Mystery flea market banjolele needs id!

ukekuki · Jun 12, 2011

I bought this banjo ukelele with broken head, no bridge, steel strings. There is wooden dowel, open back with no resonator. There are 17 frets. The head is 8 inches in diameter. 23.5 inches from top of head to tail piece. Tail piece says "Waverly"It is 8 inches from the nut to the 12th fret. There are no other letters or stampings on this insturment. Anyone know the make /vintage? Should this be restrung with nylon or steel?

Is this concert size?

JamieFromOntario · Jun 12, 2011

http://www.wsukes.com/forsale.html ???

ProfChris · Jun 12, 2011

JamieFromOntario said:
http://www.wsukes.com/forsale.html ???

Doubt it. This looks to be 20s/30s.

The relevant length is from the nut to the middle of the drum head. I'd expect this to be around 13 inches, or soprano scale. Concert is around 15 inches. But put concert strings on it because you'll need the extra length to reach the tailpiece, and also the extra volume from higher tension. After all, you wouldn't want a quiet banjo uke, would you?

Timbuck · Jun 12, 2011

I recon that could be a 1920's Oscar Schmidt...similar to this one.
http://auctions.findtarget.com/detail_product/170633547762/banjolele/

ukekuki · Jun 12, 2011

well. i looked at the oscar schmidt. thanks. mine has six j-hooks on each side. mine does not have two steel bands on the pot. the profile of the point seems to be a little less pronounced on mine. Also the hardware of at the junction of the dowels are different. Mine may be later design???as it also has less wear??than the one you reference.

What sort of head replacement would be recommended for authenticity??

Were they commonly manufactured with no label or serial number??

aaronckeim · Jun 13, 2011

Yes, it is likely an O.S. or one of the other Chicago makers/brands. A calf skin head would be the best thing for it. It also should get new tuners, strings and bridge, of course. I have a bag of hundreds of old junky tuners taken off of old banjo ukes!

It may have had a paper label glued inside the rim, but it is likely it never got a name.

It also may be painted black sometime down the road, I haven't seen many black ones except for the east coast makers. The Chicago makers mostly went with blond/amber.

ukekuki · Jun 13, 2011

how do you get a calf skin head? is it available from, say "first quality music" or elderly? already on a loop or do you go to a leather store then stretch it yourself??

aaronckeim · Jun 15, 2011

you can get them from elderly, etc... but you have to get the flesh hoop off the old one, wet it, stretch it, fold it properly under the tension hoop, etc...there are instructions on the internet. I do at least 25 a year for people who don't want to do it themselves. info@thebeansprout.com

ukekuki · Jun 21, 2011

Mystery solved: New id

i found out it is an 1920's vintage LYON AND HEALY concert banjo UKE ! GOT IT INTO WORKING ORDER TOO.

Mystery flea market banjolele needs id!

ukekuki

Member

Attachments

JamieFromOntario

Well-known member

ProfChris

Well-known member

Timbuck

Well-known member

ukekuki

Member

aaronckeim

Well-known member

ukekuki

Member

aaronckeim

Well-known member

ukekuki

Member

Similar threads