Louis Patennotte 12 string mandolin?

[Russos]

I found this 12 string instrument with a label from Louis Patenotte, no idea what it is exactly, any ideas, tuning?

[Jacob]

That may be a Bandurria instead of a mandolin.

[DavidKOS]

That may be a Bandurria instead of a mandolin.

Yes, this is a bandurria. It has 6 pairs of strings tuned in 4ths, not 5ths.

Typical Spanish tuning is (Low-High) G# C# F# B E A; the Filipino version is down a step, F# B E A D G.

The bandurria was the instrument played by the original Spanish Students and began the mandolin boom in America. Somehow, the Italian mandolin became the instrument of choice, not the Spanish bandurria.

[Nevin]

Interesting origin. If I recall correctly, the Voges are a mountain range in eastern France partially in Alsace and partially in Lorraine. It is not where I would expect to find a Spanish instrument.

[Russos]

Great thank you very much for the info.

[Graham McDonald]

Mattaincourt is the next town south of Mirecourt, which was the French stringed instrument manufacturing centre. Patennotte was one of the larger factories in the area. Like the German builders in and around Markneukirchen in Saxony, they would make whatever they thought they could sell. It is unusual in that it has a canted soundboard as bandurrias are almost always flat with a classical guitar style fixed bridge, though often with the addition of a tailpiece.