"Gomolaka with mpala"- "French polishing"
And the mesmerizing Brazilian Rosewood bowl!
The tradition requires, the old famous instrument makers, to varnish their instruments with the difficult and time consuming technique of "Gomolaka with mpala" (Shellac application with muneca or "French polishing" ).
The luthier , Giannis Tsoulogiannis, started using this old technique on his unique mandolino-bouzouko
The primary reason for using this kind of finish, is because, the shellac once been applied, dries almost instantly, and when several layers have been applied, is extra lightweight with a beautiful lustre, that allowed all the natural timbre and overtones of the sound woods to vibrate freely, and the rich fullness of sound to be set free.
The tradition requires, the old famous instrument makers, to varnish their instruments with the difficult and time consuming technique of "Gomolaka with mpala" (Shellac application with muneca or "French polishing" ).
The primary reason for using this kind of finish, is because, the shellac once been applied, dries almost instantly, and when several layers have been applied, is extra lightweight with a beautiful lustre, that allowed all the natural timbre and overtones of the sound woods to vibrate freely, and the rich fullness of sound to be set free.
It is no coincidence that many of the incredible quality, beautiful and unique Stradivarius Violins were made with Shellac, although the exact formula is still unknown."
In this case, since the Neapolitan mandolin carries unique staves made by figured flat-sawn, rather the quarter-sawn, straight grain Brazilian Rosewood (which we encounter mostly in vintage mandolins), the beauty of the bowl after the application of the French Shellac, is captivating!
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