Luigi Fenga Mandolin

[Sharon]

Could someone give me some information about this mandolin? My husband bought it for me tonight from an auction sale. He was intending to fix it up but we didn't realize how old it could possibly be. Should he be touching it?65560655616556265563

[allenhopkins]

Here's some info on Fenga from the mandolinluthier.com website: (http://www.mandolinluthier.com/neapolitan-makers-alphabetic-2.htm)

Luigi Fenga was a luthier in Catania around the turn of the 19-20th century . He was born in 1866. He also built violins and guitars. He worked in Paris, London, Rome and Naples prior to setting up shop in Catania. He died in 1939.

A very ornate Fenga mandolin is pictured here. (http://www.musicantic.eu/plucked-strings-instrument/mandolin/mandolin--by--luigi--fenga_930_uk_D.html)

There seems to be opinion that Catania mandolins aren't as desirable as those made in Rome or Naples. From the lack of inlay, yours may have been a basic model; there's no "scratch plate" or pickguard on the top. Could the top have been refinished, or at least the finish stripped? Hard to tell from the somewhat dark picture. The instrument needs a bridge and tailpiece, obviously, and there's at least one evident seam separation between the ribs of the bowl.

You don't have a super-high-end mandolin that your husband should be afraid to work on. However, unless he's experienced in instrument repair, it would be sensible to have the mandolin at least inspected and evaluated by a "pro" instrument technician. The tech could tell you what needs to be done to make it playable, and you could work out whether it would be worth paying to have some of the repair done, or taking it on as a "project," or some mix thereof.