If it Looks like a Mandolin….

Or, maybe it’s a mandola? Or could it be an octave mandolin? Or even a cittern? Let’s try to clear up the mystery here…

Descended from the lute family of instruments, the modern mandolin was born during the early stages of the Renaissance. The mandolin soon became a common instrument among folk peoples in southern and central Europe. Even today, it is closely associated with the folk music traditions of Italy.

Its introduction to America came during the 1850s as a substantial increase in immigration from southern and central Europe occurred. In fact, most mandolins were imported with their immigrant owners during this era.

The typical Italian-style mandolin was commonly called a “bowl back,” “gourd,” or “tater bug.” Its deep bowl-shaped back, a flat angled top, and scale length were easily copied by makers throughout Europe. Mandolins weren’t produced in the United States in any significant quantity until the 1890s.

The first American company to produce bowl-back mandolins on a large scale was Lyon & Healy, largely under the Washburn name. While they turned out thousands of these bowl-backs in differing models, there was no real innovation in these instruments.

The history of the modern mandolin family truly begins in the late 19th century with a radical new design by Orville Gibson. His design featured a relatively flat carved back, a carved top, and a longer fret board. The two body shapes Orville used for his mandolins, the teardrop-shaped A style and the Florentine style with points and scroll, were also different from other fretted instruments made at the time. In nearly every aspect of design and appearance, Gibson’s mandolins were innovatively on the edge of design and creative instrument building.

Gibson sold the patent on his mandolin and the rights to use his name and manufacturing methods to five businessmen from Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1902. Although Orville Gibson revolutionized the mandolin, as a builder his instruments were often less than stellar. The Gibson instruments produced after he left the company, however, were quite different. In fact, by the end of the first decade of the 20th century, Gibson’s mandolins were becoming the standards that others were compared against.

This greatly improved instrument led to a strong interest in mandolins. In fact, mandolin orchestras and clubs were very common in the early 20th century. The Sears & Roebuck and Montgomery Ward catalogs included mandolins in their pages as well. During the parlor music era of American music, the mandolin was often found along side a zither, banjo, or even a ukulele.

MANDOLIN FAMILY

 A Style F Style Mandola

Octave Mandolin

Cittern

Mandolin: The soprano voice of the mandolin family, tuned GDAE, in fifths, like a violin. Produced in two common models, the teardrop-shaped A-style and the highly stylized Florentine or F-style. The Florentine features a scroll on the bass side of the instrument.

Mandola: The alto, or viola equivalent of the mandolin family. Just like a viola is to a violin, the mandola is larger than a mandolin. The mandola is tuned a fifth lower than mandolin, CGDA.

Mandocello and Mandobass: This instrument is tuned one octave lower than the mandola, CGDA as well. The Mandobass is rare, but the few examples available are tuned the same as a String Bass EADG

Bouzouki: The bouzouki was picked up by Irish musicians travelling abroad and then adapted for their use by retuning to GDAE. Nowadays, many luthiers have been building flat-backed Irish bouzoukis or octave mandolins. Octave mandolins are tuned one octave below the standard mandolin, GDAE. In many instances, the only difference between the bouzouki and an octave mandolin is the scale length– long scales tend to be called bouzoukis and short scales are octave mandolins. Octave mandolins are gaining in popularity versus the bouzouki due to its easy reach.

Cittern: The cittern used by today’s folk-bands has its ancestors in the renaissance citterns and the English Guitar, but it is now more closely related to the flat-back Bouzouki – the main difference being that the cittern has 10 strings in 5 courses, a slightly shorter neck and often a rather larger body. There doesn’t seem to be a standard tuning, ADADA, ADGAD, or DGDAD, are in common use.