Evaluating the Sound of the Pre-war style bouzouki

The sweet and  powerful timbre!


As I  promised, I recorded a very quick sample of my bouzouki sound, which I am posting together with my final review on  Stelios Tsilimigkas, ( https://steliostsilimigkas.wixsite.com/luthier) pre-war style,  bouzouki.

I used my I-Phone 7 device,  for this recording. I am apologizing since some of its sound quality is being lost due to the sound compression.

Also, due to the long overseas trip the instrument underwent through dramatic changes in pressure, humidity and temperature. It will take couple of weeks, until the sound reaches the quality levels which the bouzouki had before leaving luthier's workshop.

Usually it takes approximately 1.5-2 weeks for an instrument to re-establish its sound quality, and approximately 6 months from its construction, to reveal its best sound capabilities .

But this trichordo bouzouki already showcases traces of  high quality sound and timbre.

The lower RE strings (kantinia) produce a very clear , dry, vibrant, and sweet sound with great sustain.

The tone, after produced by the vibration of the RE strings, gets immediately through the sound-hole inside the resonator and travels very fast towards the back, into the deeper point of the bowl, (having acquired depth in sound quality ) 'hits' the wood, and returns immediately and fast back to the front, escaping from the sound hole.

The middle LA strings, have a beautiful and strong timbre, with small traces of dullness (due to the above mentioned parameters). It will take a couple of weeks to clear its "voice" and reveal the quality.
As a result the dullness on the LA strings effects for now the power and the clarity of the chords

The bass RE strings (mourgkana) have already (to my surprise), a powerful, clear, vibrant timbre
I strongly believe (based on my experience with instruments' sound after an overseas trip) , that the sound of the mourgkanas on this instrument will soon mature to a great quality.

Overall I will say that the instrument's sound was a very positive surprise for me.
I had heard the sound of luthier's bouzouki instruments in the past, and in some of his old recordings the sound appeared to be thin, dry , without much power, depth or sustain.
I will have to admit that the sound quality and timbre, was my biggest dilemma before choosing this luthier and ordering the instrument.

Gladly, this is absolutely a false assessment from my side.
Holding and playing (just 2 days after the overseas trip), this pre-war style bouzouki, comparing with other instruments which I received in the past, feeling already the power from the kantinia and mourgkana, I am convinced that as the time is passing this bouzouki will produce a great quality powerful sound with a very characteristic sweet timbre.

Sound sample just after the overseas trip


Sound sample just after construction finished

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