what kind of milanese mandolin is this odd ball thingey

[ollaimh]

i just got this from an ebay purchase. really cheap $91 usd including shipping etc.

the label says carl or carlo albertini, milan, the date is gone and most of the street address.

the scale is not like the usual milanese mandolin, whcih is 12 inches or slightly less. this is a 19 inch scale. six strings. i'd like to make it three courses but that might be too difficult with the fixed pin bridge. i am thinking of ordering some turkish lavta strings for it. probably gut or nylon strung. or nylagut or carbon fibre.

the body had a seem separation but the bracing and neck seem pretty solid. and the top is canted and seems strong. neck angle should be ok i think.

any body have any ideas?

[MikeEdgerton]

I know it's not a Schmergel.

[ollaimh]

I know it's not a Schmergel.

smergel? is that like a smeagel, i.e. a gollum mandolin?

[Beanzy]

Some info and other examples here;
http://www.mandolinluthier.com/Lomba...lin_makers.htm

From the proportions your's looks like a milanese mandola though which I've not seen before.
It could just be a small body. What length is it from nut to bridge?

I've lightened up a few of the pics so they're easier to see....

[DavidKOS]

The neck seems too long to be any sort of mandolin. Or is it a miniature body, like on those dancing master's fiddles?

[allenhopkins]

smergel? is that like a smeagel, i.e. a gollum mandolin?

Shmergel (spell check) is the obscure Patagonian firm responsible for the world's best mandolin, the Shmergel Devastator. While sightings of this banjo-eviscerating tone monster are rarer than total solar eclipses, those who know continue to rate this as at least 27.6% better, in terms of overall sound, appearance, mojo, and "wow" factor, than the best Loar F-5 they've ever heard.

Pictures of the Devastator are never available, since its blinding finish brilliance fries the circuits of most cameras; recordings don't exist, since its sound is so overpowering that microphones self-destruct in its presence. It remains the Holy Grail that other mandolins and mandolinists can only try, feebly, to approximate.

And no, I don't own one. Nor do I know anyone who does. I once knew someone who thought he'd seen one, but the docs switched his meds, and now he's not sure.

[Jim Garber]

It is hard to tell from the low-quality photos. Maybe retake them outside in better light. From Eoin/Beanzy's lightened shots, it looks possibly that the neck was extended on this. Otherwise, maybe it was originally built for octave mandola tuning (as in the European nomenclature).

I tried lightening and sharpening a bit. It is a bit puzzling what that lightness is on the back of the neck. The Albertini lombard/milanese mandolins in my files all seem to have necks carved from one piece as far as I can tell. What is that light area on the neck "joint"? Also, many have scalloped fretboards. This fretboard, at least from the poor quality photos, looks like it was poorly done. This might have had its neck lengthened much later -- my guess.

[ollaimh]

It is hard to tell from the low-quality photos. Maybe retake them outside in better light. From Eoin/Beanzy's lightened shots, it looks possibly that the neck was extended on this. Otherwise, maybe it was originally built for octave mandola tuning (as in the European nomenclature).

I tried lightening and sharpening a bit. It is a bit puzzling what that lightness is on the back of the neck. The Albertini lombard/milanese mandolins in my files all seem to have necks carved from one piece as far as I can tell. What is that light area on the neck "joint"? Also, many have scalloped fretboards. This fretboard, at least from the poor quality photos, looks like it was poorly done. This might have had its neck lengthened much later -- my guess.

i think you're right. the scalloped frett board stops where the neck splice starts at the neck to body joint, so its an albertini franken mandolino!. i'll string it as an octave mandolin with nylon or carbon fibre strings, but first i need to fit pegs or mechanical pegheds.

it's very light. might be able to repurpose lavta strings. great for the medieval faire i think.

sorry i take terrible pictures.

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or i could shorten the neck--just joking

- - - Updated - - -

Shmergel (spell check) is the obscure Patagonian firm responsible for the world's best mandolin, the Shmergel Devastator. While sightings of this banjo-eviscerating tone monster are rarer than total solar eclipses, those who know continue to rate this as at least 27.6% better, in terms of overall sound, appearance, mojo, and "wow" factor, than the best Loar F-5 they've ever heard.

Pictures of the Devastator are never available, since its blinding finish brilliance fries the circuits of most cameras; recordings don't exist, since its sound is so overpowering that microphones self-destruct in its presence. It remains the Holy Grail that other mandolins and mandolinists can only try, feebly, to approximate.

And no, I don't own one. Nor do I know anyone who does. I once knew someone who thought he'd seen one, but the docs switched his meds, and now he's not sure.

what kind of drugs do you need to see one?

[Jim Garber]

BTW I have a Lombard mandolin like this used to be and instead of using the standard tuning for those (which I cannot recall) I contacted Aquila USA and worked with their custom guy to string it with Nylgut tuned one octave above a guitar. Two sets of these custom strings cost me $30 a few years back. He worked out the tension and gauges.

[ollaimh]

i think it should be nylon or carbon fibre strings. i like the 29 inch scale. should be able to use some sort of baritone uke strings. but of course first pegs that work. i think its cute as all get out, but probably a ren faire only thingey

[ollaimh]

i', mr. cheapo this month. bought a decent condition french fiddle for 40 bucks, a decent condition sitar for 35, all canadian and the thingey from milaney. i may be a boring person. this is how i have fun. except for gigs and the odd irish sessuin i haven't been in a bar for years. don't drink, do drugs gamble or run around just play tunes and fix up instrument projects. my wife used to complain about all my instruments untill a friend of hers pointed out her friends hubby's include alcoholics, drug problem people, guys who run around, gamble all the family money and smoke like chimneys. see i am boring

[allenhopkins]

what kind of drugs do you need to see one?

Good question; I keep experimenting. Right now I'm trying Geritol...

[Jim Garber]

I am equally, if not even more boring than you!

[ollaimh]

I am equally, if not even more boring than you!

given the detailed knowledge you show on mandocafe i bet you are the most boring guy here, and we're glad for it.

[ollaimh]

i took my cheapo fiddle and mando thingey to my repair friend. the fiddle is easy to get playing, the mando-thingey has the brace under the bridge seriously carved away?? we have to put in a brace or put in a bridge plate or both, but he has pegs that almost fit. not major surgery for my repair guy, but not nothing. i'll do the fiddle myself and he can brace the mando-thingey.
i know people are on the egde of their chairs for an update