Comment by Mike Moss on March 19, 2012 at 22:31

I have always thought that these three-stringed, wood-top contra-bass banjos bear a strong ressemblance to the contra-bass domras of Russian fretted instrument ensembles, which also have three strings and are round. Since Clifford Essex manufactured and sold balalaikas and domras as well, perhaps they simply used the same model for banjo orchestras and balalaika orchestras?

Comment by Richard William Ineson on March 20, 2012 at 9:20

I agree. I think that I have some adverts from the pre Ist World War BMG magazine, showing Domras/Bass Banjos, which I will try to find when time allows.

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