giulio iacchetti gives the traditional mandolin a clean, contemporary makeover

giulio iacchetti rethinks the mandolin, a musical instrument typically associated with the italian city of naples, in a contemporary way. stripping it away from any kind of redundant, folklore symbolism, the designer has cleaned up and tuned the mandolin’s volumes, while reinventing its form with a slim, streamlined headstock (the part at the end of the fretboard, which contains the tuning pegs), and a same width as the nut.

photos by alessia di santo

with the help of instrument maker tiziano rizzi and his team, composed of marcos canova and fabio bonardi, giulio iacchetti has created a contemporary version of the mandolin, which combines a minimalist form with rich timbre and remarkable acoustic quality. ‘not many young people today would consider learning to play a traditional mandolin; the gap between the aesthetic world in which they are immersed and this instrument so laden with signs, decorations and forms is just too big,’ explains iacchetti, ‘but I am convinced that this new mandolin can be appealing for still younger generations, who may be tempted to approach the instrument, also thanks to its clean, contemporary design.’

instrument maker tiziano rizzi (left) and designer giulio iacchetti (right) during the making of the mandolino