4 The Mandolin during the Baroque 2: The first Neapolitan Mandolins

The Neapolitan Mandolin was developed around 1700. It has four sets of strings that are made of metal. The instrument has 10 frets on the fretboard and further frets on the body top. It overtook the Mandolino in popularity, and the latter was no longer used after around 1740. Only recently has the Mandolino been revived..

Neapolitan mandolin 

5 The "Romantic" Mandolin
The changes in instrument construction in this period were aimed at achieving a greater volume of sound. The Italian Vinaccia family was the first to introduce new changes to the mandolin.The fretboard was extended up to the soundhole and had up to 17 frets.After 1820, the tuning pegs were replaced by machine heads which point to the side.

Neapolitan mandolin

6 Mandolins at the Turn of the 20th Century - The Roman Mandolin
This was built as a virtuoso instrument. Features of the violin were incorporated into its construction, such as the rounded fingerboard and the shape of the neck, which was narrowed and made more triangular. Also, the fretboard on the side of the E string was extended beyond the sound hole, and had up to 29 frets. The leading builder of this type of mandolin was Luigi Embergher (1856-1943), who was based in Rome.

The Calace Family

A Calace Mandolin

The mandolin pictured was built by Raffaele Calace e figlio. Raffaele Calace (1863-1934) was the most important composer of Romantic mandolin music.