I scored 9 Ukuleles

Good morning all. I was able to score 9 Ukuleles this week. All of them need some type of work, but for $50, I figured it wasn't that bad. All of them needing tuning machines will probably get a cheap set of friction tuners, and any of them needing bridges, I will probably just make my own for them. For the most part, they all seem to be in pretty decent shape, structurally, with the exception of one of them which has a brace that fell off. Well, here's the lot of them:


"Hawaii" stenciled uke. No maker name on the uke anywhere. Needs tuning machines.


"The Hawaiian". No maker name on the uke anywhere. Needs tuning machines and bridge.


Unknown uke, but pretty old styling. The wood appears to be birch, so it's possibly an old Harmony. If so, this is the one I will keep out of the lot. Needs tuning machines and bridge.


Harmony uke. This one doesn't have a label, but has the plastic fingerboard. I can't remember, but did the American ones have a zero fret? This one does, which makes me think it's an import. This one needs a bridge and new tuning machines.

Lark concert sized uke. Needs new floating bridge, brace glued and new tuning machines.


Feng Ling concert sized uke. Needs tuning machines.


"Hawaii" uke. No other maker name on the uke. Needs tuning machines.


Harmony. This one is an import. Needs tuning machines and bridge.

Johnson UK-100. This one is complete, but the bridge is starting to lift, so it needs to be re-glued.

Well, that's the lot of them.

Dan

Nice score! I like that birch one and the Lark with the floating bridge!

Ebay score?

Nope, a CraigsList score. The more I look at the birch one, the more I think it's an old Harmony. I think I'm definitely keeping that one.

Dan

The birch one does look like a keeper. If you need some cheap parts send me a PM.

Loving the "The Hawaiian" one and I have no idea why! *grin*

There's a kitchiness, I think...

Top score!

Nice score!

Harmony uke. This one doesn't have a label, but has the plastic fingerboard. I can't remember, but did the American ones have a zero fret? This one does, which makes me think it's an import. This one needs a bridge and new tuning machines.

Click to expand...

Looks an awful lot like a Capital that I have. Bridge popped off the one I have, too.

Aloha Dan,
What a deal...wonder what were the circumstances why they are all without tuners..who would want to take those ukes cheap tuners anyway..there are couple keepers tho...

Thanks all. Upon careful inspection, I will definitely have six ukes that will be played again. The Lark and the Feng Ling are both just toys. The frets are plastic on plywood fretboards. In fact, the spacing on the frets on those two ukes aren't anywhere near correct. The spacing is just random. The two "Hawaii" ones are souvineer ukes, but looks like they could be played once I get some tuning machines on them and strung up. They both have plastic bridges. The non-stenciled one kind of sounds decent with a tap on the wood, but the stenciled one is just a playable toy, and may just end up as a wall hanger. Still though, with work, the other six will be fine. The Johnson's bridge has been re-glued yesterday, and when I get to the shop tomorrow, I will string it back up and it will be ready to go. I also started taking apart that really old solid birch one. It has definitely been dried out as the glue is practically non-existent. The more I was working on it though, the more I am convinced that it is an old Harmony USA uke. It just has a lot of Harmony characteristics, including being assembled with hide glue, and not cleaned up, as they usually are. That one is definitely going to be my keeper out of the lot.

Dan

Sell the others that aren't playable to an artist to paint as wall hangers.