c.1920 American-made Balalaika

This is a peculiar beast, for sure! What we have here is a very nicely-made 6-string Russian balalaika, which is sort of the "Russian folk guitar" though it employs a lot of mandolin technique when played. This is a prima sized instrument and features the typical 17" scale. This puts the instrument around the size of a mandola or baritone uke, though with the triangular outline.

Here's what's peculiar about it: first off, it's one of the rarer 6-string variety, three courses, double strung. Next, it's almost definitely built in the late 1910s or early 1920s, and definitely in America. My guess is that this was either a custom order or a factory worker's private build. Why's that? It shares the typical trim and construction of an upscale American-made bowlback mandolin: walnut (I think? hard to tell as the finish has clouded a bit) bowl, 3-piece walnut/ebony-or-dyed-hardwood/walnut neck, rosewood fretboard, rosewood headstock veneer, tortoise-inlaid pickguard and rosette, rosewood binding with 3-ply purfling... etc, etc. The hardware is American in origin: typical bowlback tailpiece with Waverly guitar tuners with ivoroid buttons.

So, what does this say to me? Probably built by someone familiar with bowlback mandolins in a workshop or factory that made them for commercial sales. It's very cleanly executed and obviously of good quality workmanship.

Squared-off guitar-style headstock. Ebony nut.

Pearl dots on a rosewood board. Tuning for balalaika is (from bass to treble) E, E, A. Which, once you get your head around the fact that the two Es are identically pitched, starts to make sense with making the most of drone strings within chords. It's also nice to tune down to CEA to have the option of partial ukulele chord shapes. This instrument definitely sounds much better with no wound strings -- a trait that the other few balalaikas I've played shared.

Not sure what kind of wood the top is made of. Perhaps some sort of pine? Doesn't look like spruce to me.

Cool inlaid star around the tiny soundhole. I was fortunate enough to have very thin clamps so as to glue up a loose brace that was 3" south of the opening.

The original bridge was still with this instrument but I've used this banjo bridge to give it some more stability. The original one had warped over time as it was a two-footer approximately in the same shape as a banjo bridge. This maple/ebony three-footer does the job nicely and retains the same sort of tone.

Nice detailing: rosewood binding with 3-ply purfling.

Waverly tuners work great.

Cool heel. Note the 3-piece neck for strength.

...and the numerous ribs! Much different from your typical later Soviet balalaika that you see everywhere. The Soviet ones are certainly not of the same caliber.