Embergher 3 copy by lorenzo lippi

[Jim Garber]

Lorenzo Lippi is a luthier in Milan who has sent me some photos of a style 3 Embergher (Roman) mandolin he is almost finished constructing.

Here is the full view

[Jim Garber]

the back

[Jim Garber]

detail of the bowl

[Jim Garber]

Closeup of the soundboard

[Jim Garber]

headstock

[JGWoods]

That's a real beauty Jim. I love the split in the bridge, and is the nut cut back on the bass side?

[Jim Garber]

The split in the bridge is an early Embergher innovation to allow the birdge fitting easier. it is called a butterfly cut. The nut should likely be a zero fret with that fret very close to the bone nut. I have not seen this mandolin in person, so I do not know what is going on there.

Jim

[Martin Jonas]

Thansk for the photos, Jim (and Lorenzo). I'm prety sure that there is a zero fret: the photo has light reflecting on the bass side of the fret but no the treble, giving the illusion of asymmetry.

I question the wisdom of duplicating the butterfly cutout and using an all-ebony bridge. Both authentic features, certainly, but used by Embergher only on the low-to-mid models (the No. 3 sitting around the middle of the range). The bone saddle of the concert bridge gives more clarity, whereas the benefit of the butterfly cutout is mainly that it allows the luthier to cut corners in bridge fitting. I replaced the original bridge on my Embergher with a replica of a concert bridge, with bone saddle and no cutout, and am glad I did.

Martin

[Jim Garber]

Yes, Martin. I did the same with the bridge that Jon Springall is making for my model A. Actually, the idea I had was to make a butterfly incision on both sides for the looks but not cut all the way thru for the structural strength of the bridge.

I have a feeling that Lorenzo, being the author and researcher of the Embergher posters, is a stickler for the details and wanted to be authentic. We have had a nice email conversation but only thanks to freetranslation.com as I do not speak Italian and he does not speak any English. very entertaining but sonehow it works.

Jim

[serdavide]

I'm a Lorenzo Lippi's student. I made a copy of a Giovanni De Santis mandolin of 1888 #and here's the pictures

[serdavide]

the back

[serdavide]

detail of soundhole

[serdavide]

bottom

[serdavide]

the head

[serdavide]

bridge

[Martin Jonas]

Davide --

thank you very much for those photos: the photos and the instrument are gorgeous! Do you use geared pegs, like in a banjo, or are these simply friction pegs like de Santis would have done originally?

Martin

[Jim Garber]

Beautiful mandolin, Davide! Thank you for posting those photos.

Jim

[serdavide]

Thamk you very much for your compliments,The pegs I made are like the original ones, as from tradition of romans pegs

[mandolooter]

those are both awesome work!!!!

[Eugene]

I missed the existence of this thread while I was out of the country. I'm glad I stumbled by to exclaim "Yummy!"