Thomann Irish Bouzouki M1089-P

I am a guitarist by trade. This is my first bouzouki I've bought, so I cannot comment on how good it sounds compared to other bouzoukis, but I can tell you my impression as a first time buyer.

The finish on the bouzouki is flawless. When plugged in, it sounds good enough for stage performances. I had no feedback problems, and the Eq keeps the instrument sounding natural, which is more to say than for some cheap guitars I've bought. The action was a little high for me but I corrected this by sanding the saddle down until it was at the height i wanted it at. It stays in tune well, but better tuning pegs would help it.

I have recorded this bouzouki in my studio. I bought some strings to allow me to tune it into Eb like on a guitar, the last 4 strings (Db Gb Bb Eb). In my opinion it gives a rustic medieval sound, but that's just me. I've had no intonation problems as the bridge is not fixed and can be moved.

Overall, I think this instrument is more than worth the money. The sound is exactly what I hoped it would be and has helped me create a song. If you would like to hear what it sounds like recorded search for "War Drums Original Song"... on everyone's favorite video website :P. Hopefully that will help your decision in buying it!

Sorry for my english. Got this one two and a half months ago, and now i see clearly why this instrument is the cheapest on the market.
First of all, the tuning noted on this site is wrong! The first pair is clearly not an e. When i tried to tune it in Gg - dd' - aa - e'e' i broke one of the strings. Right tuning is GG-DD-aa-dd.
The second: tuning gear is simply terrible! Very hard and unresponsive. You need to apply so much force to tune the instrument that after you just cant play - fingers doesnt move. Head machines of that quality you expect to see on the cheapest guitars, with no brand for 20-50$. But not on the instrument for €166.38.
Third: the quality of wood is questionable. Here on photos it is flawless, but my particulary instrument have something like bough on the upper deck! Not beautiful at all.
But there`s a pros: it sounds really good, when tuned its really fun to play. And its still a good way to try this type of instruments. If you want the cheapest - go for it, its ok.

I am playing in an Irish Punk band, so, it was quite obvious I'm gonna learn to play a folk instrument. At first, I was to buy a banjo, but then I got to know, this instrument got active electronics added on the top, with quite a low price. I'm totally happy with this bouzouki, cuz made me experiment more than ever, and being more open minded than a regular guitar player!
The most important was to get to know more about Irish folk music, to approach to music more like a folk musician than a rock musician, cuz all great folk punk/or metal bands have the same secret. They keep their minds open.
I was very happy to find a European made Irish Bouzouki with this low price. On the top, it came with a gig bag!!!!

Cheers