An adaptation of the Greek bouzouki. Both the traditional trichordo (3-course/6-string) and the later tetrachordo (4-course/8-string) developed in the 1950s were introduced into Irish traditional music in the mid-1960s.

In the early 1970s, Dónal Lunny replaced the octave strings on the two lower G and D courses with unison strings, thus reinforcing their lower frequencies. Soon after, he commissioned a bouzouki to the specifications of a 4-course Greek bouzouki but with unison strings and a 3-piece, partially staved, back. Since then, the instrument has been adapted for Irish traditional and other styles of folk music, notably through the band Planxty.

With a few exceptions, bouzouki players playing Irish music tend to use the instrument less for virtuoso melodic work and more for the chordal or contrapuntal accompaniment of melodies played on other instruments, such as the flute or fiddle.