G. Kasermann High-End Curved Ribs Concert Mandolin (L’estudiantina) 1920s

Giovanni Kasermann (or Hasermann, 1881–1965), probably originally from Switzerland, is one of the most influential yet least known figures in the history of the Neapolitan mandolin.

He began making mandolins with his brother in the early 1900s under the name Fratelli Hasermann.

Uniquely, he was successively the first worker (workshop manager) at Calace and then Vinaccia. Upon his brother's death, he established himself as an independent luthier at No. 112 Via Carbonara in Naples.

His distinctive style had a profound influence on Neapolitan mandolin making and spread far beyond Italy's borders thanks to his students.

With the advent of fascism in Italy, his experience and reputation, as well as his Jewish origins and political commitments, led him to produce more discreetly for other luthiers or brands.

His easily recognizable style borrows from both Calace, particularly in the optimization of the instrument for sound, and Vinaccia, for their spirit of experimentation and their exceptional instruments.

His skilled hand allowed him to make mandolins more quickly than most of his colleagues, covering a range of production from entry-level instruments to remarkable examples, such as the one presented here.

Mario Macciochi (1874–1955) was a virtuoso mandolinist, conductor, editor of the magazine L'Estudiantina, and a great connoisseur of Italian instruments.

It was he who, in the late 1920s, commissioned this mandolin from Kasermann for his label “Ateliers de lutherie de l'Estudiantina.”

This solo mandolin, made in the purest Neapolitan tradition, is distinguished by its superb hollow-ribbed rosewood, a spruce top with very tight grain, and a tortoiseshell plate on gold leaf, richly decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay.

The ebony concert fingerboard allows for virtuoso playing up to the 24th fret, with excellent note definition.

The setup, combined with Thomastik Präzision flat wound strings in light gauge, makes the instrument easy to play and fully showcases its rich, harmonic sound.

We guarantee that this mandolin was made by Giovanni Kasermann during the second half of the 1920s and that it is authentic and completely intact, in accordance with its original condition.

The instrument can also be purchased with an expert certificate (at the buyer's expense).

Few mandolins by Giovanni Kasermann display such a high level of craftsmanship while remaining in their original condition as this one.

This exceptional solo mandolin, made in the late 1920s by Giovanni Kasermann, a major and rare figure in Neapolitan lutherie, is now available for sale. This authentic and entirely original piece combines the Calace heritage and Vinaccia audacity in a sumptuous design, offering concert playability and a rich, harmonic sound, making it a first-rate instrument for the discerning musician and collector of historical instruments alike.

Technical specifications:

• Top: Spruce
• Back: Rosewood 31 hollow ribs with ivory inlays
• Neck: Rosewood veneer
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Nut width: 27 mm
• Radius: Flat
• Frets: 24 frets
• Scale length: 332 mm
• Profile: Neapolitan/Roman
• Pickguard: Tortoiseshell richly decorated with engraved white mother-of-pearl floral arabesques
• Country of manufacture: Italy
• Year: 1920s
• Finish: Natural
• Decorations: Binding around the table and rosette / White mother-of-pearl fret markers / Rosette inlaid with white mother-of-pearl engraved with floral motifs / Headstock decorated with a bouquet of three engraved white mother-of-pearl flowers
• Details: Normal signs of wear and use given its age / Excellent condition / Second A-string machine head replaced / Comes in its modern hard case

Like all our instruments, this mandolin has been carefully adjusted.

It is therefore very comfortable to play.

Its sound is full, warm, and bright, both deep and melodious, offering generous projection, exceptional clarity, and a refined balance between power, roundness, and precision.

Each note blossoms with silky harmonic richness, immediate response, and vibrant elegance, making this mandolin an inspiring, expressive, and resolutely seductive instrument, as irresistible to the ear as it is to the hands.