A musical instrument in the lute family, the mandolin descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. It's soundboard comes in generally a round or teardrop shape, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single round or oval sound hole. A round or oval sound hole are often bordered with decorative rosettes or purfling, but usually does not feature the intricately carved grille of a Baroque era mandolin.



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