1890s Regal-made Mandolinetto

This is a customer's mandolinetto and like many others I've done-up it's a Regal product that was probably made when they were in Indianapolis. It's a little fancier than average and has Brazilian rosewood back and sides, a mahogany neck, ebonized maple fretboard, ebony bridge, and upgraded trim. As expected, after work it has a tone that flits between a nice bowlback and a decent flatback -- a little extra warmth and a lot of clarity. It has a short 13 1/8" scale and light build, so 32w-9 bowlback-gauged strings are a necessity.

Work included a neck reset, fret level/dress, bridge shim-up and compensation, and a setup. It's playing well and has a good, solid tone that suits fiddle-tune plinking. The instrument is all-original, too, and free of cracks.

The top is spruce and has some fancy purfling that would've been a riot of color (red, green, blue, yellow, orange) when made, but is now faded to tans and browns.

The body is 8" on the lower bout and 2 1/4" deep at the endblock.

A rosewood headstock veneer is a nice touch. The nut is a pretty bog-standard 1 1/8" and the neck profile is a medium, soft-V shape.

I love the bookmatching of that rosewood.