Instrument?

Anyone help with the name of this type of instrument?





 

"Lute" is in the CV, at least.  But, do you have any additional details to offer: Location?  Date?  Etc.?

Hoping you get more and better, soon.  Cheers.

Thanks - shot in Venice Italy last week

harp mandolinetto or harp mandolin ???

Amazing.  Great call. 

Harp mandolin:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/funcrunch/400244625/

Looks good?  And, "Mandolin" Search Results (458).  I don't know if David/Ethan will add "Harp Mandolin," or counsel use of "Mandolin," only.  Either way, best wishes again. 

It is a style of Lute rather than a mandolin which has four paired strings, the bottom part of the instrument that you linked. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lute 


 Check out the illustration at the bottom of the Wikipedia page on Lutes.

"As with almost every other contemporary string instrument, another modern variant is the electric mandolin. These mandolins can have four (single), five (single) or eight (double) strings."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandolin

The history of the two instruments (lute and mandolin) seems to be intertwined.  And I really don't know enough about the subject to argue one way or another.  But given the location I do wish to act as an advocate on behalf of kbwills' assertion: mandolin.

I had no idea that such a thing as a "harp mandolin" existed.  So, this has been enlightening regardless of the outcome.  Cheers.

Slightly off-topic, but if you're in NYC soon, there's a very cool exhibit with actual guitars, mandolins, lutes and violins from the 1500s to modern electric models at the Metropolitan Museum.

Definitely a Lute