What is this? Requesting help from UU to identify this instrument

Russ Sonny Kemner

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O.K. I live in Fort Wayne Indiana. I like to build and restore musical instruments. I found this little dude at a flea market last weekend. Looked old and dilapidated. My first thought was to restore it into a playable instrument. I paid $12.00 for it and took it home.

The first thing that caught my attention was the sloppy hand carving on the back of the head that reads " "Buster" APR 29 1923 " and then the stamped in PAT APL'D FOR.

I have seen some of the old camp ukes, so I did a little research on the web and found some photo's of the Lyon and Healy (Original Washburn) Camp Ukes from the mid 1920's.

Decided that I probably shouldn't mess with this instrument until I found out exactly what I have here.

THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP..PLEASE.. In the attached photo's of the Lyon and Healy uke the Pat APL'D For stamp on the bridge and headstock is identical to the stamp on this uke I found. Also the head stock shape and neck heel are the same.

So I am wondering, should I restore this little dude so that it can sing again, (obviously will not make music in present condition) - Or is there historic value here that I would erase by refurbishing?

Any info on this would be helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ibKgLfcnnc

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Can't help with the ID of the uke but I used to live in Fort Wayne also! Worked at Sweetwater for about a year.
 
Driven by sweetwater, never been inside,looks good though.. Do you think they might be able to help me identify this instrument
 
I personally would restore it to it's former glory and play it the way it was meant. Anything you do to it will make it worth more than the $12.00 you paid. ;)
 
Can you restore it without giving it a new soundboard?
Magnificent find, glad you get to be the rescuer of Buster.
 
Driven by sweetwater, never been inside,looks good though.. Do you think they might be able to help me identify this instrument

Doubtful. They don't do much business in ukes so there's not a lot of expertise there.
 
Ooh, I was confused -- for a while I thought that the images you posted were of the instrument you just bought, and I was irrationally thinking I might have to start obsessively checking all the flea markets from now on.

But still, cute little thing, even if it's a bit out of shape! Can't help with an ID, but my vote either way is to restore. Personally, I have a hard time seeing historic "value" if you can't also make some beautiful music out of it. An instrument like that just calls out to be cleaned up and played!
 
I come down in favor of not doing anything yet -- this could, as you say, be something of real historical significance that belongs in a museum. See what you can find out before messing with it. You can always do what you like with it later if it turns out not to have historical value.
 
more info

I found on the web that the camp uke came in three different models, one with a flat back and no label, like this little instrument has that sold for $6.00, another for $7.50, and a third (like in the photo's) with a turned back resonator that sold for $10.00 the same as the Martin 0 sold for in 1923.
 
Hi Sonny. I had one of those ukuleles and just sold it about 6 months or so back. It is a Lyon & Healey Camp Uke made in the 1920s. Mine was the deluxe version that had a floral decal motif around the bottom of the front. I sold mine for, as I remember, around $250. and that may have been a low price, it's hard to say with some of the older instruments. You can Google it and find a good amount of information on the internet. There is an artist who was recently talked about in a thread here on UU who hand paints the front of ukuleles and she did one of these.

Nice find for $12. :D
 
I found on the web that the camp uke came in three different models, one with a flat back and no label, like this little instrument has that sold for $6.00, another for $7.50, and a third (like in the photo's) with a turned back resonator that sold for $10.00 the same as the Martin 0 sold for in 1923.
New category for the Undie Awards:

The Russ Sonny Kemner Award For Best Find At A Flea Market, Garage Sale, Or On-line Auction.
 
It is a Lyon & Healey Camp Uke made in the 1920s.:D

Sorry to quote myself but I failed to look at the video before I posted the above. I thought the pictures that were posted were of the ukulele you got at the flea market. After looking at the video, I'm not sure the ukulele you got is a Lyon and Healey Camp Uke. I've never seen one of their more economical versions, only the top of the line model with the floral motif on the front. So anyway, that's my clarification. If I were you, I'd make it playable and not be concerned with historical significance.
 
I would drop Chuck on Fleamarket Music a line. He knows a lot about vintage ukes, values, and would be able to tell you whether to restore it or not.
 
Do not do anything to it yet.

As with many antiques, it is preferable to do nothing to it.
In many cases the value of an antique can be decimated if even cleaned.

Get an antique expert in the field of musical instruments to give you an opinion. (Does pbs.com have any good links from antiques roadshow?)
 
oops... didn't see the video clip

Looks promising!

Edit #3:
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Museum/Ukulele/Gretsch/CampUke/campuke.html
(look at the bottom left pic)

Looking at your video, I would say it is more likely the Gretsch "Camp" uke (like the link in this quote above). So far, all the Lyon and Healey photos I've seen of "Camp ukes" have the oval sound hole. The L & H ukes seem to have a much higher reputation than the Gretsch Camp Ukes. If it is a Gretsch, I would go ahead and restore it as much as you like. Maybe a new soundboard will actually make it better than it was new. If it doesn't work out, here's an artist who might be interested in it.
Amy Crehore http://www.flickr.com/photos/ticklergirl/sets/72157613402025169/
–Lori
 
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