What do I have here?

I found this special 6 string uke at a pawn shop a while back and I cannot for the life of me find out exactly what it is... there is some small cracking on the body, and the tuners need new pegs, but I'm trying to decide if it's worth refurbishing at a local shop or keep it as is. I'm hoping I found a gem, but this one has me stumped. It looks like it says Anuenue Made in Hawaii by Charles Mahoe? Thanks!

The name seems to be Anuenue, although they now write it with a small "a" - aNuenue.

aNuenue is a nice brand out of Taiwan, and always has been, IIRC.

Looks like a custom made koa beauty. But I couldn't find anything on the maker.

Its possible this was made in the bad old pre internet days when dinosaurs walked the earth, and I hunted them or food.

Probably doesn’t help ID the uke, but the inlayed word on the fretboard may be referring to these ferns: Laua’e plant

It is so tough to know who Charles Mahoe is, as far as a luthier in Hawaii. I would think your best bet is to contact Shawn Yacavone at Ukulele Friend. He might provide some insight, there are some interesting articles about the Mahoe family members in Hawaii on the internet, it just depends on where your Charles Mahoe fits in.

John

Thanks for the insight! Shawn was an amazing person to contact-- so pleased to have a better idea of my find! Thanks!

OpAwesome said:

Thanks for the insight! Shawn was an amazing person to contact-- so pleased to have a better idea of my find! Thanks!

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Would you care to share the info Shawn gave you? It is always interesting to get a bit of local knowledge on lesser known builders.

John

Shawn went over every facet of the ukulele from the shape of the headstock, to the inlay on the fretboard, and even analyzed the sticker/label. After 30 mins of dissecting the build he concluded it was probably made by a 'backyard warrior' that was inspired by the greats, and probably had some hookups to get some assistance on some of the parts. Definitely not his first build, but also not totally refined. I found it at a pawn shop in MN and paid $40 for it, and Shawn was floored that I got a steal. The body is starting to crack, and when I brought it to a local shop they recommended to just enjoy it as is (no compromise in sound) but not worth refurbishing it at this point.

Thanks again for the recommendation to reach out to Shawn. Great guy!

It is a beautiful ukulele. Keep an eye on any cracks though. A local shop may not see the Worth because it is not a known brand, or maybe the price you paid for it. If Shawn thinks it was a “steal” at $40, keeping it humidified and possibly attending to the crack issues will prolong the life and your enjoyment.

I have always gravitated to the “backyard builders”. Generally they make instruments out of their passion to build, not any bottom line. With a bit of a bank account anyone can own a well known ukulele, but few can own your ukulele.

John