Wilhelm Lippoth: Funky Swiss 12-string

[mrmando]

Here is a composite photo I got from a guy in South Africa. This instrument is labeled "Wilhelm Lippoth, Basel." The decorations are burned into the surface of the wood. Ever seen anything like it?

[maboka]

This is exactly the mandolin I have inherited from my grandfather. Mine bears the number 172. If anybody could tell me the rough contruction year - that would be great. I suppose it's around 1910. The drawings/decoration on the mandolinbody are the same.

[Jim Garber]

I guess that the luthier got himself a wood-burning kit for Christmas. I remember when I got mine as a child. It certainly was a short-lived fad back then.

[allenhopkins]

...Ever seen anything like it?

No.

Mandriolas (12-string, four-course mandolins) aren't super-rare, but almost all the ones I've seen have been bowl-backs. The elaborate headstock with the "scroll" ending and decoration is most often seen on continental European instruments (here's Mistinguette's Pearloid-covered show-stopper), so no real surprise on a Swiss-made instrument.

As an aside, it's interesting that the emphasis on "bling" and appearance-before-acoustics that we often criticize in certain Asian-made mandolins, has been around for a long time, and often shows up in European instruments. So we get extensive inlay work, marquetry, painting and other decorations in fairly inexpensive French, German etc. mandolins and banjos.

Wonder how this one sounds? I gather the "missing top piece" is soundhole purfling…?

[Jim Garber]

Allen: Martin's original post dates back almost 6 years ago. I guess no one ever answered his question. Maboka just revived this thread and has one just like it. Perhaps Maboka can post pics of his (or hers) here?

[maboka]

To Jim Garber - hello from Switzerland. You asked for more pics of a mandolin made by Wilhelm Lippoth (between 1919 and 1924, he died in 1925) in Basel/Switzerland.

[billhay4]

Interesting instrument. Thanks for posting this.
Bill

[Mima]

Hi to all,

My name is Michael, I'm doing some reseaech on the life of Wilhelm Lippoth and his instruments. The idea is to create a documentation including pictures of most of his surviving instruments (with the help of the historical museum Basel, Switzerland), and his life as Luthier. Any help is welcome, so please contact me in case if you have one of his instruments, or some further information about his life!

Thanks in advance, Michael