I have been building musical instruments for over 25 years, and have been a consultant to Sydney's Powerhouse Museum and the NSW Conservatorium of Music, as well as a C.F. Martin warranty repairer. My instruments are played by some of the finest musicians in Australia and other parts of the world.

While I build just about any stringed instrument, I specialize in Irish bouzoukis, citterns, mandolins and related instruments.

Bouzoukis and citterns come in three body styles, the type 1 , type 2 and type 3

I use Australian timber as well as traditional European and American woods, selected to both appearance and tonal quality. The aesthetic mix of timbers in an instrument is an important part of the individual design and construction process.

There is is a page with general information about Irish bouzoukis and citterns and pages with information on the various styles of instruments can be found through the menu at the top.

For more information, you can
email me - graham@mcdonaldstrings.com
write to PO Box 365, Jamison, ACT, 2614, Australia,
phone 02 6251 4372 (for outside Australia dial your your international access code, then 612 6251 4372).

For more information on bouzoukis or citterns, Han's Bouzouki Page and Dan Beinborn's Cittern Pages have a wealth of information.

My links page has links to the web sites of a number of Australian instrument makers and there is an article on bouzoukis written for the Guild of American Luthiers quarterly journal, American Lutherie.

Here is an online string tension calculator. In addition there are instructions for calculating string tensions or required gauges for differing scale lengths and tunings. It is a.pdf file and you will need a calculaor or perhaps a slide rule.