Mandolin Glossary

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Cylinderback

Vega cylinder-back mandolin

A cylinder-back is named due to the curved shape of the back side of the mandolin as shown in this photo.

The Vega company of Boston, Massachusetts is considered the premier builder of this type of instrument. They were known for both bowlback and flatback mandolins, but for the purpose of this article we refer to their cylinder-back models for mandolin, mandola, mandocello, mandobass, guitars, and lute mandolin, including a 10-string model for mandolin. Vega distributed their instruments between 1913 and 1925.

Vega's cylinder-back models sported a 2-point bent top and a curved back side from which the name cylinder-back originates, as shown in the image here (photo courtesy of Dan Beimborn of MandolinArchive.com

Authored by: Mandolin Cafe

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