Anyone know about this old uke?

U

ukeinfused

UU VIP
UU VIP
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
805
Reaction score
21
Location
st. paul, MN
Curious about the history on this old uke with the Hawaii logo?

I thought it was worth the money based on charm alone (that old koa and rope binding!), and didn't think it would last until seller got back to me with pics of all the repairs mentioned (it didn't), but I'd like to know more about it...
Are they good players?

"Hawaii" Ukulele Koa Natural 1920s https://applink.reverb.com/item/13172513-hawaii-ukulele-koa-natural-1920s

And really, I do not need one. more. uke...
 
I'm not really into old ukes as such, but had that been in the UK it would have made it onto my impulse buy list :)
 
I saw someone with a uke that had that decal on the head about a year ago, and I looked it up. I forget the details, but they made thousands, and I believe they gave many away to tourists arriving in Hawaii. Of course, it could have been a different, similar decal I saw.
 
It's obviously a Southern California Music Company (SoCal) ukulele, made from koa and with a Hawaiian crest, but built with Mainland appointments (heel, rosette, fretboard...).
 
Good instruments, certainly not tourist props, but still made in very large quantities without a lot of quality control. Unless you count almost a century of preservation as a kind of quality check - the bad ones probably didn't make it that far. The woods used were certainly good, the design was good and light, the workmanship sometimes sloppy... Above the Chicago grade stuff (although the fretboard tells me it's probably made there) but still slightly below the Martin and Kamaka standards, and on par with Kumalae, which was the direct competitor in the early mass production of ukuleles. If this particular one is a good instrument is hard to tell from pictures, but it probably is.
 
ukulelekarcsi said:
Good instruments, certainly not tourist props, but still made in very large quantities without a lot of quality control. Unless you count almost a century of preservation as a kind of quality check - the bad ones probably didn't make it that far. The woods used were certainly good, the design was good and light, the workmanship sometimes sloppy... Above the Chicago grade stuff (although the fretboard tells me it's probably made there) but still slightly below the Martin and Kamaka standards, and on par with Kumalae, which was the direct competitor in the early mass production of ukuleles. If this particular one is a good instrument is hard to tell from pictures, but it probably is.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
I find myself drawn more and more to vintage instruments...

May I ask how you recognize a Chicago-made fretboard?
I think I can tell mainland from the back but not the front...
 
The 'swoop' at the end of the fretboard is telling.

And it's certainly NOT a violin case, but a ukulele one - violin cases are longer and a bit bigger.
 
I would guess the fretboard is an add-on, I think most of this vintage had a flush fretboard and something happened, so they over laid it, look at the sloppy cut on the curvy end, even a sloppy factory can do better than that!
 
UkerDanno said:
I would guess the fretboard is an add-on, I think most of this vintage had a flush fretboard and something happened, so they over laid it, look at the sloppy cut on the curvy end, even a sloppy factory can do better than that!
Click to expand...

In fact, it is a factory installed one!

Putting on a raised fretboard on a traditionally built ukulele would also mean making a raised nut (this one is standard height) and raised saddle. And while doing that, drastically changing the angle of the strings.

The heel construction also says it's a mainland style, with a 'stuck-on' neck rather than a 'built-in' one.
 
The buyer returned it and the uke is back on sale. I'd asked for more photos, the seller has added a couple of those. The "patch" repair looks poorly done and more like putty than a patch to my eye...
Might serve best as a wall hanger? (Still think it looks kinda cool.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
can anyone tell me the history on my old uke
Replies
2
Views
349
Camsuke
Camsuke
ickybaby
NUD! Old uke! Anyone know anything about it????
Replies
5
Views
577
Patrick Madsen
P
Johnny's Rash
Saw this old uke and other instruments for pretty cheap, incase anyone's interested..
Replies
0
Views
518
Johnny's Rash
Johnny's Rash
Koa Soprano
Can anyone tell me about this old uke?
Replies
2
Views
362
John Colter
John Colter
chris667
Can anyone identify this old instrument?
Replies
8
Views
646
merlin666
M
Top Bottom