Vintage banjo uke...anyone know it?

geezer

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I just bought an old banjo ukulele, cleaned it up, and posted photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/badgett/BanjoUkulele

If anyone recognizes it and can tell me anything about it, I would appreciate your expertise.

It is 21" long and has a 7" diameter body. Has 17 metal frets, with wood inlays along the fretboard center and edges. Has wood friction peg tuners with screws to tighten.

I think the wood is mahogany. It has wood inlays around the body, with a solid back that has scrolls cut into it.

The floating bridge may not be original, since it has 8 grooves and the wood color is different. The saddle looks like bone. The nut is wood. The name decal on the headstock is damaged.

Very nice workmanship. Now I gotta learn "Five Foot Two."
 
Vintage banjo uke...it's a Mele

A reader of another forum put me on the right track and further research led me to Tiki King's Ukulele Database:

"There are two of these I have found. a Vintage Mele, made for Bugelson and Jacobson of New York, Circa 1920's, (also known as B&J)..."

Now I know its origin.
 
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