Rob Van Leuven / Parlour Bouzouki - Made To Order / 2014 / Stringed Instrument For Sale
The instruments shown are sold, but I would be happy to build one especially for you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss a project.
The irish bouzouki was developed from the greek original in the 1960's and has become a very popular instrument in celtic and folk music.
I have designed and build my own version, using the traditional shape as a starting point. I also build bouzoukis in parlour guitar shape; these have a less 'boxy' sound and are more comfortable when played sitting rather than standing.
Available in various materials: spruce or cedar top, mahogany or maple neck, selection of woods for back & sides, african blackwood or fibre composite fretboard & bridge, natural bone nut & saddle, wooden bindings & rosette, Schaller or Gotoh tuners, custom pickup.
model: Parlour Bouzouki
pricing: € 1195,= + options
standard specifications:
strings: steel (4x2)
top: western red cedar or spruce
sides & back: mahagony, maple, muiracatiara, several other options
rosette: hardwood and/or herringbone
bindng (standard top only): maple
purfling: none
neck material: mahagony, maple
neck construction: 5 pcs, peghead attached with scarf joint
trussrod: double action
fretboard: muiracatiara, rosewood, composite
fretboard marker dots: paua shell
number of frets to body: 12
peghead veneer: same as rosette
bridge: muiracatiara, rosewood, composite
nut and saddle: natural bone
bridge pins: ebony, rosewood or similar
tuners: Gotoh chrome-plated
scale length: 640 mm.
finish top: high-gloss waterborne lacquer
finish neck, back andsides: satin Danish oil
electronics: standard none
extra options:
- sunburst top: € 100
- (herringbone) purfling top: € 50,=
- back en sides in high gloss laquer: € 100,=
- other tonewoods: depending on choice and availability
- african blackwood fretboard and bridge: € 50,=
- other tuners: depending on choice
pickup systems:
- Dilemma custom under saddle pickup*: € 100,=
- other pickup system: depending on choice
*active system: FET preamp without on-board volume and/or tone control
Dilemma Lutherie, Netherlands
Building stringed instruments has been a passion ever since my college days. Demand for my instruments is now growing and so I have turned my passion into my second business, building four types of instruments mainly aiming at folk, blues and jazz musicians and singer/songwriters: parlour guitar, irish bouzouki, parlour bouzouki and my own design: dilemma. All instruments are handcrafted by me in my small workshop in Eindhoven, The Netherlands and I would be more than happy to build a fine guitar or bouzouki for you too!