Re: What upgrade for Hora/Thomman Octave Mandolin / Bouzouki
The Horas are certainly inexpensive, one of the cheapest ways to try out a bouzouki/octave mandolin. They're not great though, and if you order one online then depending on the specific one that comes in the mail it could take quite a bit of doing to get into good playing condition. Potentially bridge and tuners as you suggested, strings, setup, etc. Maybe over $300 by the time it's all done, again depending on the one you receive.
Just above that price range there's also the A. Carvalho instruments which could be worth considering. Kieran Moloney sells those and they are quite a step up in quality from the Horas.
You're eager to get an octave to start playing and that's awesome. You'll sometimes see this advice here on the forum, but it's worth repeating. There's an advantage to waiting if you can use the time to save up a bit more $ and also cruise the classifieds on this site for a knockout deal. A Carvalho, Gold Tone, Eastman or Trinity College could all be potentially better choices than the Hora. And if you could find a second-hand Pono at a price you were comfortable with those are really great for the $. All of these have been reviewed here on this site so you can get a good idea of some of their strengths and differences. Once you break $1k the choices start to widen up significantly.
Another option might be to get your hands on a cheap and cheerful baritone ukulele and use a set of classical guitar strings for OM tuning. That would get you playing a 20" scale fifths-tuned instrument quickly and inexpensively (all-in under $100). You could see how you like the experience of that while saving some $ and waiting for a great deal on a keeper OM to come along.
Best of luck and enjoy!
Gavin Baird F4 & F5, Weber Octar, Gibson K-1, Guild D50, Martin D35, Yairi DY-84, etc...
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