Baroque Mandolin:
Presbler-Reproduction from 1769

The Milanese luthiers Francesco and Giuseppe Presbler were very famous for the construction of their baroque mandolins (also known as "Mandolino" or "Milanese Mandoline"). The original of the Presbler-Reproduction from 1769 belongs to the collection of the Stadtmuseum in Munich. In terms of the acoustics and craftsmanship, this model is an absolute masterpiece. In comparison to early baroque mandolins, it has a relatively large body; a feature that appeared increasingly in the second half of the 18th century. What is very unusual though, is the extremely short scale. This mandolin was probably built for a player with very small hands. To favor the playing habits of the average person, I have relied on the scale length and finger board of a very similar mandolin made by Francesco and Giuseppe Presbler from 1778, that belongs to the Royal College of Music Museum in London. To me, this makes up an ideal combination.

The sound of the Presbler-Reconstruction always surprises the player and the listener. In spite of the delicate and light construction, it has a tremendously full and rich tone and a considerably loud volume. This instrument produces a broad variety of tone. It can be sonorous and powerful, soft and tender with a sweet gentle quality, or even produce a sharp metallico. The Presbler-Reproduction will carry the sound of 18th century music throughout the concert hall and enables the audience to hear the sound of early music as intended by their composers.

This model is available with either all the details of the original instrument or in a less decorated manner. The belly of the less decorated version is made of spruce and shows a beautifully hand cut rosette. The bowl consists of 17 maple ribs decorated with dark spacers. The neck and the gracefully curved pegbox are also made of maple. The 12 strings are fastened to a carved bridge and are tuned by perfectly fitting pegs of rosewood. The fingerboard is made of ebony.