FOLK INSTRUMENTS

World Strings

Stringed instruments that travel well across traditions. The Baroq-ulele that crosses the ukulele with the lute, the lute-kulele in tenor scale, the prima balalaika from Russian folk music, and the Irish bouzouki that found its home in Celtic sessions.

Roosebeck Baritone Baroq-ulele — Sheesham front face view

Ukuleles

The Baroq-ulele in tenor and baritone. Lute-style body, four-string familiarity.

Explore Ukuleles →

Roosebeck Tenor Lute-kulele — Variegated back end view

Tenor Lute-kuleles

A tenor four-string with the body and voice of a small lute.

Explore Tenor Lute-kuleles →

Balalaikas

Triangular body, three strings, a clear high voice that cuts through a room.

Explore Balalaikas →

1973

Year founded

Roosebeck has built folk instruments since 1973, applying the same craft to instruments from across the world's musical traditions.

Traditions represented

Modern, European Baroque, and Russian folk, each instrument built to its own specification and playing tradition.

Solid

Tonewoods only

No laminate, no plywood. Solid wood throughout every instrument in the World Strings range.

About World String Instruments at Roosebeck

Instruments from across traditions

The World Strings range covers instruments that do not fit neatly into a single national tradition but are built to the specification and playing requirements of their own musical home. The Baroq-ulele and lute-kulele sit at the intersection of two traditions by design. The balalaika and Irish bouzouki each belong to a specific folk tradition with its own repertoire, technique, and community of players.

Baroq-ulele and lute-kulele

Both instruments use a lute-style ribbed bowl back with four strings in ukulele or related tuning. The Baroq-ulele is closer to the ukulele in scale and setup; the lute-kulele leans further toward the lute in body proportion and voice. If you already play ukulele and want a richer, warmer tone without learning a new instrument, either model picks up immediately. If you want something closer to a historical small lute with the convenience of familiar tuning, the lute-kulele is the better fit.

Prima balalaika

The balalaika is one of the defining instruments of Russian folk music. Its triangular body and three-string construction give it a bright, cutting tone that carries clearly through an ensemble. The E-E-A tuning produces the characteristic octave unison on the lower two strings that defines the instrument's sound. It is played with a plectrum using fast strumming and rolling techniques.

Common Questions

What is the Baroq-ulele?

The Baroq-ulele is a Roosebeck original that combines the familiar four-string ukulele tuning and playing technique with a lute-style ribbed bowl back. The body shape and construction come from the Baroque lute tradition; the string setup and tuning come from the ukulele. The result is an instrument that sounds warmer and more complex than a standard ukulele, with the rounded projection of a lute body, but is played in exactly the same way as any four-string uke. It is available in tenor and baritone scale lengths.

How does the tenor lute-kulele differ from the Baroq-ulele?

Both instruments use a lute-style bowl back and four strings, but the lute-kulele leans further toward the lute in its construction and voice. The body is scaled closer to a small historical lute, and the resulting sound is slightly more lute-like in projection and tone. If you want the convenience of ukulele tuning with the warmth of a folk lute, the lute-kulele gets you closer to the lute end of that spectrum than the Baroq-ulele does.

What is a balalaika and how is it tuned?

The balalaika is a Russian folk instrument with a distinctive triangular body and three strings. The prima balalaika, which is the standard solo and ensemble size, is tuned E-E-A: two strings in unison on the lower courses, one string a fourth above. This gives the instrument its characteristic bright, cutting tone that carries clearly through an ensemble. It is played with a leather or plastic plectrum using rapid strumming techniques that produce the fast rhythmic figures of Russian folk music.