Mandolino-tzourades

A collection of hubrid tzourades made by vintage mandolin body!

After posting my attempt to convert a vintage 1890 Vega mandolin to a tzourado-bouzouko, and before the end of the day, friends and followers had contacted me, giving me valuable and important information about this unique project.

Pre-war bouzoukia borrowed many structural and decorative elements from the mandolin family, during the hybrid years of the new instrument's journey.

Let's not forget the statement of master luthier N. Fronimopoulos (https://fronik.wordpress.com) during his re-creation of the historical Konstantis Gkelis bouzouki.

"This summer , I worked on the very - difficult - restoration of an elaborate D Mourtzinos , 1910 mandolin . The comparison of Mourtzinos mandolin profile, with the one from Gkelis bouzouki  , gave me the first motivation . 

Gkelis model was almost identical to the Mourtzinos one , extended by about 2 centimeters."

The master luthier Xristos Spourdalakis ( http://www.music-instruments.gr/) with a multi-annual experience in traditional lutherie, has constructed through the years, many of his unique and beautiful miso-bouzouka which are carrying  a bowl  with specific mandolin measurements.

At my request , the luthier  kindly sent me his latest miso-bouzouko creation, made for his client Mr .Petro Nalmpanti who lives in Germany. The photographic material belongs to Mr Nalmpanti.

From an intense research on the Internet I found few luthiers who have attempted to  construct such a "hybrid instrument" by converting a vintage mandolin to tzoura/miso-bouzouko . Here is the list: 

1. Andreas Dellios.

 http://www.organopoieio.gr

Andreas is a luthier with high aesthetic view, who creates instruments using untreated, wild, natural woods. 

Of course Andreas' mandolin-tzourado-bouzouka do not carry the original mandolin-step soundboard, since its damage didn't allow him to keep it through the restoration/conversion process. 

I had followed Andreas' unease mind and talent in a earlier attempt creating a mandolino-tzoura, back in 2012.

But it was his latest construction and the great sound quality of his mandolino-tzoura which grabbed my attention .

I contacted the luthier who kindly sent me few photographs from his recent conversion.

And here is a sample of its sound!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=801580583254786

2. Zafeiris Papazoglou

The member of luthier.gr  Manos Tourpalis published his own unique mantolino-tzoura made from a beautiful, vintage heirloom 1916 G. PUGLISI REALE & FIGLI CATANIA mandolin

Scale:  62 cm

The instrument carries the original Neapolitan-step soundboard

3. Luthier named Aristeidis:

http://youtu.be/K-Q7j3e27Sc

http://youtu.be/8ctgxJYXxQY

4. Uknown luthier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWdqpeDx97o

If any  follower of the blog possesses  hybrid musical instruments converted from a mandolin, or any luthier who has constructed such instrument please kindly get in contact with me, so I can include your creations in this post.