Show some of your vintage stuff...

I was just playing around with "Bango" (My 1930s Banjo Uke), and just thought how cool this thing really is. And who played it over the years, and where are they now? Are they still alive, and/or playing..

This is a Harmony Banjo Uke circa 1930s. Very similar to the Gibson one, but not near as rare or valuable. I bought Bango awhile back not playable, and restored it, but wanted to keep it as original, with scars and all as I could. First thing I did was replace the trashed friction tuners with a decent set of geared tuners. The old ones just were simply trashed, and didn't even have them all if I remember. I then cut and made a new bone nut. Bought a maple/ebony/bone bridge, and filed it and the nut to a playable level. Polished and leveled the frets. ALLOT of cleaning up the wood, clamps, and ring. Kept the original real hyde head skin, but wet it and re-stretched it to tighten it up. Put a set of strings from Jasper Happy of the UK. I really love this thing, and enjoy playing it...



Im not quite done with the resonator. This didn't have one when I got it, and really don't think it ever had one. But, really does need one, so I made one out of a piece of solid 5/16" Mahogany. Makes a huge difference in it's sound and volume. I plan to finish the resonator some day.. But for now, it works fine..


This is the original lambs hyde head.. I think it is cool to think that this came from a lamb that lived over 80 years ago..

Great job! It looks cool.

Neat uke! I have owned two "old" ukes, a Harmony soprano and a no-name soprano. I too wondered their story...who played them...where have they been...etc..

1920's 30's ? la Pacific banjo uke
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...0624-La-Pacific-banjo-uke&p=373517#post373517 sorry about this being a link to a different thread it is the only way I have to show it right now

Yes, I saw your link when you posted it. It is a uke from the same era as mine. So, ya haven't sold it yet?

Two old banjoleles I've acquired. One on left is a U-King, other is unknown, both are probably from the 1920s-30s. Both in need of TLC and restoration work, so I'll probably sell them since I'm a klutz.

Three Northern Ukuleles I've acquired. One concert is mint, the other two (concert and soprano) need some work. Again, I plan to sell these because I haven't the skills or patience. I'll sell the mint Northern, too, to help finance my next tenor. Or sell all three to one buyer who really wants to collect them.

I have a 1930-ish Martin Style 2 and a couple of ukes from the '20s, as well as a couple of early '50s plastic Maccaferri Islanders (one soprano, one baritone). I have pics of all of those on my profile page.

This is a Stromberg-Voisinet (predecessor of Kay) from the late 1920s. It's from the collection of Akiro Tsumura, a Japanese collector who fell afoul of the tax laws and lost his instruments. It's unusual in a couple of ways: it's got a concert length scale and a t-shaped brass capo that can be placed either at the 2nd or 3rd fret through a hole in the neck. I wonder who the Rialto Boys were?

I'm guessing that these are all from the 30's. A no name banjo uke, a Supertone soprano with a mother-of-toilet-seat fingerboard and a Gretsch camp uke.
The Supertone and Gretsch both needed bridges. The banjo player in my band is a pattern maker by trade, and knocked them out in short order.
The girl who sold me the Supertone told me her Mother had played it and a banjo.

Bill

An old Roy Smeck Vita Uke stored in my parents attic. It has since had a massive crack repaired & a bridge reglued by Joel Eckhaus. Sounds great! And yes, those are genuine barn swallow bird droppings on the case.

I really like that one..

franulele said:

An old Roy Smeck Vita Uke stored in my parents attic. It has since had a massive crack repaired & a bridge reglued by Joel Eckhaus. Sounds great! And yes, those are genuine barn swallow bird droppings on the case.

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franulele said:

An old Roy Smeck Vita Uke stored in my parents attic. It has since had a massive crack repaired & a bridge reglued by Joel Eckhaus. Sounds great! And yes, those are genuine barn swallow bird droppings on the case.

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Oh man! What a find!!!

KamakOzzie said:

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I'm guessing that these are all from the 30's. A no name banjo uke, a Supertone soprano with a mother-of-toilet-seat fingerboard and a Gretsch camp uke.
The Supertone and Gretsch both needed bridges. The banjo player in my band is a pattern maker by trade, and knocked them out in short order.
The girl who sold me the Supertone told me her Mother had played it and a banjo.

Bill

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Mother of toilet seat made me lol.

Tudorp said:

Yes, I saw your link when you posted it. It is a uke from the same era as mine. So, ya haven't sold it yet?

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Nope I haven't sold it yet so if you want a banjo uke for a resto project here it is

Skitzic said:

Mother of toilet seat made me lol.

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The sun washed out the grain on the neck. Here is a better shot.




Bill

Hey darkwater, I have a Stromby too, but mine looks nothing like yours. Of the few I've ever seen, none have looked like yours. I was just wondering if yours had a makers mark at all. I know many Strombies don't, mine doesn't, but you know I'm just being curious.

Some beautiful stuff here!

I've got a circa 1920s mahogany Columbia soprano that is temperamental as heck to keep in tune, but I still love.

Keef said:

1920's 30's ? la Pacific banjo uke
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...0624-La-Pacific-banjo-uke&p=373517#post373517 sorry about this being a link to a different thread it is the only way I have to show it right now

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I have been meaning to post this picture but I keep forgetting. This uke has been traded for a more modern pineapple uke

Here's my 1930's Martin Style 1:



I also have a 1950's Harmony "Roy Smeck" uke which has a plastic fretboard. My only other vintage pieces are not ukuleles: a 1949 Kay M-1 upright bass and an early 70's Wurlizter model 200 electric piano.

- Steve

Aloha Steve,
Thanks for sharing, yours seems to be in pretty good condition, has it been refinished? the style 2 I used to have
had alot of checking, my guess the finishes back then wasn't too stable...is your binding black with a white strip?
It a rather nice one!!
Also thanks for keeping Tudorp's name and posting going as he is receiving treatments for six months and will be
away. I am praying for him for a fast recovery as I know everyone here is also doing... Many thanks again, MM Stan..