Luigi Embergher

Antonio Luigi Embergher (4 February 1856, in Arpino – 12 May 1943, in Rome) was an Italian luthier known for his high quality bowlback mandolins.

He also added a zero-fret, an extension of the fingerboard under the 2nd string up to the g, and a highly pronounced 'V'-shape in the cross-section of the neck.

[2] World-renowned mandolin virtuoso Silvio Ranieri did much to extend the fame of Embergher's instruments.

[7] After hearing one of his performances, Embergher gave Ranieri a superb instrument that had won the gold medal at a 1900 exhibition in Paris, and the two remained close friends.

The number 8 was a more luxurious instrument and inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl; one of these was bought by Maria Feodorovna, the Queen mother of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, in 1902.

Antonio Luigi Embergher
1925 Mandolin sold by the Vichy Enchères auction, described as Model 5A "Cubist". [ 1 ] This model never became a success and this is the only known example. During the 1930s, Italy's fascists introduced the concept of Degenerate art , a movement that condemned Futurism . The political upheavals were enough that Embergher had to shut down most of his business, including that which made this work of modern art. Photo by Jacques Henri Bayle
1920s Mandola (5-bis) built in Rome by Luigi Embergher