My own Ludwig Wendell Hall

I have recently obtained a superb condition Ludwig for my own collection, so i thought i would share a few pictures of it here!

I bought it from the USA, and i learned a little of its history, which is always great to know bearing in mind these old ukes have been around for 90 years.
Ludwig only made these ukes from the years 1927-30, and the Wendell hall model was the cheaper option from their range, which sold for around $30.

This uke had been bought from new in Chicago in 1930. It was played and enjoyed until its owner left the USA for England as part of the 8th Air Force. The uke was packed away, and upon his return the uke was stored away in its case for the next 65 years!!

Once i received the uke i dismantled it, and polished up all the woodwork. The frets are in fantastic condition, there is very little wear to the fretboard. The metal parts are in good condition, showing only small signs of tarnish, most of which polished off. A new vellum had been fitted recently, so that was one job i didnt need to do!! I replaced the Elton tuners with a set of vintage Grovers as the Eltons slipped a little. The uke still has the Ludwig label inside the resonator, and all the original binding, and wendell hall badge on headstock is complete.

One of the best condition Ludwig Wendell hall ukes i have seen, and glad to say it is mine!!

 

Keech model A

Here is an early Keech model A. Alvin. D. Keech was credited as the inventor of the banjolele. you can read all about him on the net, so i wont bore you with it here! This uke arrived to me in a very poor state indeed. The action was about an inch high!, sharp fret ends, tatty old vellum and a worn chipped old finish too. I started by dismantling the instrument, and stripped off the old finish. The fret ends were fixed with my trusty Dremel. I re-finished the wood with my usual method, and fitted a new vellum. These ukes are designed so the vellum sits inside the pot on a metal frame, with a flat resonator plate on the back. I reset the neck angle to give the correct height for the action. Then fitted new tuners and Aquila strings. The final result was good, the uke played much better than i thought too. it has a nice tone, and a gentle volume

"Down South" Branded Banjo uke

The "Down south " was a brand produced by George Houghton & sons. Probably in the 1950's. quite basic construction. with a nice engraved flat plate resonator. These ukes were a budget range. Quite similar to the "marvel" branded ukes that GH&S also sold. This uke was in a very sorry state, it had sat in its owners cupboard for around 20 years. it was badly corroded, and also the pot was warped and looked to have had water damage at some point. I stripped the wood of its old finish, polished up the metal bits, re finished the wood with Tru-oil, fitted a new vellum, tuners & Aquila strings. its not the best uke i've ever done. but it was capable of a tune by the end.

Banjo Ukulele for sale

i have had a few enquiries recently, so i thought i'd show what i currently have for sale. Gibson UB-3 (flatback type) Dallas-D. complete with case Slingerland Maybell model 20, with hard fitted case ( not original) JR Stewart "la venicia" this is the same as the Domino range of ukes. Barnes & Mullins-Brand new ukulele, as seen on ebay for around £200. this one includes a hard case

Gibson UB-3 or UB-2 Deluxe?

Here is the Flat resonator style Gibson UB-3. This uke is the same design as the UB-2. But with inlaid fretboard & peghead, and sunburst paint finish. Pre-1930 model as it has "the Gibson" rather than just "Gibson" 8 inch rim with 14 nickle plated tension hooks. Fitted with Grover friction tuners. These ukes are a real joy to play. Very easy to hold, fantastic clear, crisp tone & perfect volume. This particular uke had been owned from new and was bought it Michigan close to the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo. It came to me in poor shape, badly corroded metal parts, and worn & pitted finish. The metalwork has been re-chromed,i even re-chromed the flesh ring! All the wood was cleaned and polished. i fitted a new nut made from Corian, and then rebuilt the instrument. I believe this Gibson range of ukes are right up there with the very best Banjoleles available. Only matched by the Ludwigs.