Instrument
Bouzouki
A long-necked, round-backed (Greek) or flat-backed (Irish) plucked lute with steel strings in courses, played with a plectrum. The Greek bouzouki is central to rebetiko and Greek pop; the Irish bouzouki dates from about 1965 and is a different instrument with a different tuning.1,2
- Range
- C3–E6
- Sources
- 3 (3 independent)
Mics sources recommend
7 setups from 3 sources, 3 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.
Studio
Named, no placement given
- Electro-Voice RE3201 independent source
- pair of small condensers (models not named)1 independent source
Close
- Shure SM811 independent source
- flat (boundary) condenser, 6-8 in from the sound hole1 independent source
- two mics, one close to the strumming hand, one further away1 independent source
Contact
- Oktava condenser (model not named)1 independent source
The 6 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Named, no placement given Electro-Voice RE320close, sample session
Recorded with a RE320 and a pair of small condensers microphones.
3 - Named, no placement given 2 × pair of small condensers (models not named)pair, sample session
Recorded with a RE320 and a pair of small condensers microphones.
3 - Close flat (boundary) condenser, 6-8 in from the sound holeclose
Place a flat condenser mic about 6 to 8 inches away from an f-hole or sound hole (mandolin, bouzouki, resonator, lap dulcimer).
4 - Close Shure SM81close (asked for advice)
Poster asks how to place his SM81 condenser on a bouzouki for recording; replies advise two mics, one close, one farther.
5 - Contact 2 × Oktava condenser (model not named)one side of a stereo pair, with a pickup on the other
Pickup on one side and an Oktava condenser mic on the other, hard-panned, gives a full sound.
5 - Close two mics, one close to the strumming hand, one further awayclose + distance
I use two mikes, one up close, close to where I strum, and another a little further away.
5
On stage
Clip-on
- mini mic near the sound hole1 independent source
The 1 setup behind this: placement and quotes
- Clip-on mini mic near the sound holeclip-on
Mount a mini mic near an f-hole (applies to the mandolin, bouzouki group).
4
Range
C3 to about E61,6131 Hz – 1.32 kHz
Greek 4-course (tetrachordo) tuned C3-F3-A3-D4 (Wikipedia). Impact Soundworks sampled a professional 4-course instrument on 'all 27 fret positions'; taking that as open plus 26 frets on the D4 course gives about E6 (my calculation). The library maps its playable range to C2-F5 on the keyboard, which is a mapping, not a sounding range.
Tuning: fretted, chromatic1
The sound
Strings drive a spruce or cedar soundboard on a bowl or flat back; the sound is sharp and metallic.1
Where the sound goes
No source; as a soundboard instrument, see Bartlett's sound-hole advice.4
Recording it
- Bartlett: a flat condenser 6-8 in from the sound hole.
- A bouzouki player on the Rembetiko Forum (2002): use two mics, one close to where you strum and one farther back, found by having a helper move a mic while you listen on headphones; he also records a pickup on one side and a mic on the other, hard-panned. Another poster used an SM81.
- Sample-library recordings: Pianobook's "Ideal Bouzouki" was recorded with an Electro-Voice RE320 and a pair of small condensers; Impact Soundworks' Greek 8-string library has close and room positions, models not named.4,5,3,6
On stage
Pickups are common (a TAP body pickup is named in the forum); no source on live mics. DPA's 4099 clip for mandolin and guitar is the nearest guide; whether a bouzouki bowl fits the clip is not stated.5
Problems to watch
No source states it. Plectrum noise and body resonance are in the samples' noise layers.6
About the range
Greek trichordo (3 courses): D3-A3-D4 with the lowest course doubled in octaves (as the page writes it, D4D3 A3A3 D4D4). Greek tetrachordo (4 courses, 8 strings): C3-F3-A3-D4, with octave pairs on the lowest two courses. Irish: usually G2-D3-A3-D4, or G2-D3-A3-E4 (octave-mandolin tuning), with unison strings on the lower courses since Donal Lunny's change. A sample library maps the Greek instrument C2 to F5 on the keyboard (a mapping, not a sounding range).1,2,6