My Instruments

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Mandolino:
built in 2013 by Markus F. Dietrich, based on historic models of Francesco and Giuseppe Presbler; Mailand 1769
Special structural features:
flat soundboard with rosette and glued-on bridge
curved peg-box with wooden tuning pegs
12 frets, of which 7 are gut strings tied around the neck and 5 additional wooden frets on the soundboard
Strings: 6 pairs of gut strings
Tuning: g - b - e′ - a′- d′′- g′′ (415 Hz)
Way of playing: with fingers of the right hand or with a cherry-bark plectrum or a quill

Cremonese (or Brescian) Mandolin:
built in 1997 by Bernd Holzgruber, copy of a mandolin by Francois Lupot (1760)
Special structural features:
flat soundboard with a glued-on bridge
curved peg-box with wooden tuning pegs
15 frets, made of wood or metal
Strings: 4 single gut strings
Tuning: g - d′ - a′ - e′′ (415 Hz)
Way of playing: with a plectrum of cherry-bark

Neapolitan Mandolin:
built in 1904 by Fernando del Perugia
Special structural features:
canted soundboard with a protective plate
strings fixed to hitch pins at the base
extra fingerboard with 24 metal frets
Strings: 4 pairs of steel strings
Tuning: g - d′ - a′ - e′′ (440 Hz)
Way of playing: with a plectrum of tortoiseshell

Modern Neapolitan Mandolin:
built in 1992 by Reinhold Seiffert (his own model)
Special structural features:
canted soundboard
strings fixed to hitch pins at the base
extra fingerboard with 24 metal frets
Strings: 4 pairs of steel strings
Tuning: g - d′ - a′ - e′′ (440 Hz)
Way of playing: with a plectrum of synthetic material

Mandola:
built in 2004 by Yasuyoshi Naito
soundboard redesigned by Alfred Woll in 2008
Special structural features:
canted soundboard
strings fixed to hitch pins at the base
extra fingerboard with 24 metal frets
Strings: 4 pairs of steel strings
Tuning: G - d - a - e′ (440 Hz)
Way of playing: with a plectrum of synthetic material

Domra:
built in 1978 by Ben Hall
Special structural features:
flat soundboard
strings fixed to hitch pins at the base
extra fingerboard with 24 metal frets
Strings: 4 single steel strings
Tuning: g - d′ - a′ - e′′ (440 Hz)
Way of playing: with a plectrum of synthetic material

Guitar:
built in 1994 by Gerhard J. Oldiges, copy of the famous guitar "La Leona" (Antonio de Torres, 1856)
Special structural features:
smoothly curved soundboard with a special construction of the bridge
Tornavoz (conical metal funnel inside the soundhole)
Strings: 6 single strings
Tuning: E - A - d - g - b - e′ (440 Hz)

Guitar:
built in 1995 by Gerhard J. Oldiges
Strings: 6 single strings
Tuning: E - A - d - g - b - e′ (440 Hz)

Liuto forte in e:
built in 2000 by Brunhilde Jakob
soundboard redesigned by Michael Haaser in 2016
Special structural features:
peg-box (angled back at 80°) with wooden pegs
19 metal frets
Strings: 8 single strings
Tuning: B/C - D - E - A - d - f sharp/g - b - e′ (440 Hz)

Liuto forte in g:
built in 2016 by Michael Haaser
Special structural features:
peg-box (angled back at 80°) with wooden pegs
19 metal frets
Strings: 9 single strings
Tuning: D - Es/E - F - G - c - f - a/b - d′ - g′ (440 Hz)

Arciliuto forte in f:
built in 2008 by Michael Haaser
Special structural features:
9 strings on the fingerboard
second peg-box with 3 additional strings
19 metal frets
Strings: 12 single strings
Tuning: Ab - Bb - C - D/Db - Eb - F - G/F sharp - Bb - eb - ab/g - c - f′ (440 Hz)

Arciliuto forte in g:
built in 2024 by Michael Haaser
Special structural features:
8 strings on the fingerboard
second peg-box with 6 additional strings
19 metal frets
Strings: 14 single strings
Tuning: F - G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - c - f - a - d′ - g′ (415 Hz)