Strings: gauges, brands, and how to change them

Strings are the bouzouki’s voice. New strings sound bright and respond quickly. Old strings sound dull, lose intonation, and resist your playing. A player who never changes their strings is fighting their instrument every day.

This chapter covers what to buy, when to change, and how to do the change without damaging your bouzouki.

What strings to buy

A bouzouki uses eight steel strings in four pairs (courses). The specific gauges (thicknesses) vary by tradition and player preference, but a typical light-to-medium set runs roughly:

Course	String(s)	Gauge (inches)
1 — D (highest)	Two plain steel	.010
2 — A	Two plain steel	.014
3 — F	Octave pair: plain + wound	.010 + .024 (wound)
4 — C (lowest)	Octave pair: plain + wound	.014 + .034 (wound)

These numbers are approximate. Different manufacturers ship slightly different gauges. The important thing is whether the set is sold explicitly as “bouzouki strings, tetrachordo, CFAD tuning” — if so, the gauges have been chosen to balance correctly across the courses.

Brands

A few brands are widely sold and respected in Greek shops and online:

• D’Addario EJ93 — bouzouki strings, widely available, consistent quality. A reasonable default.
• La Bella BZ8 — slightly warmer tone, popular in Greece.
• Greek-made strings (Aurora, Vasilis Saleas signature sets, others) — quality varies; ask at a music store for current recommendations.

There’s no objectively best brand. Players develop preferences over years. For a beginner, D’Addario or La Bella in a light gauge is a safe starting point.

When to change strings

Strings degrade in three ways:

1. They go dull. New strings have a bright, ringing tone. Old strings sound thuddy, lifeless. The transition happens gradually and you may not notice — until you change a string and remember what fresh sounds like.
2. They lose intonation. Old strings stretch unevenly along their length, meaning a fretted note may sound slightly sharp or flat compared to where it should sit. This is more obvious on the wound octave strings of the F and C courses.
3. They get physically rough. Sweat, finger oils, and metal corrosion eventually pit the surface. Run your finger along an old string and you’ll feel the roughness.

Replace strings when:

• You can hear the dullness (this is the main signal).
• The strings feel rough or look discolored.
• One string breaks (replace the whole course — both strings — even if only one broke).

For a player practicing 3-5 times per week, every 1-3 months is a typical replacement interval. Heavy daily players replace more often. Occasional players can go 4-6 months between changes.

How to change strings

This is the part where new players get nervous. There’s a careful sequence that avoids problems:

What you need

• A new set of bouzouki strings.
• A peg winder (small plastic crank that fits over the tuning peg — costs $5, saves enormous time).
• A pair of wire cutters or string cutters.
• Patience. First time, this takes 30-45 minutes. Soon, 15.

The sequence

Change one course at a time, not all at once. Removing all eight strings simultaneously relieves all the tension on the neck, which can cause subtle warping over the few minutes before new strings go on. Always keep at least three courses tuned to pitch while you work.

For each course:

1. Detune the strings of that course slowly — turn the tuning peg counter-clockwise until the strings are loose enough to remove easily. Don’t unwind to fully slack until you’re ready to remove them.
2. Remove the old strings. Most bouzoukis attach strings to the bridge through a tailpiece — pull the loose strings out toward the tailpiece end. At the headstock, unwind the string from its tuning post.
3. Attach the new strings. Thread the ball end (or loop end, depending on string type) onto the tailpiece. Run the string up the neck to its tuning post.
4. Wind the string onto the post. Pass it through the hole in the post, leave 2-3 inches of slack, then use the peg winder to wind the string onto the post. Wind so the string wraps around the post downward — this provides the correct break angle over the nut.
5. Tune the new string approximately to its target pitch. Don’t stretch it to perfect tune yet — new strings stretch heavily for the first hour.
6. Move to the second string of the same course. Repeat.
7. Then move to the next course.

After all eight strings are on:

• Tune the instrument fully to CFAD.
• Pull each string gently away from the fretboard a few times — this pre-stretches them. Retune.
• Repeat the gentle-pull-and-retune cycle a few more times over the first 30 minutes of playing.

Cutting the excess

After winding, several inches of string usually stick out from the headstock. Cut these short with wire cutters — leave about a half-inch. Long string ends look untidy and can poke you when handling the bouzouki.

Some players curl the cut end back on itself for safety; this is optional but useful if you’re storing the bouzouki in a soft case where sharp string ends could damage the lining.

Recap

• A bouzouki uses eight steel strings in four courses. The F and C courses are octave pairs (one plain, one wound).
• Replace strings when they sound dull, lose intonation, or feel rough. Typical interval: every 1-3 months for regular players.
• Change one course at a time, never all at once, to maintain neck-tension stability.
• After installation, pre-stretch new strings by pulling gently and retuning. They’ll be out of tune frequently for the first 24-48 hours — this is normal.
• A peg winder costs almost nothing and saves enormous time.