Gold Tone BZ-500/L Irish Bouzouki Left-Handed with Pickup and Case

This is the left-handed version of the Gold Tone BZ-500 Irish Bouzouki, and if you’ve been searching for a well-built, stage-ready cittern built specifically for left-handed players, your search ends here. The Irish bouzouki has a wonderfully colorful origin story — Dónal Lunny received a Greek bouzouki from a friend around 1969 and, being left-handed himself, reversed the strings and restrung them in unison pairs, fundamentally reshaping the instrument’s voice. That modified instrument went on to define the sound of Irish folk music when Lunny brought it into Planxty in 1972. There’s a lovely symmetry, then, in the fact that this left-handed BZ-500 carries on a tradition that was itself born from a left-handed player’s creativity. Gold Tone ships this instrument tuned GGDDAADD — octave pairs on the third and fourth courses for depth and power, unison pairs on the first and second courses for clarity and shimmer — exactly the setup that makes the Irish bouzouki sound like itself.

The BZ-500/L is built to sound as good as it plays. The solid spruce top gives the instrument genuine acoustic projection and tonal complexity that laminate-top instruments simply can’t match, while the mahogany back, sides, and neck provide warmth and sustain. The rosewood fingerboard has 23 frets with snowflake inlays, and the 26-1/4″ scale length sits comfortably in bouzouki territory — long enough for full, resonant bass response without being unwieldy. The ZeroGlide nut at 1-3/8″ keeps open strings perfectly in tune with the fretted notes, which matters enormously on a multi-course instrument where intonation is constantly under scrutiny. Sealed guitar-style tuners keep everything stable, and the adjustable bridge gives you precise intonation control. The built-in Chopper mandolin bridge pickup means you can go straight into a PA or DI box for sessions and gigs without clipping on an afterthought pickup — this instrument is genuinely gig-ready. A hardshell case is included.

Each instrument receives a professional setup at Gold Tone’s factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships to you. The setup includes nut slot depth, action at the bridge and saddle, intonation verification across all four courses, and neck relief dialed in with the two-way adjustable truss rod. You’re not receiving a factory-boxed instrument — you’re receiving a properly set-up bouzouki that’s ready to play the moment it arrives.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell is backed by Gold Tone’s full manufacturer warranty and our own commitment to getting you the right instrument. I’m Geoff Hohwald — I’ve been in the fretted instrument business for over 45 years, co-own Watch & Learn in Atlanta, wrote Banjo Primer (the top-rated beginner banjo method on the market), and co-designed the Gold Tone OB-Standard. I’ve spent decades thinking carefully about what makes an instrument genuinely good for a player, and I don’t put instruments in the shop that I wouldn’t put in the hands of a student or a friend. For left-handed players especially, finding a quality instrument that’s actually built for you — not just a flipped right-handed model — matters, and the BZ-500/L is the real thing. Financing is available through PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, or 24-month plans, all with no late fees, so you can get playing now without waiting.

Gold Tone BZ-500/L Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What tunings can the Gold Tone BZ-500/L be set up in?

The BZ-500/L ships from us in GGDDAADD tuning, which is the standard Irish bouzouki setup with octave strings on the lower two courses and unison strings on the upper two. That said, Irish bouzoukis and citterns are famously flexible — common alternative tunings include GDAD, GDAE, ADAD, and CFAD, among others. The two-way adjustable truss rod and adjustable bridge give you the ability to adapt the setup if you want to explore different tunings, and you’re welcome to reach out before your instrument ships if you have questions about setup for a specific tuning.

Does the left-handed BZ-500 come with the same pickup and case as the right-handed model?

Yes — the BZ-500/L is a fully spec’d left-handed instrument, not a modified right-handed model. It includes the same Chopper mandolin bridge pickup and the same hardshell case as the standard BZ-500. Gold Tone builds these as dedicated left-handed instruments, so the bracing, bridge placement, and electronics are all oriented correctly for left-handed playing.

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