Thomann Irish Concert Bouzouki PU

Ok, lets start with the build quality; lovely selection of woods used to make a visually pleasing instrument with great tone and resonance. Normally when you buy an instrument of any value it will need to be set up as intonation will be off, or it will have a buzzy fret or that action is just slightly too high or low for your own personal tastes, this is only the second instrument I've bought that has been perfect and ready to play instantly (which is just as well as with that lovely rose on the sound hole, i'm not sure how I wold get to the truss rod if i needed to).

acoustic sound is fantastic for the money, bright and resonates well, this is strung with octave drinks on the G and the D, and really adds a sweetness to the sound. The pickup element is very gain, Once i managed to get the mid frequencies eq'd on my preamp I was ok, but the sound did drive to start with, much more than i expected.

Overall I would question spending more money on another bouzouki when this one is so good for the price I paid, my only real criticism is the case it came with is perfect for transporting and of better quality than the photos show, the front pocket on the one that arrived has no zip head on it so the pocket can't be opened or closed. In other words its worth buying and enjoyable enough that you'll want to splash out on a hard case for it after.

I bought this to get a bit of variation from my usual six-string chord bashing! I tried a (very) cheapo 'zouk a few years ago, which wouldn't stay in tune for very long and had a hideously high action, so I got shot of it. This Thomann Concert instrument is a nicely made and well-finished instrument and the enclosed tuners seem good quality. The tone is good, though I suspect the strings it is fitted with at the factory, though adequate, might benefit from replacement with known quality ones. I did get some D'Addarios when I bought the 'zouk but haven't put them on yet.
I bought it to use "unplugged". I considered buying the non-pickup version, however it is so very little extra cost to have the pickup fitted model, so I went for it. The pickup seems to behave well, much the same as an acoustic guitar undersaddle and pre-amp setup. No complaints there.
No hesitation in recommending this instrument, I'm sure a decent player would be just as happy with it as this novice is.

They have fixed all the things that were off with these instruments in the beginning and I assure you that the setup is good from the factory. It looks superb and sounds clear, crisp with good resonance and projection. Mine doesn't have any flaws, the frets fit well, are well leveled and no sharp stuff sticking out. I did adjust the action by sanding approximately 2mm off the bridge and now it is perfect. At first I was a bit hesitant with the order because i wasn't sure about how the inbuilt pickup would sound and would it be worth it. Now I can say with confidence that it was worth the extra money - it sounds very good and I'm glad I got it.
Swap out the strings, adjust the action and you're good to go.
If like me you want to buy a case for it right away an dont want to spend a lot, Thomann ABS Banjo Case works great with this.

Overall I am very happy I got this beautiful looking and sounding instrument. Was on my wishlist for years.

I was super keen to get a bouzouki with a pickups and looking at these, they look very much like (read I can't see the difference) another more expensive make starting with O. Given they too are made in the same country, I guess Hora are the people who make both!! I play mainly Irish Folk music on this, tuned GDAD.

When you play this, the finish of the frets and the sound would definitely be that of an instrument of a higher price point. I would only think the preamp might be different. This still sounds great in the band mix live. I am delighted with the results.

I am quite glad not to have a tuner on board - they are the best way to unexpectedly have a flat battery! Both my gigging electro-acoustic instruments don't have tuners in the preamps. Clip on FTW.

Last point, for a case option, check out the Thomann ABS Banjo Case. This also fits perfectly and is at a great price point.

Here in the UK we can find similar models to Thomann's M1089-P, but they are twice the price of Thomann. After that, there's not a lot available until you're spending at least £6-700 for an Irish Bouzouki with a pickup.

The Thomann's PU model I received is very well-built of good-looking, even-grained wood front and back; the varnish and polish is very even and covers all joints and crannies (something cheaper instruments used to fall down on). It is maybe a little boring in design (the headstock is very plain and I don't personally like the stuck-on carved soundhole that much), but overall it has a very honest, workmanlike design that carries through to the sound. I'd rather have a plain instrument than one covered in tatty bling.

Most importantly for a fixed bridge instrument, the intonation and the setup is excellent and the sound across the fingerboard is very even and lively. The pickup with 3-band EQ is fair, and considering this was the main reason I was looking for this type of instrument I'm more than pleased. I may well restring it with unisons on the lower two (it comes in octaves), which will mean a little fettling with the nut, but other than that I could tune and play this straight out of the box - which is exactly what I did, for most of the evening. :-)

A £1,000 bouzouki will have more depth of tone, but this instrument cost me £180 and I'm very pleased with it. Thanks, Thomann.

I decided to order one of these after reading the favourable reviews on both the instrument and Thomann. I was expecting it to arrive strung with octave strings, therefore I ordered an additional set of D'addario unison strings. So I was delighted when it arrived strung with unison strings which meant that I could forego the trouble of converting it myself. The tuners are of good quality and the instrument has stayed in tune nicely even when strummed quite vigorously. The tone is lovely and it can be varied depending on where you choose to position your right hand when striking the strings. I've only briefly tried it plugged in, but it seems to retain it's natural tone quite well and it has controls to alter the amount of treble, middle & bass. The wood is beautifully finished and the frets are not sharp or protruding in any way. I haven't played any other bouzouki so I'm not qualified to give a comparison, but it does seem to be a good quality instrument and I'm very happy with it. I intend to play it tuned to GDAD, but I may also occasionally tune it to GDAE for recording purposes when I want it to sound like a mandolin (ie. when capoed high up the neck). I have a mandolin which I've played for decades, but unfortunately it doesn't have a pickup, but now I've bought this bouzouki, it's like having two instruments in one.

I have owned a M1089-P Irish Bouzouki, also bought from Thomann four years ago and have found it to be reliable and of good quality. However, at the time I really wanted this model but had to settle for the slightly cheaper model due to this one having a rosewood fingerboard and therefore not allowed to be shipped to New Zealand due to the CITES regulations.
But, that issue got solved recently so as soon as my tax rebate rolled in I was onto Thomann's website and placing an order for the Concert model.
The shipping was a nightmare and took three weeks longer than promised but that's the fault of UPS and Thomann's sales people were really helpful and supportive while I sat through the interminable wait for my new bouzouki.
Once it got here I was absolutely amazed at the quality, feel and tone of this instrument. It's been beautifully set up and the action and intonation are perfect.
I highly recommend this instrument.

Great acoustic sound. Some fuzz/distortion with PU so not so great once amplified, but still useful to have.
Without PU, the instrument sound great, nicely loud and clear with a surprisingly good sustain fit for both solo parts or traditional chords runs.
The equipped strings are the right ones, for traditional tuning GG dd aa d'd' (or possibly but I didn't try it AA dd aa d'd')
So NOT Gg - dd - aa - e'e ' (octave tuned) as stated in the website description! This discrepancy comes to me as a really nice surprise because the octave tuning is not traditional at all and needs an octave to unison conversion before playing traditional irish music.

I play Celtic folk and this instrument in a winner. Well set up straight out of the box, good tone and easy to play action.
One slight adjustment required on the bridge where the top G string kept slipping out of the the slot, but I easily sorted it with a fine needle file.
I think this bouzouki is very good value for money and I have already been using it on some early recordings.
Surprisingly good pick-up, quite good clarity for a piezo. Some basic eq'ing and it sounds aok in a mix with other instruments.
Tuners seem nice and tight, not dropping out of tuning at all, even on lively jigs and reels.
Overall a quality build at a very competitive price (even taking into account the UK VAT and small import duty).
Nice touch including the strap pegs, so I won't have to fit my own.
I was searching to see if the same company build mandolins, which speaks volumes, so yes I am very pleased and would recommend.