Deep body of complicated curved outline (modified guitar-fiedel type). Flat back of maple, made of one large piece. Ribs of maple: the ribs of the lower bouts fixed to a solid block of maple composing the outer portion of the bottom block. Slightly arched belly of pine, with a double purfling at the edges; four comma-shaped sound-holes; an oval rosette below the finger- board. Neck and peg-box made of one solid piece of maple; the neck with a wide opening, providing the clearance for the sympathetic strings; peg-box with the rear wall pierced with four ornamental openings, surmounted with a winged Cupid's head; bored for nineteen pegs. The opening of the neck covered over in front by a wide board, forming the support for the finger-board located at the left side of neck; the right-hand side of this board embellished by the open fret-work and double purfling. Finger-board of ebony nine frets of walnut, inlaid flush. Ebony hook-bar affixed to the bottom block. Tail-piece of ebony with open fret-work. Movable bridge with widely separated legs providing clearance for sympathetic strings. Twelve ebony blocks affixed as follows: 1. Six playing strings, three of spun silk, three of gut fixed to the tail-piece, passing over a movable bridge, over ebony nut with a narrow ivory insert and fixed at the upper end to six tuning pegs located on the left side of instrument. 2. Thirteen sympathetic strings of thin steel wire affixed to small iron pins in the bottom block, passing over the ebony saddle, and over ebony blocks (one for each string) serving as auxiliary bridges; under the neck supporting board so that they are accessible from the rear; over a wide nut fixed to the bottom wall of peg-box, to the pegs. Inside construction: Very wide top block providing a flat surface for holding the neck bracket. The lower block, consisting of two parts: the above-mentioned maple block and reinforcing block of pine. Corner joints of ribs reinforced by pine blocks. Back heavily reinforced as follows (counting from the top): (a) cross-bar with two corner pieces; (b) cross-strip 3 cm. wide and 6 mm. thick; (c) cross-bar in the middle bout; (d) cross-strip (under the sound-post) 5 cm. wide and 6 mm. thick; (e) cross-bar slightly below the joint of the middle and lower bouts. Bass bar and sound-post.