Mandriola (twelve-string mandolin)

Main page The instruments Buyer's guide Handbook Lessons Message board Links Site map Site last updated . This particular page was created 15/03/2004 and last updated 15/03/2006 Site updates		Picture from Musica Viva Instrument Gallery Data: Body shape: Lute Top: Flat or bent Back: Flat, arched or bowl Frets: Fixed chromatic Strings: 12 (in triplets) Courses: 4 ( 3 - 3 - 3 - 3) Scale: 332 - 365 mm The mandriola is a central European variant of the mandolin with triple rather than double courses. Early mandriolas, like the ones buildt by C. H. Böhm have one of the strings in each of the lower courses tuned an octave down, but today unison tunings seem more common and there are also instruments with one string in each of the lower courses tuned an octave up. Although the mandriola has never been very popular, there are always some musicians who prefer it to a regular mandolin, either because of the fuller sound the extra strings give or because tremolo is even easier on a mandriola than on a mandolin. There is even a rare sixteen-string variant (with quadruple courses) for even easier tremolo playing!   Web www.mandolin-player.com