Guitar bouzouki
The guitar bouzouki is a modern instrument that grew out of the Irish bouzouki tradition. It combines the scale length and stringing of the bouzouki family with a guitar shaped body. The guitar bouzouki is a modern instrument used widely in Irish and Scottish traditional music, folk music and acoustic accompaniment.
It sits somewhere between guitar, Irish bouzouki, cittern and mandola. Because it is not tied to one rigid tradition, players and makers have been free to experiment with its design and sound.
This article explains what a guitar bouzouki is, where the instrument came from, and how the modern version developed. This article was originally written in 2018 and updated in 2024 and again in 2026 to include additional history, examples and videos.
Quick definition
A guitar bouzouki is an eight or ten string instrument built with a guitar shaped body and bouzouki style string courses. It developed from the Irish bouzouki tradition and is widely used in folk and Celtic music.
In brief
• A guitar bouzouki is a guitar shaped descendant of the Irish bouzouki
• It keeps the long scale and paired string courses of the bouzouki family
• The modern instrument developed during the folk revival of the late twentieth century
• Musicians such as Andy Irvine helped popularise the idea of the guitar shaped bouzouki
• Makers including Stefan Sobell, myself (Nigel Forster) and others helped develop the modern instrument
• Today the design continues to evolve as different builders refine their own approaches
What is a guitar bouzouki
In practical terms a guitar bouzouki is an eight string instrument that follows bouzouki tuning traditions but uses a guitar shaped body.
Traditional Irish bouzoukis are often built with teardrop bodies or onion outlines. The guitar bouzouki uses a body that is closer to a guitar in shape and proportions.
The paired strings and long scale length give the instrument the brightness and clarity associated with the bouzouki family. The guitar body tends to add warmth and depth to the sound. And is more comfortable to hold for many.
Players find the instrument sits comfortably between the mandolin family and the guitar.
Where the modern guitar bouzouki came from
The roots of the instrument lie in the Irish bouzouki movement of the late nineteen sixties and nineteen seventies.
During this period musicians in the folk revival began adapting the Greek bouzouki for Irish music. Makers such as John Bailey, Peter Abnett and Stefan Sobell were among those building instruments for players exploring this sound.
As the instrument became established, players and makers began experimenting with body shapes and construction ideas. This is where the guitar shaped bouzouki began to appear.
One story comes from the workshop of Chris Larkin. Andy Irvine reportedly arrived with a Takamine guitar and asked if it could be converted into a bouzouki while he waited. Larkin altered the headstock, made a new nut and adapted the bridge so the instrument could carry eight strings.
Later Andy Irvine asked Stefan Sobell to build a custom instrument based on this idea.
The first custom Sobell guitar bouzouki
When I worked with Stefan Sobell as his apprentice I helped build the first custom guitar bouzouki he built for Andy Irvine in the late 1980s.
The instrument was based on the outline of a Sobell guitar, but the shoulders were brought in slightly so that the higher frets were easier to reach.
It also retained the triangular soundhole that Sobell used on his citterns and bouzoukis. This was not simply decorative. The shape allowed the relationship between the bridge position, the soundhole and the internal bracing to remain consistent with his existing designs.
The result was an instrument that kept the character of the bouzouki family while sitting comfortably in a guitar shaped body.
Earlier historical relatives
Although the modern guitar bouzouki developed during the late twentieth century, earlier instruments share some similarities.
One example is the Gibson K5 mandocello from the nineteen twenties. These instruments had guitar shaped bodies and long scale necks, although they were tuned in fifths like other mandolin family instruments.
Gibson K-5
Another example comes from the Howe Orme instruments built in Boston in the eighteen nineties. These included guitar shaped mandolins and mandolas with thin pressed spruce tops and floating bridges.
Howe Orme mandola
These instruments are not guitar bouzoukis in the modern sense, but they show that guitar shaped members of the mandolin family have appeared at different points in history.
Why players choose a guitar bouzouki
Players are drawn to the guitar bouzouki for several reasons.
The guitar body can feel more familiar and comfortable to players who already come from a guitar background.
The larger body can produce a warmer and rounder sound than some traditional bouzouki designs while still keeping the clarity needed for accompaniment.
Many players also use capos high up the neck, and the guitar body shape can make access to those higher frets easier.
Another attraction is the lack of rigid tradition. Unlike instruments such as the violin or bluegrass guitar, there is no accepted design that everyone must follow. Makers and players are free to explore different approaches.
My own guitar bouzouki designs
My earlier guitar bouzoukis used the same soundboard approach I used for other instruments at the time. That design developed out of ideas I learned while working with Stefan Sobell.
Since 2009 my instruments have used an X braced version of the Howe Orme cylinder top concept. This approach produces a responsive top while maintaining the clarity that players need for accompaniment.
In recent years several clients have asked for instruments inspired by the earlier Sobell guitar bouzouki style. That has given me the chance to revisit the original concept while applying the experience gained over many more years of building instruments.
Frequently asked questions
Is a guitar bouzouki the same as an Irish bouzouki?
Same tuning but different construction. The guitar bouzouki developed from the Irish bouzouki tradition but uses a guitar shaped body.
Is it tuned like a guitar?
No. It normally uses paired string courses similar to a bouzouki rather than the single strings used on a guitar. Usually GDAD or GDAE. 10 string versions are tunes DGDAD, DGDAE or DADAD.
Why choose a guitar bouzouki instead of a traditional bouzouki?
Some players prefer the feel of the guitar shaped body and the deeper tone it can produce.
When did the instrument appear?
The modern instrument developed during the folk revival of the late twentieth century through the work of musicians and makers exploring new ideas.
Thinking about ordering a guitar bouzouki?
If you are considering commissioning a guitar bouzouki it helps to talk through your playing style, tuning preferences and musical goals before settling on the final specification.
If you would like to discuss commissioning an instrument you can contact me using the form at the foot of this page.
Related topics
If you are interested in the guitar bouzouki you may also find these articles helpful.
How to tune an Irish bouzouki
DADGAD guitar everything you ever wanted to know
How to tune an octave mandolin and what strings to use
How to choose the right luthier without regretting it later
From the workshop of Nigel Forster
Nigel Forster has been building guitars, mandolins and Irish bouzoukis since 1988.