Concert Mandola Flat-Back Emanuele Egildo N°240 from 1920

Egildo Emanuele (1866-1955), an Italian luthier, is often considered a student of Luigi Embergher.

However, unlike the man who is presented as his teacher, Emanuele is believed to have spent most of his career in France from the beginning of the 20th century, with the exception of a probable period of training in Rome.

Between 1899 and the end of the 1940s, he demonstrated a perfect mastery of the instruments and concepts developed by Embergher. Although he was openly inspired by him, he did not simply make copies: he developed his own approach, marked by originality.

This personal approach earned him the nickname, quite rightly, of “the French Embergher.”

Adopting a more targeted production approach, Emanuele prioritized craftsmanship while optimizing costs, focusing his work on a limited range of instruments.

His creations, mainly mandolins, but also mandores, bandurrias, and guitars, are distinguished by their strong sonic and aesthetic identity.

Wishing to offer a sound equivalent to, or even superior to, that of Embergher at a more affordable price, he opted for more sober and refined finishes, while selecting high-quality woods for his mid-range models.

He even went so far as to make flat-backed mandolins of great acoustic quality and remarkable craftsmanship.

The mandola presented here, dated 1920 and numbered 240, perfectly illustrates his expertise in the art of the mandola/flat mandolin.

Entirely original, it is signed with an interior label and a brand mark.

It is a high-quality intermediate model, featuring reinforcements, an ebony protective plate, a maple body, and a particularly thin and resonant spruce top.

Its sound is distinguished by its power and richness, both in the deep, resonant bass and in the crystal-clear, percussive treble.

It also features a hollowed-out fingerboard—an innovation patented in 1884 by Giovanni Battista Maldura and later adopted by Luigi Embergher—which helps to enhance the sound projection.

This very rare and exceptional flat concert mandola, made by Egildo Emanuele in 1920 and bearing the number 240, is currently for sale.

In perfect condition and offering excellent playing comfort, it appeals as much for its wonderful sound quality as for its heritage value, attracting musicians and collectors alike.

Technical characteristics:

• Top: Spruce
• Back: 2-piece maple
• Sides: Maple
• Neck: Maple
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Nut width: 32.5 mm
• Radius: Sloped towards the treble
• Frets: 24 frets (+1 zero fret)
• Scale length: 465 mm
• Profile: Roman (V)
• Pickguard: Ebony
• Country of manufacture: Italy/France
• Year: 1920
• Finish: Natural
• Decorations: Binding around the table and rosette / White mother-of-pearl dot fingerboard inlays
• Details: Apocryphal bridge and tailpiece / Excellent condition / Comes with its own bag

Like all our instruments, this mandola has been restored and adjusted with great care.

As a result, it is extremely comfortable to play.

This mandola offers a sound that is powerful, warm, and rich in harmonics, immediately captivating with its remarkable projection that easily fills any space. Its dense and deep bass notes provide a solid foundation, while its expressive midrange reveals all its subtlety. The clear treble completes this perfect balance, offering crystal-clear clarity without ever being aggressive. The whole instrument delivers a dynamic and sensitive response, ideal for playing that is precise, nuanced, and full of character, capable of appealing to both demanding musicians and passionate amateurs!