Truetone brand uke. Any info?

Spotted a Truetone soprano uke in a local thrift store. Has a made in Japan sticker and friction tuning pegs.

Anyone familiar with this brand/uke?

Seems to be a Western Auto item. Western Auto disappeared in '98, but I don't know when they stopped selling ukes.

Sharp fret ends, but otherwise in decent shape. Any value in these?

Probably answered my own question. Spotted this one in a finished auction on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Truetone-Uk...ltDomain_0&hash=item20bf307663#ht_6222wt_1200

from my cell

Finally got the upload feature from my phone figured out.

For $20, I'd say go for it.

Even if it isn't playable, it's a nice looking piece of wall art.



[indent[-Kurt[/indent]

Went back and got it today. Put Martin strings on it and fired it up.

Strings are still stretching so tuning is a bit iffy.

First uke I've ever had with friction tuners, so I probably have those set up incorrectly.

The fret ends need some work, but this a loud little uke. A few minor chips in the finish, but generally in excellent shape.

Sweet! I am glad you go it. Nothing special about using peg friction tuners. If you got the strings to stay on, you are good!

I think $20 is a great deal for an old ukulele like this. I dig the sunburst on it too!

Aloha Oldrookie,
You did good, congrats on the uke.....great price.
AND, you got an endorsement from RyanMFT,THE vintage uke expert here.....................................BO................

Aloha Oldrookie,
Congratulations on the uke and buy..yeah I was going to say grab it too...Usaully martin M600 makes them the best they can be....Just looking at it I thought the soundboard
is thin and the uke is light side...it must have a loud tone..maybe Koolau Alohi will mellow it out..if you like thicker strings...Happy Strummings..

Thanks everyone. Always good to get the thumbs up from people who really understand what the instrument is.

I haven't compared the sound of this one to my daughter's Makala Dolphin, but I'm pretty sure it is a bit louder.

The strings are still stretching, or the friction tuners are sipping a bit, but it seems to need a lot of tuning. The good news is that when it is in tune it has a really nice sound to it.

Other than the nicks visible in the picture above and the sharp fret ends I mentioned, it appears to be in really good condition. Pretty sure it is solid mahogany.

Research says it was built by Kay or Harmony, but beyond that I can't find any information about it. Western Auto was sold in '98, but I can't determine when they last sold Truetone instruments.

I like oddball instruments, so is this a lot of fun to have stumbled upon in a flea market. Not as good as my friend's Martin S-1 that he got for $5.00 at a yard sale, but that's just incentive to keep looking.

Joel

Just to try to help a bit....if wood pegs are slipping, you just push them a little tighter into the headstock and they will hold better.

Thank you, RyanMFT,

Appreciate the help. Thought that was how they work, but I've never even held one with friction tuners before.

Just A/B'd it vs. my daughter's Makala Dolphin. Interesting.

The Dolphin has a much smoother, more rounded tone to it. The Truetone is a lot louder and has more snap to the sound. Very different sounds from each.

The Truetone just--and yes I know this is probably a bad way to describe it--has an older sound to it. More like the way ukes sound in movies about the 30's-40's. I can imagine Andy Hardy playing it.

I just picked one up too but it is missing a tuning peg. Ideas for a replacement source?