Liuto cantabile (mandocello 5 courses)

ON SALE wonderful liuto cantabile (10 strings mandocello, CC-GG-DD-AA-EE), of traditional southern Italy make, pear-bowled.

Handcrafted in 2010 for sale by Antonio Miletti's (Via S. Sebastiano, Napoli; ) and bought by myself in 2012 on their premises, this mandocello sounds as diverse as the various sectors of the fretboard. On high registers, ringing harmonics and beautiful complexities prevail, exhibiting persistent sustain on all registers, especially over the lower courses.

Overall voice is deep, round and loud; dynamics and responsiveness are excellent. While this instrument is clearly aimed primarily at the traditional neapolitan repertoire and classic adaptations from the XVI century onwards, I used it solely for world/Mediterranean music, with great satisfaction. I am selling it to swap it for a custom-built one, being assembled by my luthier here in Rome.

Included in the pictures is the signed certificate; instrument's specifications (in cm) are as follows:

Total length: 104

Bowl's length: 50,5

Bowl's width: 31

Bowl's depth: 20

Scale: 61,5

Top: spruce

Back: flamed maple (29 stripes + sides)

Fretboard: ebony

Neck: cedar overlain in maple

I have been playing this mandocello essentially every week ever since, both in studio and live. In-built there is a 3-spots passive K&K Pure Mini pick-up, professionally installed; plug replaced the backplate screw.

Regularly maintained at my luthier's here in Rome, it has been constantly looked after and very carefully treated, transported solely in its tailored padded gig-bag (included).

The mandocello is currently stringed with US-built flatwounds (). All frets are original, in perfect shape to this day; neck is straight. No damage whatsoever, anywhere.

Although hand delivery in Rome is preferable, if needed I can arrange shipping in hard box. If shipping outside the EU, customs and taxes may be incurred into and will have to be covered by the addressee.

Some ensemble sounds can be heard in this group recording (); close-up views and sounds can be found in the attached video.