1960s Lunacharsky 3-String Prima Balalaika

Jose fixed this adorable old Russian-made balalaika up for Naive Melody up in Montpelier, VT. He wound-up giving it a level/dress of the frets, some seam repairs, made a fresh new ebony bridge, added side dots, and set it up with 3 classical guitar strings (the GBE ones). This mimics the gut/nylon sound that these often had when made but allow for tunings friendlier to our guitar-and-mandolin-addicted American fingers.

In the video it's tuned AC#E (open A) but there's no reason it couldn't be a step down for open G (which also mirrors the "Russian guitar-tuned" balalaika tuning) or GCE like the first three strings of a uke. However you string them, I find these always sound (and hold-up) best with nylon or gut-like strings and they tend to be loud and full-sounding, too, despite the diminutive soundholes.