much as any of the Spruce family of woods as it's a fair bit softer so you have to make the top a wee bit thicker. Some makers tend to think that while Spruce will mature with age and playing, Cedar is at its best on day one and it has a tendancy to lose its characteristics as it ages. This is definitely not my experience. Cedar tends to get warmer in tone as it develops. It may start to lose its brilliance with age but it's very difficult to quantify."

As you see from his email reply I am ordering a 620 mm scale length standard bodied octave mandola/Irish bouzouki that can be tuned GDAD or GDAE. Width at the nut will be 34 mm. Pretty much the specs otherwise on his web site. It will be ready in July next year. In the meantime I can still play the Foley and perhaps sell it closer to the time when the Tobin one is ready. It might help to pay for my trip to Cornwall, Ireland, and Scotland next year. I would like to pick it up direct from Andy and may be come over to Ireland to visit the birth place of my great great grandfather William Gellie who sailed to Australia with his wife in 1842. He came from Ballyrobin in county Antrim.

I will also be visiting Cornwall to check out the birth place of my great great great grandfather William Holman who was born in Camborne in 1742 died 1825. He was a blacksmith. I don 't think he played any musical instruments.

[Reinhardt]

Hi Nic, I think you've made the right choice and wont be disapointed. The 620 mm scale length is a good compromise and if its anything like the one Robbie is playing above you'll be a happy man. I just had a lovely email from Andy himself yesterday. A friend of his alerted him to this thread and he just wanted to say thanks for posting it, that's the kind of gentleman you're dealing with.He's a very modest guy and doesn't blow his own trumpet too much so I think it's only fair that the hosts of his satisfied customers should do so on his behalf!!!! You'll be a member of this exclusive club shortly. I'd say you're looking forward to that.

Interesting re the European Spruce, it really looks like cedar on the clip. Maybe european spruce is darker than the normal stuff he uses. My bouzoukis are very "pale" light coloured spruce tops. Had my big Tobin out on Saturday and it was magnificent. Up against pipes, fiddle and guitar and it won hands down!!!! Volume and tone superb. They really get better the more you play them. Have a think about getting a Headway Pick up installed, They are fantastic plugged in.The guitar player at the session had my old Abnett with him. I almost forgot how small that bouzouki was. Beautiful instrument though.I've heard through the grapevine that Peter has retired. Not sure if thats true or not, another gentleman by the way. What is it about all these bouzouki makers?? hey all seem to be really sound guys ( well the ones I've dealt with anyways).

The Forster arrived yesterday after a detour to Germany for some reason!!! I might start a seperate thread on that as soon as I can detach my hand from it. Suffice it to say for the moment that I am a very happy man.See picture a few years ago of me and a few of my pals in Hughes's pub Dublin with the smallbody Tobin.

John

[Nick Gellie]

Nice picture John of you in a small session. I am looking forward to getting the Tobin octave mandolin next year. I just sold an instrument which will help pay for it. Another one is up for sale. So hopefully I will have the cash ready in waiting.

After twenty years or so the European Spruce goes a golden colour so it looks a bit like western red cedar. It may also mellow a lot.

I would be interested to know where you rate the Forster with the others.

BTW how often do you play at local sessions?

[Nick Gellie]

I also found this one by Xose Luis playing his standard body Tobin bouzouki on a multiple track recording:

[Reinhardt]

Hi Nic, The Forster is totally different to anything I have ever played before. The body is large but not incredibly deep so it has quite a punchy sound, not as much base as the large Tobin, or as warm a sound either. It is definitely a keeper though.The quality of the build is fantastic and you can really feel the class of the unique sound coming through. It took me a few hours to fully appreciate what I had but I really love it. I asked Nigel for some advice by email re strings and action etc and he came back within hours which just shows ya how good his customer service is.It's one of his first bouzoukis I think and differs in construction to what he builds now.

I dont play in sessions as often as I would like. I have a regular gig/session in a cultural/community centre in a suburb of Dublin called Clondalkin every second Saturday.Thats pure trad, we dont mind other genres though so long as they dont mess up the session. Its an interesting place that promotes the use of the Irish Language where possible. I play a lot of contemporary stuff with a friend who is a fantastic singer songwriter. The combination of guitar and bouzouki on the songs is pretty good but I'm a bit biased!! I play occasionally in other sessions around town as well but nothing regular. Will be retiring in 3 years time so hopefully all that will change.

