1900s Howe-Orme Cylinder-Top Mandolinetto

Howe-Orme mandolin-family instruments are superb. This one sounds full, rich, and loud and, thanks to a refret from Ancel, now plays great, too.

For those not in the know -- a mandolinetto is a mandolin with a guitar-shaped body. What makes these Howe-Ormes unusual, however, is that they have an arched top that's induced with a cylinder-like mold. Vega did similar things to instruments in the decades following and, when done right, the sound (like in this one) is really interesting. It has that fancy-bowlback clarity mixed with a sweet, warm, fatter bottom-end you'd expect from flatbacks.

There were a few minor challenges with getting this one dialed-in (the fretboard extension humped-up under tension) that meant some compromises during the refret, but, thankfully, it all ironed-out. These instruments are very lightly-built.