Thanasis Athanasiou bouzouki !

November 05, 2021

Thanasis Athanasiou bouzouki !

The Legend !

Last week, a friend of mine sent me photos from his latest bouzouki purchase, asking me if I knew anything about the "unknown " luthier.

I almost dropped the phone to the floor, when I saw the photograph with the label.

The beautiful trichordo bouzouki made by no other than the renowned musician, songwriter and Rebetis, Thanasis -Peiraiotis-Athanasiou . The label is from the years Thanasis was living in NY, and perhaps the only bouzouki surviving nowadays from that era!

The instrument carries beautiful oval-shape sound-hole, decorated with mother of pearl , and an elaborated flower theme on the pick-guard. The soundboard made by Sitka spruce, the bowl by walnut, and the the fretboard by ebony . The bouzouki found in excellent condition inside a bouzouki case.

Inside the inner pocket of the case the previous owner had stored Canora mandolin strings. We do not know if the previous owner of the bouzouki was Athanasiou himself, since the instrument found at a local music store!

Thanasis Athanasiou was a very close friend to the famous musician and composer Jack Halikias. At the famous photo where Jack is holding a 1940s Arzoumian bouzouki, the instrument belongs to Thanasis Athanasiou. Thanasis and Jack recorded many songs together in NY .

Accordingly to my friend Aydin Chaloupka, Thanasis Athanasiou also converted Jack's taboura to an electric tabouro-bouzouko, taking the headstock from a harmony guitar, and adding fretboard.