Umberto Ceccherini Mandola / Octave Mandolin (Giovanni Palladino Label) 1896

This mandola, dated 1896, originates from the workshop of the Italian luthier Umberto Ceccherini, whose production became particularly distinguished on the English market at the end of the 19th century and the very beginning of the 20th century.
At a time marked by the “mandolin craze” in Great Britain, Ceccherini was among the Italian makers whose instruments were widely exported, notably through the London distributor Alban Voigt, a major figure in the dissemination of plectrum instruments in England.

The model presented here bears the Giovanni Palladino label, illustrating a common practice consisting of marketing instruments under the name of teachers, dealers, or renowned figures of the mandolin world, while the actual construction remained in the hands of a specialized luthier.

This collaboration between Italian workshops and British distribution networks greatly contributed to the spread of the mandolin and mandola, and to their integration into plectrum orchestras and fashionable salon ensembles at the end of the 19th century.

In 1896, the mandola held an essential place within these ensembles, providing harmonic depth and tonal richness to the lower register section.

This instrument therefore stands as testimony to refined Italian craftsmanship and to an export strategy that enabled transalpine instruments to establish themselves lastingly on the European musical scene.

Thus, this 1896 Umberto Ceccherini mandola, built for the English market and bearing the Giovanni Palladino label, embodies the excellence of exported Italian lutherie, combining history, character, and sonic power in an exceptional instrument.

Technical specifications:

• Top: Spruce
• Back: Rosewood, 23 ribs
• Neck: Beech veneered with rosewood
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Nut width: 30.5 mm
• Width at end of fingerboard: 45 mm
• Radius: Flat
• Frets: 17 frets
• Scale length: 435 mm
• Profile: Neapolitan
• Pickguard: Tortoiseshell inlaid with white mother-of-pearl and silver
• Country of manufacture: Italy, Naples
• Year: 1896
• Finish: Natural
• Ornamentation: Fine white mother-of-pearl fingerboard position markers / Floral headstock decoration in metal and white mother-of-pearl / Soundboard plate and edging adorned with tortoiseshell marquetry featuring floral motifs in metal and white mother-of-pearl
• Details: Signs of wear and use consistent with its age / Excellent condition / Entirely original and in superb condition

Like all our instruments, this mandola has been carefully set up.
It therefore offers outstanding playing comfort, with low action and a supple, highly responsive feel that is both pleasant and easy to play.

The tone of this mandola is broad, warm, and deeply woody, with a dense and singing low register supported by fine natural projection.
It delivers a dynamic and nuanced response, ideal for ensemble playing as well as expressive solo passages, offering true immersion in the authentic timbre of antique Italian mandolas.