Read the full buying guide here. Re: Octave Mandolin or Bouzouki Staying in the same tuning is a thing I did, too, when I switched to bigger instruments. Unfortunately when it arrived two of the strings were broken. I've been playing Mandolin and Banjo in a Celtic (with a touch of bluegrass) group for a while. But there is a limit around approx. A mandolin, for example, tends to ring most loudly on the middle two courses of strings, the D and A. Unison strung vs strung in octaves: This is another interesting factor- the bass strings are sometimes in octaves, going low to high from the bass side to the treble side (the opposite of a … If I understand correctly the top (four) are tuned in sets, and the bottom (four) are tuned in octaves. Bit of a query for you. This instrument has 8 strings. I recently ordered a "Trinity College TC375 Bouzouki." New instrument - bouzouki or mandolin? In this guide we explain the differences between each. That's highest to lowest. Mandolins, bouzoukis, octave mandolas, citterns, tenor mandolas and all other types in the mandolin family plus accessories, books and music. Interestingly I have become so animated by the mandolin that my beautiful acoustic guitar now largely gets put to one side in favour of the mando! I have been playing guitar for a number of years and about 3 years ago I decided to extend myself and buy myself a mandolin. The mandolin family consists of the mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, cittern and mando-cello. 22" when those 2nd-fret-to-5th-fret stretches just become too long, and that applies for melody and backing likewise.