Gold Tone BZ-1000/L Guitar-Bodied Bouzouki Mandolin Left-Handed with Case

This is the left-handed version of the Gold Tone BZ-1000 Irish bouzouki, and I want to be upfront about that from the start — left-handed players deserve an instrument built for them, not a right-handed one awkwardly restrung. The BZ-1000/L is purpose-built for the left-handed player who wants to dive into the hauntingly beautiful world of Celtic folk, Irish trad, or any music where that shimmering, chorus-like bouzouki voice is at home. With a solid spruce top for projection and clarity, mahogany back and sides for warm midrange depth, and a factory setup in GGDDAADD tuning — octave pairs on the lower two courses, unison on the upper two — this instrument produces the dramatic, full-bodied tone that has defined Irish folk music since the early 1970s. The built-in Fishman undersaddle pickup with preamp means you can plug in and perform the moment inspiration strikes.

The history behind this instrument is genuinely fascinating to me. The Irish bouzouki as we know it almost certainly traces back to 1969, when Dónal Lunny — himself left-handed — received a Greek bouzouki, reversed the strings, and reimagined what the instrument could be. When he brought it into Planxty in 1972, it became a cornerstone of the Irish folk revival. Gold Tone has honored that lineage thoughtfully with the BZ-1000: a ZeroGlide nut at 1-3/8″ for smooth, in-tune open strings, sealed guitar-style tuners for stable, effortless tuning, a rosewood fingerboard with snowflake inlays, an ebony bridge with a bone saddle for crisp note articulation, and a 24-3/4″ scale length that feels familiar to anyone coming from guitar or tenor guitar. The chrome hardware and high-gloss natural finish give it a clean, professional look that matches its sound. At 4.5 lbs with a hard case included, it’s a complete package.

Each instrument receives a professional setup at Gold Tone’s factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships to you. That means action adjusted to playable, comfortable heights up and down the neck, nut slots cut precisely, intonation checked, and the Fishman pickup tested for clean signal. You’re not opening a box and wondering if you need to take it somewhere; you’re picking it up and playing it. For a specialty instrument like an Irish bouzouki, that setup work is not a small thing — the difference between a properly set-up bouzouki and a stock-off-the-pallet one is night and day, especially on the upper frets where intonation problems hide.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell is covered by Gold Tone’s full manufacturer warranty and backed by our own commitment to getting you the right instrument. I’ve spent more than 45 years in this industry — I co-own Watch & Learn in Atlanta, wrote Banjo Primer (still the top-rated beginner banjo method out there), and co-designed the OB-Standard with Gold Tone — so when I say the BZ-1000 is a well-built instrument for the money, that’s not a sales pitch, it’s an honest assessment from someone who has handled thousands of fretted instruments. We carry Irish bouzoukis not because they’re a mass-market item, but because players ask for them and deserve a trusted source. Financing is available through PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, or 24-month plans — no late fees, ever. Questions? Reach out. I’m here.

Gold Tone BZ-1000/L Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What tunings can the Gold Tone BZ-1000 be set up in, and is GGDDAADD the only option?

The BZ-1000 ships from us in GGDDAADD — octave pairs on the G and D courses, unison pairs on the A courses — which is one of the most common Irish bouzouki tunings and very close to GDAD. That said, the Irish bouzouki is one of the most tuning-flexible instruments around. Players commonly use GDAD, GDAE (octave mandola style), ADAD, and CFAD depending on the keys they work in most. The 24-3/4″ scale and string gauges Gold Tone specifies handle a reasonable range of these tunings well. If you want it set up in a specific tuning before it ships, just reach out and we’ll do our best to accommodate that.

I’m a guitar player — how hard is the transition to Irish bouzouki?

Honestly, for a guitarist this is one of the more accessible transitions in folk music. The 24-3/4″ scale length is identical to a Gibson-scale guitar, so your fretting hand feels right at home. The four-course layout means less memorization than a full guitar neck, and many chord shapes translate with small adjustments. The paired strings add a natural chorusing effect that can feel unfamiliar at first — you’re striking two strings per note on each course — but most guitarists adapt within a few sessions. Because this is the left-handed model, southpaw guitar players in particular will find the ergonomics immediately comfortable.

Does the Fishman pickup require batteries, and what kind of output does it have?

Yes, the Fishman undersaddle preamp system requires a standard 9-volt battery, which is typically housed in a compartment on the endpin or inside the body depending on the specific preamp configuration. The output is a standard 1/4″ jack, so you can plug directly into any acoustic DI, acoustic amp, or PA channel. Fishman is one of the most trusted names in acoustic pickup systems, and on an instrument like this bouzouki — where the tonal character is so tied to the natural resonance of the spruce top — the undersaddle placement picks up the true voice of the instrument cleanly and accurately.

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