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PostPosted: Thu Sep 21, 2017 9:34 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:27 pm
Posts: 705
Location: United States
First name: Dave
Last Name: Livermore
State: Minnesota
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Someone approached me about building one of these for them.
Having trouble finding a plan (or even a picture of the back)

Dimensions would be useful.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 21, 2017 11:25 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:27 pm
Posts: 2082
Location: South Carolina
First name: John
Last Name: Cox
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Isn't that one of those things that has a gourd back? Looks like a birdhouse gourd would do the trick.. It looks like the way it works is similar to the Russian Balalaika or Domra. A long neck, 2 or 3 strings, and a roundy back... I bet the good ones are super loud.

Here's a blog that shows some of the process.
http://punemusiccircle.blogspot.com/201 ... 6.html?m=1

and another - looks like more sitar based... Probably enough similarity where you get the idea.
http://www.hacklemanshop.com/luthiers-article.html


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 4:48 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:08 pm
Posts: 2712
First name: ernest
Last Name: kleinman
City: lee's summit
State: mo
Zip/Postal Code: 64081
Country: usa
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Have you tried the G.A.L plans ??


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 4:13 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:58 pm
Posts: 191
Location: usa
First name: george
Last Name: s
Country: usa
Focus: Repair
Status: Amateur
I have a prima. The back is flat. The top is flat. I think the Yugo folk instuments are flat back. They are derivative from bowl backed instruments but are flat backed, maybe a slight arch in the large ones.

Mine was of... Soviet Bloc era quality (so I did some work on it) from one if the former Yugo republics - probably Croatia

Body
Width 5.5"
Length 8.75"
Rim 1 5/16" - no taper stem to stern
Spruce top
Pear or Cherry back and sides
White binding

Floating arch top style bridge
5 strings (1&2 are tuned in unison)
Scale length 15" (They can vary there are at least 3 sizes of prima, not counting the other larger Yugo folk instuments, maybe D, E, or G tuning, I can't remember. I think ~15" is the shorter scale/highest pitch.

Nut width 1 1/8"
FB width at the body joint 1 7/16"
Headstock angle appears to be ~ 10 degrees maybe a little less.

The neck is usually fruit wood. Mine is maple with a fruitwood fb that was dyed black and I laid a slab of mahogany over it when refretting to try to mellow the tone bit... It may have worked :-)

It originally had nails to hang the strings and a copper plate on the rim to keep them from digging into the top. I added a mando tail piece, and use mando loop end strings.

They usually fret them way up into the body. I stopped at the body joint when I refretted since my fingers are too big to play up there, but that is not traditional. Usually they would go up the fb extension.

The ~flower/tulip inlay on the top is (I think) traditionally walnut.

Regards,
GS

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 4:15 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:58 pm
Posts: 191
Location: usa
First name: george
Last Name: s
Country: usa
Focus: Repair
Status: Amateur
gxs wrote:
I have a prima. The back is flat. The top is flat. I think the Yugo folk instuments are flat back. They are derivative from bowl backed instruments but are flat backed, maybe a slight arch in the large ones.

Mine was of... Soviet Bloc era quality (so I did some work on it) from one if the former Yugo republics - probably Croatia

Body
Width 5.5"
Length 8.75"
Rim 1 5/16" - no taper stem to stern
Spruce top
Pear or Cherry back and sides
White binding

Floating arch top style bridge
5 strings (1&2 are tuned in unison)
Scale length 15" (They can vary there are at least 3 sizes of prima, not counting the other larger Yugo folk instuments, maybe D, E, or G tuning, I can't remember. I think ~15" is the shorter scale/highest pitch.

Nut width 1 1/8"
FB width at the body joint 1 7/16"
Headstock angle appears to be ~ 10 degrees maybe a little less.

The neck is usually fruit wood. Mine is maple with a fruitwood fb that was dyed black and I laid a slab of mahogany over it when refretting to try to mellow the tone bit... It may have worked :-)

It originally had nails to hang the strings and a copper plate on the rim to keep them from digging into the top. I added a mando tail piece, and use mando loop end strings.

They usually fret them way up into the body. I stopped at the body joint when I refretted since my fingers are too big to play up there, but that is not traditional. Usually they would go up the fb extension.

The ~flower/tulip inlay on the top is (I think) traditionally walnut.

Regards,
GS

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
Here is a pic. Image

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 4:18 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:58 pm
Posts: 191
Location: usa
First name: george
Last Name: s
Country: usa
Focus: Repair
Status: Amateur
truckjohn wrote:
Isn't that one of those things that has a gourd back? Looks like a birdhouse gourd would do the trick.. It looks like the way it works is similar to the Russian Balalaika or Domra. A long neck, 2 or 3 strings, and a roundy back... I bet the good ones are super loud.

Here's a blog that shows some of the process.
http://punemusiccircle.blogspot.com/201 ... 6.html?m=1

and another - looks like more sitar based... Probably enough similarity where you get the idea.
http://www.hacklemanshop.com/luthiers-article.html
Mine is flatback, and it is super loud. A bit shrill, I think it is one of those instuments that is painful to hear someone learn. Like breaking glass. :-)

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 8:28 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:27 pm
Posts: 705
Location: United States
First name: Dave
Last Name: Livermore
State: Minnesota
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Thanks so much for the replies!

This helps a lot.

Dave


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:13 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:51 pm
Posts: 12
The definitive study on the tambura / tamburitza is a book by Dusan Brankov, Tambura. It contains the plans for all the instruments in the tambura family, starting with the bizernica (prim) all the way to celo...


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:59 am 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:21 am
Posts: 149
Location: Wales U.K.
First name: Anthony
Last Name: Lee
Country: Wales U.K.
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I haven't checked but there might be something on here. http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/europe.htm


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