1980s Reghin (Romania) Portuguese Model Mandolin

Overview: I bought this Romanian-made mandolin from my friend Tom who's a picker and antiquer by trade. It arrived in generally good shape and I'm guesstimating that it's probably a late '70s or early '80s instrument by the looks of its features. It's marked as a "Portuguese" model mandolin and I can see the resemblance to the wide-body, deeper-body instruments of that country, for sure. It also reminds me of Italian flat/bent-back mandolins from the '20s-on-up as well.


Tone: It's clean and a bit saucy -- you can dig into it and get a bit of a gypsy-jazz snap to the sound but overall it's good a woody, warm, balanced thing going-on.


Feel: The neck is on the larger side front to back and it has a flat fretboard -- it's quite old-fashioned. Because the instrument itself is actually built on the lighter-side, I've used silverplated-copper, bowlback-style strings on it and they seem to be a perfect match with it.


Interesting features: It's on the wider side and has good depth. The back has a bend to it that's nice and sculptural. The inlaid pickguard is classic for Eastern European makers and it looks folksy and cool.


Repairs included: I've given it a fret level/dress, cleated and sealed one top crack, adjusted the bridge for better compensation, and set it up. It plays spot-on and is ready to serve.

  • Weight: 1 lb 14 oz
  • Scale length: 13 1/8"
  • Nut width: 1 3/16"
  • Neck shape: bigger soft V/C
  • Board radius: flat
  • Body width: 10 7/8"
  • Body depth: 3" plus arching
  • Top wood: solid spruce
  • Back & sides wood: solid maple
  • Bracing type: ladder
  • Bridge: maple/ebony
  • Fretboard: ebonized maple or similar
  • Neck wood: likely maple
  • Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
  • String gauges: 32w-9 extra lights
  • Neck relief: straight
  • Fret style: medium/narrow

Condition notes: It has scratches and small nicks and dings here and there throughout and the finish has aged and yellowed. There's a "suntan line" on the top from where the bridge sat in the wrong place for decades. There's a hairline crack extending from below the pickguard to around the tailpiece on top that's been cleated and filled and is stable and good to go. It's original throughout, though I've compensated the bridge as much as I could.


It comes with: Sorry, no case.


Consignor tag: JW
















Comments