Giuseppe Serafino Garnotti Bowlback

[crisscross]

There' s a bowlback of this Italian builder on ebay Germany.
I didn't find any informations about Garnotti instruments, maybe someone here has experience with these bowlbacks?
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Sehr-schone-a...8AAOSwB09YLFd2

[Bob A]

I've never heard of this maker, which doesn't mean much, admittedly. The mandolin has a few features I find odd; the stuff inserted into the pickguard, like candied fruit in a fruitcake, and the heavy carved bridge. The fretboard seems a lot thicker than usually seen on Neapolitan mandolins, and the zero fret is not standard, though occasionally seen.

All in all, I suppose it's worth the asking price, if it's playable, though it seems to have some issues with the soundboard - hard to tell from the pictures.

[crisscross]

The fretboard seems a lot thicker than usually seen on Neapolitan mandolins, and the zero fret is not standard, though occasionally seen.

These are two features that make this mandolin interestimg for me.
I agree,that the pickguard looks odd.
Well, the seller is acommercial one, so I can send it back if it has issues or the sound doesn't appeal to me,

[brunello97]

I don't have any first-hand experience with a Garnotti instrument, but have 4-5 of them in my mandolin image files, all of them fairly intensely, if not expertly, crafted.

None have a bridge quite like this one, though.

For posteriority, here's a few images of the Garnotti from Ebay.de and a clearer shot of a typical label from him.

Mick

[brunello97]

Un paio di più Garnotti.

Mick