Mandola — Lutherie Encyclopedia

MandolaType: instrumentThe alto voice of the mandolin family, tuned a fifth below the mandolin like the viola in the violin family.## History The mandola has roots stretching back to medieval and Renaissance stringed instruments, predating the mandolin itself. The name derives from "mandora" or "pandura," ancient plucked instruments of the Mediterranean world. In the classical mandolin orchestra tradition that flourished in Italy and Germany during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the mandola served as the alto voice, providing harmonic middle ground between the soprano mandolin and the deeper mandocello. The instrument experienced renewed interest in the 20th century American folk and bluegrass scenes, where builders like Gibson produced mandola versions of their popular mandolin models. ## Construction The mandola is constructed similarly to the mandolin but with a larger body to accommodate its lower tuning. Scale length is typically 15.5 to 17 inches, compared to the mandolin's 13.875 inches. Body width ranges from 11 to 13 inches at the lower bout. Like mandolins, mandolas come in both carved-top (arched) and flat-top configurations, and in A-style (teardrop) or F-style (scroll) body shapes. Eight strings in four courses are standard. The carved-top mandola follows the same construction approach as the mandolin, with a spruce top and maple back carved to an arch, tone bars, a floating bridge, and either f-holes or an oval soundhole. The wider string spacing and larger frets make the mandola slightly more forgiving to play than the mandolin. ## Tonal Characteristics The mandola produces a warm, ri…