RESTORATION HELP!: Vintage Bobby Henshaw Baritone

I just found my grandpa's Bobby Henshaw baritone uke! He fought in WWII and was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. This uke may have witnessed history in the making.

I've done some research and have managed to find some info on Bobby Henshaw but not much on the ukulele itself. I have no interest in selling this family heirloom but want to know as much as I can about the ukulele and about how to restore it. I want to be able to play it but without ruining its value - whatever that may be.

The lacquer is checked and peeling all over. The bridge is pretty dinged up. The tuner pegs are really difficult to turn and the body has some general bumps and scrapes. And it smells kinda funky. LOL!

The label on the headstock reads: Bobby Henshaw Sorkin, NY, but there are no other marks of any kind.

So, some of my questions are...

How much is it worth as-is vs. restored?
What would need to be done to have it restored?
How much would restoring it cost?
Can I do any of the restoration myself?

Any help bringing this piece of family history back to life would be so greatly appreciated guys!

Use some kind of string beads to string her, and the torn tieblock will last much longer without any repair. Is the action ideal? Friction pegs are no biggie to replace or restore if you like. I'll leave the lacquer as is.

I think this might deserve a more in-depth reply. It's got great sentimental value, and so should be done right or not at all, and restoration could be done in stages. I wonder who made it...and it seems that a number of people also wonder. He contracted them out. Favilla? Some place in Chicago?

How much is it worth as-is vs. restored?

***Kind of irrelevant. A complete restoration will cost at least what it's worth, but that's not the point. As is with no sentiment, under a hundred bucks. Restored with no sentiment, maybe a bit more than two hundred. If it sounds great, maybe more than three hundred.

What would need to be done to have it restored?

***I would restore the finish as gently as possible with Behlen's Qualarenu...but that's NOT for someone who's never done it. After Qualarenu, I'd do a bit of French polish. Once again, this is not for amateurs.

How much would restoring it cost?

***Several hundred bucks.

Can I do any of the restoration myself?

***Probably not if you want it to look good.

Also, there's no indication whether or not there are hidden problems...loose braces, loose neck, bad neck angle, frets, etc.

I agree with the ball end strings if nothing is to be done to the bridge, but the top of the tie block could be nicely restored by sanding it down a bit and gluing on a layer of rosewood, and then you could string it as intended, and it would look a lot better.

Thank you Chih-Wei Liu and Mr. Turner!

In regards to your questions:

I can't really speak on the action as I didn't play it hardly at all for the little bit of time I've had it. The original strings were still on it and I didn't trust them not to break.

As far as any hidden problems, I haven't found any...yet. But I'm also not a ukulele builder with an eye for that sort of thing.

I don't think I can leave the lacquer as-is because it flakes off every time I touch it. But, overall, I think that my plan of action was correct: Gently restore it.

If the lacquer is that bad (and it's an inherently unstable finish), it may actually be best to have it professionally stripped and refinished. This is becoming a more accepted practice as nitro lacquer finishes hit their expiration date, so to speak.

My friend, Addam Stark <six50mm@yahoo.com> does fantastic finish work.

It looks like its playable so I wouldn't restore it if it has sentimental value. Except for the finish it all sounds like honest wear and tear from use. Just wipe it down to get rid of the flakes. Maybe even clean it with some naphtha. You might be able to fix the tuners by taking them apart and cleaning them up. If not, replacements are available. The smell is easy to get rid of....stick a vacuum hose in it and air it out well. Maybe drop in a couple dryer sheets for a few days.
If you strip it and refinish...it will just be another ukulele

ksquine said:

If you strip it and refinish...it will just be another ukulele

Click to expand...

You make a good point ksquine...

I don't see the need for any restoration work from the photos. Finish checking is normal for an old instrument. Refinishing it won't make it sound better or have more value. And all of the history will be sanded off.

You can adjust the tension on the tuners by tweaking the screws on them. String it up and play it...

Well now lez see,

just like most antiques, it's probably worth more to a collector the way it is than if its restored, cars excluded.
You wanta really nice shinney brand new Uke....ebay $29.95 and up ...with case ...any colour you want.

but then whats me know about anythin.

blessings
duh ?adma

Finish checking is one thing; finish checking when chunks are falling off is another, and this is only going to get worse. It is possible to re-amalgamate lacquer and restore it, but very few luthiers understand this process; it's a technique that comes out of furniture and piano restoration and museum-level conservation. But I'll bet that this kind of work becomes more and more known as these old nitro lacquered instruments keep deteriorating at a faster and faster rate.

If you aren't going to play it, leave it as is, but if you want to play it and you choose to do nothing to the finish, it will just be continuously falling off of the wood.

Thanks for all the responses!

So far, I've cleaned up the tuner pegs (which are turning much better), gently rubbed off the flakes of lacquer with a soft cloth and restrung it (high d, G, B, E) with D'Addario's. But the high d and G strings are buzzing. I think that the grooves in the nut are too deep. Also, the G is silverplated which I'm not sure I like.

Although I've got it playing and it's not flaking at the moment I am still concerned about the long term plan for caring for it. I want it to last another 60 years.

I'll keep you all posted! And, again, I greatly appreciate your feedback!

I'm looking at this same uke on eBay right now. Can you tell if it has a solid top, or is it laminate? Thanks.

If what you say is true regarding NOT wanting to sell the 'Family Heirloom' then don't mess with the finish. That's what gives it the desired sentimental value. String it and play it. If it needs work on the bridge then by all means do as little as possible... just my two cents!