How to restring an Irish bouzouki
On most Irish bouzoukis the bridge isn't glued: it floats, held only by the strings, and its position sets the intonation. That changes how you restring: mark the bridge before you start and change one string at a time so it never loses its footing.
Irish bouzouki GDAD tuning, course by course
From the 4th course (lowest) to the 1st, at A 440 Hz; all four courses in unison.
| String | Note | Hz |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | G2 | 98.00 |
| 3 | D3 | 146.83 |
| 2 | A3 | 220.00 |
| 1 | D4 | 293.66 |
How to use it
- Open the Irish bouzouki guide and tick each step as you go; progress is saved on this device.
- When every step is ticked, the page scrolls to the tuner. Pick GDAD or GDAE.
- Pluck one string at a time and turn its key until the needle centers. Start over clears the list.
Help and explanations
The guide covers both kinds of anchor, loop ends on a tailpiece and ball ends on a pin bridge. At the end, the tuner checks GDAD (G2 98.00 Hz up to D4 293.66 Hz) or GDAE.
Loop end or ball end
Look at the end of an old string before you buy. A tailpiece with hooks or studs, the mandolin-style setup most bouzoukis use, takes loop ends, like the D'Addario EJ81. A pin bridge, which some builders fit, needs ball ends, and so do some tailpieces. The gauges can be identical; only the end differs.
Tension is modest compared with a guitar, around 150 to 155 lb (about 70 kg) for the EJ81 in GDAD, but it is all that holds a floating bridge in place.
Unison and octave courses
In GDAD, each course is two identical strings: G2, D3, A3 and D4. GDAE replaces the top D4 with E4 (329.63 Hz). Some players fit an octave string on the G or D course: the thin string then sits an octave above its partner, G3 over G2 or D4 over D3, and must go on in the same position as the old one.
Tips
- If the bridge does move, put it back on the tape marks and check the octave with the intonation checker.
- Changing gauges or tuning? Check the numbers first in the Irish bouzouki string tension calculator.
- For a detailed final tuning, the strobe tuner shows deviations of a tenth of a cent.
Frequently asked questions
How do you string an Irish bouzouki?
Mark the bridge position with tape, then change one string at a time: unhook the old one, fix the new loop or ball end, wind 2 to 3 wraps on the wound strings and 3 to 4 on the plain ones, and tune the course in unison.
What are the notes of an Irish bouzouki in GDAD?
From the lowest course: G2 (98.00 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz), A3 (220.00 Hz) and D4 (293.66 Hz), at A 440 Hz. In GDAE the top course is E4, 329.63 Hz.
How do I keep the bridge in place when changing strings?
Change one string at a time so the others keep pressure on the bridge, and mark its feet with low-tack tape. If it moves, slacken slightly, slide it back to the marks and retune.
Can I take all the strings off to clean the fretboard?
Yes, but mark the bridge first and slide it back to the marks when you restring; with no strings on, a floating bridge simply falls off.
Why does my bouzouki sound out of tune after new strings?
New strings stretch and the bridge can shift slightly. Stretch each string gently at mid-length, retune a few times and check that the bridge still sits on its marks and stands straight.