Having spent the last couple of years recovering from a right hand injury which kept me from playing, I can now hold a plectrum again although finger picking is still a no-go. Anyway, I'm thinking of buying a bouzouki and am considering either a Moon or a Buchanan. My wife had a Buchanan mandolin, which was superb, so I'm quite keen to try one of his bouzoukis (fortunately, his workshop is not too far away so I plan to go and talk to him).

Alternatively, I was wondering if anyone had any experience of Moon bouzoukis, which are a couple of hundred quid cheaper than Buchanans. I've played a couple of his guitars and, of course, Dougie Maclean plays his instruments. The maple guitars of his that I've played I found a little too bright for my taste, but is this what I should be looking for in a bouzouki or should I be going for a richer sound (similar to my to-die-for Fylde arch-top cittern in Mahogany and cedar which has the most amazing tone, but I can't afford a Fylde bouzouki)? No one round here stocks Moon bouzoukis so there's nowhere I can try one, so any opinions would be most welcome – or suggestions of alternatives around £1K or less.