Russian 27" PRIMA Balalaika 3-STRING & 16-FRET Wooden INSTRUMENT Soviet/USSR Era

Description: In excellent condition. Appears unused; as there no signs of use. FULLY-READ THE DESCRIPTION BELOW! NO chips, NO missing parts, NO loose parts. The back-side bottom edge has been bumped & worn; but the wood is not damaged, from years of wall display. There is one (1) VERY shallow & VERY short (1¼-inch) surface split between two (2) of the back sections, but light does NOT penetrate between them. Has been wiped-down with a dry cloth, but is in need of detailed cleaning, some wood-stain touch-up & wood-preservative treatment. At minimum, the instrument needs to be professionally-tuned AND the strings M-A-Y need replacement. All frets are firmly in place & the neck is not bent, curved or loose. Any flaws will be either written about here in the condition section OR visible in the photos. Examine ALL of the photos carefully, using the "SUPERSIZE" feature. Photos illustrate condition better than words. Photos constitute part of the overall description. Carefully view all photos. Russian 27" PRIMA Balalaika 3-STRING & 16-FRET Wooden INSTRUMENT Soviet/USSR Era Click images to enlarge Description This auction is for a vintage Russian Prima Balalaika the Russian wooden 3-string & 16-fret instrument similar in use to the traditional guitar THIS BALALAIKA WILL BE DOUBLE-BOXED FOR SHIPMENT! ALSO, THE TUNING-PEGS WILL BE LOOSENED TO RELEASE SOME OF THE STRINGS' TENSION; WHICH IS ADVISED BY eBay FOR SHIPPING OLD STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. THIS RUSSIAN BALALAIKA IS DEFINITELY WAS MADE FOR THE FOREIGN MARKET. ONE OF THE LABELS INSIDE THE BODY IS IN ENGLISH. IT IS A FULLY-FUNCTIONAL & PLAYABLE; PERHAPS A TOURIST SOUVENIR or A BEGINNER'S VERSION. ADDITIONALLY, THIS BALALAIKA IS DEFINITELY WAS MADE IN THE POST RUSSIAN REVOLUTION ERA (i.e. AFTER 1922), AS THE LABELS INSIDE STATE "USSR". There is a price sticker on the back of the head of the instrument which has the original price of 37.50 Rubles & what could be a date of 1949. According to my on-line research, including Wikipedia, this 27-inch & 16-fret balalaika is of the "Prima" size. From Wikipedia: Size: Prima Balalaika Length: 66–69 cm (26–27 in) Common Tuning: E4 E4 & A4 Amateur and/or souvenir-style Prima Balalaikas usually have a total of 16 frets (Seller's Note: As this one does.), while in professional and/or orchestra ones that number raises to 24. Balalaikas have a three-sided body with spruce, evergreen or fir tops with the back being made of three (3) to nine (9) wooden sections, which are usually maple. (Seller's Note: This one has seven (7) sections.) CLICK ON THE BLACK-BORDERED SLIDE-SHOW ABOVE TO USE THE "SUPER-SIZE" FEATURE & SEE ALL OF THE PHOTOS. CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY eBay STORE! Please fully read my terms & conditions below; ESPECIALLY international customers. Origin/History: Found in an antiques shop in Prague whilst I was an English teacher there in the 1990s. Function/Use: Used for music. Structure/Composition: Made of wood with metal strings & metal tuning mechanical parts. Usage/Wear-and-Tear: In excellent condition. Appears unused; as there no signs of use. FULLY-READ THE DESCRIPTION BELOW! NO chips, NO missing parts, NO loose parts. The back-side bottom edge has been bumped & worn; but the wood is not damaged, from years of wall display. There is one (1) VERY shallow & VERY short (1¼-inch) surface split between two (2) of the back sections, but light does NOT penetrate between them. Has been wiped-down with a dry cloth, but is in need of detailed cleaning, some wood-stain touch-up & wood-preservative treatment. At minimum, the instrument needs to be professionally-tuned AND the strings M-A-Y need replacement. All frets are firmly in place & the neck is not bent, curved or loose. Any flaws will be either written about here in the condition section OR visible in the photos. Examine ALL of the photos carefully, using the "SUPERSIZE" feature. Photos illustrate condition better than words. Photos constitute part of the overall description. Carefully view all photos. Year Made/Approximate Age: Undated, except for on the price sticker on the backside of the tuning-peg head being maked "49"; which the shop-owner where I bought said was the year it was made. Dimensions/Volume/Weight: About 27 inches (~69 cm) long by 17 inches (~43 cm) at the widest point. Mark(s): Bears two (2) paper labels inside the instrument. Photography of these labels was quite difficult, but trust my 5500+ points eBay feedback score as a sign of my honesty. The most visible label reads: "MADE IN USSR". The label has a white background with black lettering The label above the above one reads: "COBOT". There is additional info on this label, but it is in the Russian language, which I cannot fully read. I can only make out the city name of "MOSCOW" (MOCKBA). The label has a green background with black lettering & graphics. The graphic is of a bird (Dove???) sitting atop of a stringed instrument. eBay member since 2005 with over 3500 satisfied buyers! View all of my other items currently on eBay! From a non-smoking/smoke-free & pet-free home. Where appropriate, light cleaning may have been done for photographic purposes. A 12-inch or 6-inch ruler may be used for scale purposes. Please contact me with ANY questions about this item! Visit my eBay store! View my feedback & buy with confidence! ADD ME TO YOUR "FAVORITE SELLERS" LIST! Payment All customers must use eBay's checkout system. Payments must be received/arranged within five (5) calendar days. If more than one (1) item is purchased, DO NOT pay for the items immediately after the auctions close. The "combined shipping" discounted cost will be calculated & an invoice for the adjusted total amount will be sent. Shipping Purchases are shipped within a maximum of THREE (3) business days (Monday - Friday) after the receipt of payment, but usually much sooner. Domestic (USA) Shipping The shipping method used will be USPS Ground Advantage & will include USPS tracking. The shipping cost will be calculated based on the package's total shipping weight & package size; as well as, the distance/zone. Items with a value of more than $100 will be insured at the seller's expense. Buyers must request (& pay for) other shipping methods; such as USPS Priority Mail. International (Non-USA) Shipping NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING, EXCEPT CANADA! CONTACT SELLER FOR REVISION OF CANADAIN SHIPPING OPTION. OTHER SHIPPING INFO: At the seller's discretion, the shipping & handling costs may be reduced or waived for multiple item purchases, very successful auctions or repeat customers. Items can be held for up to 14 calendar days for combined shipping. All packages mailed to a U.S. address includes free USPS tracking & delivery confirmation. All items are packaged appropriate to their fragility Please email the seller if there are any further questions about shipping cost. Terms of Sale All items are sold in "as-found" condition, but may have been lightly cleaned for photographic purposes. Returns are accepted ONLY if the item was mis-classified or misidentified. "BUYER'S REMORSE" RETURNS ARE NOT ACCEPTED!!! Please Bid Seriously! About Us View My "eBay My World" Page Contact Us Please use the "Ask a question" link shown on the left-hand side at the very bottom of the listing for ALL questions & comments! Get images that make Supersized seem small.Showcase your items with Auctiva's Listing Templates! THE simple solution for eBay sellers. Track Page Views WithAuctiva's Counter

Price: 74.95 USD

Location: Eden, North Carolina

End Time: 2024-11-16T03:49:38.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD