Description
The Portuguese mandolin seems to have evolved from the French mandolin and was probably also inspired by other citterns from Spain and Portugal, such as the bandurria and the laud. The main difference between the French and the Portuguese mandolin is that the Portuguese has a tapered and usually ribbed back while the French has a simpler flat back. There are other subtle differences between the two too. In general the Portuguese mandolin tends to be of a bit heavier and more elaborate construction than the French.
