I have been playing Irish trad for about 10 years, mostly fiddle and tenor banjo. At the 2019 O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, I heard a bouzouki up close and personal and wanted to try one. I opted for the octave mandolin, because I couldn’t make the stretch on a longer scale length. Bouzoukis and octave mandos available in the US cost upwards of US$800, a bit much to spend to try out an instrument. Even with international shipping, the Hora octave mandolin was only a quarter of that price—worth the risk, even if it turned out to be a piece of junk, which it is most assuredly not. I showed it to my music teacher and to my luthier; both pronounced it a good instrument for the money. My take: fit and finish are beautiful. Sound is impressive with great resonance. Intonation is accurate throughout the scale length. Sound through the installed pickup sounds *just* like the instrument, only louder. Moving up and down the fingerboard is smooth. The workmanship of the instrument far exceeded my expectations. Shipping from Germany took about ten days to Texas, and it arrived in good condition. If you’re undecided, just buy it.