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Hello all
I have this small mandolin "Quartino" Roman style.
It is 27,5 cm of vibrating string length, 52 cm overall length.
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Has anyone seen a similar instrument ? It has no label, but for me it is very similar to Embergher's concert mandolins , does anyone have any idea if Embergher actually made Quartinos ?
Best wishes
Hello Quartino,
I have no idea as to whether Embergher made piccolo (sopranino) mandolins but wanted to thank you for posting this one. I have an active, ongoing interest in these diminutive members of the mandolin family and think they are under-represented in the mandolin world. This is a particularly nice example, with its numerous, fluted ribs. It's scale length seems about typical for sopraninos.
Are you playing it? I hope you are, and I'll bet it has a beautiful, bright voice. Please just be sure to keep super-light strings on it. It would be a shame for this gorgeous instrument to get damaged.
Happy picking,
Bob
Hello Bob,
Thank you for your reply!
Do you have other specimens of these small mandolins ?
Yes, I actively play it ; I have had it for ten years, it is strung with Thomastik medium and I tune it only one tone upper to regular mandolin tuning, which, I think, does not cause excess tension, what do you think ?
Best wishes
It definitely is Roman style but I would say unlikely made in the Embergher shop. Most of the details don't match up to Embergher instruments I have seen. Scratchplate design is amateurish, headstock angle is much more severe than any Embergher concert models, and the headstock is routed much different from concert model Embergher 5bis. The Emberghers have a more pronounced curving inward in the shape of the back and I have never seen the fluting end like this one before the neck joint. I can't tell if the fretboard is radiused but, of course, it is also possible that for a smaller mandolin they could have dispensed with that feature. Also the shape of the "apron" on the back doesn't really match any Embergher models. Even student models have an extra curve in that part.
This is not to say that it looks to be a very nicely made instrument. Post more photos!
I love these quartino/piccolo instruments. I have a couple of vintage American ones, one by Leland/Lyon & Healy and a small bowlback unlabeled but possibly by George Bauer.
Thank you Jim for these details. I enclose here two photos, one showing the bridge with its special compensated design, and a close view of the headstock. The scratchplate design is simple indeed, but remember it is a small instrument, as you say for a smaller mandolin they could have dispensed with many special features.
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For information/comparison, this is a more recent quartino, or rather "terzino" (scale length 28,8 cm), in a collection somewhere in France, made by Pascuale Pecoraro in the Embergher workshop Attachment 193656
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And this is my Roman quartino close to my Neapolitan one, by Ermenegildo Ferrari, which is even smaller (but same scale length)
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Your photos above do not show up. The Pecoraro terzino has a fully-detailed scratchplate (scrolls) which was characteristic of the 5bis concert instruments.
Second attempt
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Here is a picture of a regular-sized mandolin that is not in my possession; the photo is from an auction website, marked as "attributed to Embergher", and obviously of the same maker as my quartino... but it has no label inside. The design is a little more elaborate than on the quartino, but not much.
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I honestly don't think the workmanship on the OP's mandolin matches the quality of any era of the Embergher shop.
Lorenzo Lippi posted this Embergher quartino on Embergher Facebook group. He says, "Mandolino "Quartino" 5bis (diapason ca. 28 cm).
Luigi Embergher 1926." You could check with him to see if he has a clue who made yours.
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If you have contact with Mr Lippi, could you send him the link to this page, so he can see our discussion? Thank you
He has posted here in the past. I don’t really know him well but you can reach him through his website: http://lippi.net/strumenti/mandolini/?lang=en
Hi Quartino,Quote:
Originally Posted by quartino
Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm super busy this time of year.
I do have specimens of piccolo mandolins, but no bowl backs. Mine are all tuned up a fourth from a mandolin (Cgda) which is an octave above a mandola. All are in that 10.25" or so scale length. My first was a carved arch-top Mike Black made for me. It is a real joy and got me hooked. Here it is with my Phoenix Neoclassical for size comparison.
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Next, I started building flat-top piccolos and have made a number of them. Here's a picture of one, but you can see others in the photo albums I have posted (click on the link at the bottom of this post, or click on my name to get to my page which has two albums).
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I use D'Addario EJ73 strings on mine and they work fine. On a bowl back, though, I'd want less tension. If you are happy with the Thomastik's, then why change? Experience is telling you they're OK!
Best wishes,
Bob
Hi All. I second Jim's opinion, certainly a Roman-style instrument, but not made by Embergher. Although Embergher did made piccolos, real Emberghers (again, as Jim's mentioned) look different and plus they always had labels inside and the labels were stuck using strong hide glue, so even on instruments broken to pieces the label (or it's remains) is usually there. The one "attributed" to Embergher is likely not made by Embergher either. Luthiers in Catania made Roman models with certain degree of freedom and my guess that it could well may be a Catanese instrument.
I had a Roman instrument of a standard size in the past. It had somewhat similar floral scratchplate design. No label. I received a message from an Italian collector saying it was most certainly made in Catania.
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