Help with and ID on this mandolin.

[Celt of the wood]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/msg/923451825.html

I just love the design on this mandolin and wonder if anyone could tell me what the make is? I tried to research it myself, but the picture is too blurry for me to make out.

Thanks for any help!

[JEStanek]

I don't know and am not an expert, but it looks like an old Portuguese mandolin that's also missing the odd tuners, the bridge, and tailpiece. Here's a thread that shows an example for why I feel that way. At $1 its a great conversation /wall hanger piece. I have no idea where to get tuners for it.

Jamie

[allenhopkins]

What this seems to be is one of the Portuguese cittern-type instruments. The label says "Camphydryl Robin" or some such, which means zilch to me. The (missing) tuning mechanism as a quite elaborate assembly of gears, hooks and thumbscrews, somewhat similar to the design of a violin fine tuner. These instruments require strings with loops at each end, since the tuning peg end has a hook to hold the string, rather than a post it wraps around.

Rather than strain my limited descriptive skills, let me post this link to a somewhat similar instrument (a "guitarra") on sale at Bernunzio's. By clicking on the fifth small picture, you can get a closeup of the tuning mechanism.

I'd pass on this, unless you know someone who can a] find and b] install this fairly complex assembly. Similar instruments are still made in Portugal, so it might be possible to import tuners that would fit it. A bit of a project, IMHO.

[MikeEdgerton]

The tuners would look like the tuners in this thread.

[Schlegel]

I seem to recall someone said a German firm still made those tuners... no idea what thread it was.