Opus 82 Mandolin-Banjo |
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ineteenth-century instrument makers experimented in creating hybrid instruments, such as the mandolin-banjo, for which August Polmann patented his drawing in 1885. The instrument shown here, which follow Polmann's drawing, has the long neck, five strings (including the melody string) and flat back of the banjo.
The soundboard, with its soundhole, is derived from the mandolin, while the shape of the body is a compromise between the perfectly circular shape of the banjo and the half-pear shape of the classical mandolin. This meticulously crafted instrument may be related to the flat-backed model known as the American mandolin, which appeared at the turn of the century in the United States. The soundboard of this hourglass-shaped instrument is made of cedar and decorated with four trillium-shaped openings, and the sides and back are in black cherry. There are four strings and a fingerboard with seventeen metal frets.
Opus 86 - Appalachian Dulcimer
A scroll graces the head of this sleek instrument. The soundboard has four clover-shaped soundholes. |