I built this  unusual instrument based on a 100-year-old mandolinetto that was kindly  sent to me on loan so I could take measurements and make drawings.

For the story of how I came to discover this old-style instrument and to see photos of the original please see the linked page Inspiration for Mandolinetto

I made a few  concessions to modern times in building this. I added a carbon-fiber  reinforcement rod in the neck. I also changed the headstock design to  allow use of modern tuning machines and angled the neck back so I could  use a height-adjustable bridge.

The back and  sides are Amazon Rosewood, which unlike Brazilian Rosewood can still be  harvested and sold. The wood is quite stiff and is so dense that it  didn’t float when I soaked the sides before bending them. I used Indian  Rosewood for the fretboard, Sitka Spruce for the top, and Hawaiian Koa  for the headstock overlay. The finish is French polished.