Introducing "Phebe"

[Tavy]

Neapolitan mandolin I've just finished restoring, made by French maker Jerome Thibouville-Lamy under the "Phebe" brand. Main repair was to straighten out the top where it had distorted under string tension, I added two new braces either side of the sound hole to reinforce that area and prevent a recurrence. The usual fretboard and cosmetic repairs turned into a rather nice looking mandolin:



And the usual video:

[EdHanrahan]

Nice!

[Jim Garber]

Very nice work, John. I have a flat back from JTL.

The shop had at least two brands: Phebe and Euterpe. They had both bowl and flatbacks under both names. I have to take a look at mine but I think it may be Phebe but looks much different from the one you worked on. Maybe the flatbacks came later?

[Bill Baldridge]

Mighty fine. Thanks for sharing. My first instrument was one that my grandfather had repaired.

[F-2 Dave]

Hello Phebe.

[Tavy]

Very nice work, John. I have a flat back from JTL.

The shop had at least two brands: Phebe and Euterpe. They had both bowl and flatbacks under both names. I have to take a look at mine but I think it may be Phebe but looks much different from the one you worked on. Maybe the flatbacks came later?

I'm not sure: the bowls seem to be very much in the Neapolitan style, where as the flatbacks are perhaps more in the French tradition?

[billhay4]

Nice job.
Bill

[JeffD]

Beautiful

[brunello97]

Very cool, John. That MOP soundhole 'braid' is one of my favorites. Any other observations viz French vs Italian bowlback design and construction?

Helpful to hear you are using those small side-of-sound-hole braces. Gives me some confirmation of my own instincts. I think I saw them on an Embergher mando top whose repair was documented here. I've used them on a number of bowlbacks as both repair and as you suggest: to avoid future repair. Haven't noticed any sonic differences from them, have you?

Mick

[Jim Garber]

Here's a 1907 JTL catalog page with what I think is your Phebe on the left. This same catalog has the flatback version of the Phebe on the other page attached here.

[Charles E.]

I have restored a number of their violins (working on an upper grade model at the moment) and even the cheap ones usually sound great. I think it's wonderful you got this up and running again!

[Tavy]

Very cool, John. That MOP soundhole 'braid' is one of my favorites. Any other observations viz French vs Italian bowlback design and construction?

Helpful to hear you are using those small side-of-sound-hole braces. Gives me some confirmation of my own instincts. I think I saw them on an Embergher mando top whose repair was documented here. I've used them on a number of bowlbacks as both repair and as you suggest: to avoid future repair. Haven't noticed any sonic differences from them, have you?

No, but I haven't done a strict before-and-after comparison (not that you can really, if it needs a repair it needs a repair...), but I'm reassured by the fact that many guitar makers add a hardwood ring around the soundhole both to structurally reinforce that area, and to improve sustain (by reducing losses from an otherwise weak area flapping around in the breeze), so it's not completely out on a limb to reinforce that section of the top.