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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

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

Have you tried the G.A.L plans ??

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

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Here is a pic.

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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.

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Thanks so much for the replies!

This helps a lot.

Dave

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...

I haven't checked but there might be something on here. http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/europe.htm