Early Neapolitan Mandolone:
Joannes Vinaccia-Reproduction from 1773

The original of this reproduction was built in the workshop of the Vinaccia family in Naples in the year 1773 by Joannes Vinaccia and belongs to the collection of the Germanisches National museum in Nürnberg. I have selected this model because of the careful craftsmanship, well-proportioned design, fine wood selection and the balanced bracing. For the inlay work of soundhole, neck and peg head I relied on a mandolone from a private collection to match the appearance of my other reproductions.

The soundboard of the mandolone is of the highest grade German spruce and the body is made of maple. There are mother-of-pearl inlays around the soundhole and in the soundboard, as well as a tortoiseshell coloured scratch plate underlayed with gold leaf and surrounded by contrasting purfling. The body is made up of 29 small scalloped ribs and 2 large ribs with a carved cap. Neck, peg head and fingerboard are also delicately decorated with engraved ivoroid plates and bindings. Precisely fitting pegs of rosewood enable the accurate tuning of the nylon strings.

The Mandolone-Reproduction has a wide range of sound with typical characteristics of the tone of a Neapolitan instrument. It has strong projection with a strong and full bass end and a clear and bright sounding top end. This mandolone is the ideal bass instrument for the performance of the old mandolin music.