Dont think thats a Tobin by the way in the last clip. The headstock, tuners and rosette looks different to what Andy normally uses. I think Andy's design has been copied by a number of luthiers particularly in continental Europe.

Take Care Nic, Got to get back to the Forster

John

[Nick Gellie]

So John where do your Tobin bouzoukis now sit now that you have your Forster bouzouki? I always sometimes feel that a new instrument appears great to begin with but the shine wears off in a while.

[Reinhardt]

Hi Nic, hard to say really. Had it out to its first session on Sunday last. Played with 2 fiddles, banjo, flute, whistle, guitar and Bodhran and a Ratcliff F5 by the way ( banjo player was doubling up) and a Foley Bouzouki. Was absolutely astounded by the Forster . It was magnificent. It really carried sound/projection wise through the rest of the ensemble!! It's tone was fantastic and I didn't have to work too hard to get decent volume out of it. Was really really delighted with it. A few of the guys who also play bouzouki had a go and were mightily impressed. Nigel might get a few orders!!!

Is it better than the Tobins? Well, this is a bit of a difficult one to answer. To be honest, my 2 current favourites are the Forster and the large body Tobin. Which of those 2 is best??I think its a bit of a dead heat to be honest because they really are so different to each other. It's probably like comparing a Martin Dreadnought to a 000 Martin, both great guitars but both different , each with their own character. Thats the way I'm feeling at the moment Nic. Hope that makes sense to you!! They're both keepers, can never imagine selling on either unless it was to get a better Tobin or a better Forster!!!! I think selling the Tobin would be as painful as a divorce and selling the Forster would be like breaking it off with your mistress!! Now there's a strange analogy for ya!!!

Am going up to see Joe Foley on Saturday by the way. He lives about 2 miles away from me. He's going to do a proper set up on the Crump ( bet ya forgot about that one!!). The neck on it has been wandering around a bit, doesn't seem to like the Irish weather or I'd say most likely my attempts to higher/lower the action, don't worry didn't do anything drastic. Andy (T) thinks I need treatment by the way, I think he's right. Joe has recently made a round back greek style bouzouki . It's his personal instrument for sessions. I havent seen it yet but I've heard its fantastic. Was in Joe's workshop when he was making the moulds for the Bowl Back. Lookin forward to seein it. Will report back!!

Take Care ,John

[Reinhardt]

Hi Guys and Gals. Was just talking to the man himself, Andy Tobin that is, just in case you were thinking of paying an unannounced visit to his workshop, he has just moved back to Herefordshire in England. He can still of course be contacted through his website. Great guy to deal with and as honest as they come.

John

[Andy Tobin]

Hi Guys and Gals. Was just talking to the man himself, Andy Tobin that is, just in case you were thinking of paying an unannounced visit to his workshop, he has just moved back to Herefordshire in England. He can still of course be contacted through his website. Great guy to deal with and as honest as they come.

John

Hello everyone on the list. Well, after much persuading and cajoling I've finally taken the plunge and joined the list. So many thanks to John for starting this thread, for being my official marketing department and for all of the nice words about the bouzoukis !

As John mentioned we've finally moved back up to Herefordshire after a spell down in Somerset for 8 or 9 years. It took a month or two to get the workshop sorted out and get all of the kit out of storage and set up but it's all sorted now and I'm back building.

I thought it might be fun to do a sort of build diary for the next instrument on the do list. Might be a while though, not sure yet how to add photos !!

All best

Andy

[Reinhardt]

Welcome on board Andy, a build diary of one of your instruments would be fantastic. I know a lot of the Cafe members would be really interested. Hope you're settling into your new house and workshop

John

[Andy Tobin]

Welcome on board Andy, a build diary of one of your instruments would be fantastic. I know a lot of the Cafe members would be really interested. Hope you're settling into your new house and workshop

John

Much more settled into the workshop actually John - the house is mouldy, smelly and damp and needs dragging into the modern era, the wiring is terrifying, and as for the plumbing.....

[Nick Gellie]

Great to have you on board Andy. John and I have been plugging away promoting your instruments.

We look forward to seeing your latest works. You have some interesting ideas on how to make great sounding and playing bouzoukis.

I can help you work out how to add photos. They really add to your future posts.

[jdsobol]

Love the tune that Emer and her husband are playing on the first clip. Anyone know what it is?
Joseph