Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Hi all, I'm considering buying a new bouzouki but don't have the funds for a Joe Foley bouzouki. I've been looking for a good quality bouzouki under 1000 euro and came across APC Instruments from Portugal.

Heres a link to their page
http://www.apc-instruments.com/
If you click on produtos and the instrument 851 you will see the instrument I'm considering buying.

They also have another bouzouki which seems to be for the UK market
http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/GR3310-p-Antonio-Carvalho-Bouzouki-page.htm

But they don't seem to be of the same quality as some of the instrument from APC site.

The bouzouki seen on APC site are for sale on this Portuguese site and ship to Ireland.
http://www.lojamusica.com/produto/apc-bouzouki-851/

Has anyone ever played or heard one of these bouzouki or even an apc instrument?
The bouzouki on the uk market looks like it has a bigger body, would the size of the 851 modal be large enough for sufficient volume for traditional music?Has any one any other advice on buying bouzouki/Portuguese instruments/Body size/neck length?

Another video from the APC....they look a legit?
http://youtu.be/piL3MCn2JJg

Thanks

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by Irish Mandolin

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Never seen or tried one of this make . Seems to be stndard size but I wonder what type of wood is "sapellie"?
Anyone any ideas?

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by bazouki dave

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

It's "sapele" which resembles, and is used as a substitute for mahogany:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapele

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by Weejie

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Thanks for replys.

Where did you see "sapellie"?

This is all I read for description of the 851 Bouzouki.....

Top/Tampo: .......... Solid Spruce - Spruce maciço
Side & Backs/Aros e Fundo: ............ Dark mahogany
Neck/Braço: ....... Mahogany w/ trussrod - Mogno
Fingerboard/Escala: ......... Rosewood - Pau Santo
Bridge/Cavalete: .............. Rosewood - Pau Santo
Binding/Sanefa: ............... Rosewood - Pau Santo
Headmachine/Carrilhão: ............ Nickel - Niquelado
Strings/Cordas: ........................................ Savarez
Finish/Acabamento: ............. High Gloss - Brilhante

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by Irish Mandolin

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

If you have a close look at bouzouki 851 on the first link above, zoom in on the shot of the headstock. Is that glue oozing out of the block attached to the headstock?? I think it is! My advice is to go to a bricks and mortar music shop and try a few. Low priced instruments vary a lot in quality, but there are some surprisingly good ones out there.

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by Backer

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

It says sapellie back and sides on the Hob Goblin website

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by bazouki dave

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Paul Hathway's instruments are in your price range.

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by DaveL35

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Where do you live?

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by seaniemcg

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

I second the Paul Hathaway suggestion. I don't own one, but if you look on his website you will see that quite a few professional players in different styles use Hathaway instruments. Paul McCartney has a mandolin of his, and used it on a single.

Got to be worth a try ...

# Posted on December 7th 2011 by Jim Younger

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

My only complaint about Paul Hathaway bouzoukis is that I thought the bodies were a little small, that a larger body would make for a bigger sound.
Also the headstock on the Carvalho 'zouk might preclude the use of a clip-on tuner.
Certainly the advice to try one, no, try MANY, out in the shops, is sound.

# Posted on December 11th 2011 by Guernsey Pete

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

I found the Paul Hathaway instruments rather uninspiring, where others obviously like his instruments. This goes to show your choice of instrument is a very personel thing and you MUST try if possible as many instruments that you can before you a big purchase. Relying on photos or Youtube clips is a bit of a risk - are you willing to take it?

# Posted on December 17th 2011 by Fergus MacGregor

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Pete,

Hathway (not Hathaway) bouzoukis do have very small bodies. But he makes a 'mandocello' with a larger body. This has the same scale length as his long-scale bouzouki (660mm) so it's effectively a large-bodied bouzouki.

# Posted on December 17th 2011 by DaveL35

Re: Help on buying a good bouzouki under 1000 euros, Antonio Pinto Carvalho Bouzouki?

Sorry, I guess I was thinking of Anne Hathaway. LOL. Much rather think of the new Catwoman than some bearded guy in Sarf Lunnon.

# Posted on December 19th 2011 by Guernsey Pete