FOR SALE - BANJO UKES
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ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (c.1971). A very early De-Luxe bottom-tension version of these lovely banjo ukes. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Scalloped bezel and convex resonator. All in great original condition with a lovely maroon plush velvet lined black hard rectangular case. Lovely decorative mother-of-pearl inlays and very pretty and highly attractive woodwork on the neck and the resonator. The ivoroid binding on the resonator has shrunk over the years (a common problem on Abbott’s from the 1970’s and 1980’s) and is going to be replaced. More details to follow. Photos available once the binding has been repaired.
ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (January 1976). De-Luxe top-tension version of these lovely banjo ukes. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Concave resonator. All in great original condition with it’s original ‘Shellard’ red padded black hard shaped case. Lovely decorative mother-of-pearl inlays and very pretty and highly attractive woodwork on the neck and the resonator. Guess what, just like the similar Abbott mentioned above, the ivoroid binding on the resonator has shrunk over the years and is going to be replaced. More details to follow. Photos available once the binding has been repaired.
DAVE BARNES ‘ABBOTT MONARCH’ COPY Banjo Uke (2022). Fabulous Banjo Uke. This is an absolutely MINT example and completely unblemished, and it is only being offered for sale in order for the owner to offset the cost of purchasing an expensive and rare vintage Gibson banjo uke from the USA. The condition of this banjo uke is simply stunning and it appears never to have been played. It is made of maple with an ebony fingerboard and a mahogany resonator with a maple rim. The word ‘Monarch’ is stamped into the underside of the peghead and just beneath is the serial number ‘1621’ which means that it was the sixteenth (and very last) instrument made by Dave Barnes and it was begun in 2021, although it was sold in 2022 after everything had been allowed to settle in. The original certificate of authenticity comes with the instrument. Friction tuning pegs are fitted and the fingerboard is inlaid with three position dots. There is also a decorative feature in the centre of the resonator. The maker’s name is inlaid into the peghead and it comes complete its Barnes certificate of authenticity. Dave is a real craftsman and he put a huge amount of time and effort into designing and building these banjo ukes, as a result of which they are beautifully made and sound terrific. He has even gone to the trouble of copying the domed hexagonal tension nuts as found on the original pre-war Abbott ‘Monarch’ banjo uke. This uke comes complete with a lockable black plush lined hard shaped case. £2,200. ON HOLD
BEDDOES ‘NEW CONCERT’ GIBSON UB-2 STYLE Banjo Uke (c.1978). This is a great banjo uke that was made by a very well-respected maker. Light to hold, easy to play and with a great playing action, this is a fine looking and gorgeous sounding Ron Beddoes ‘New Concert’ banjo uke and this one is a slightly later example of his bottom-tension design made loosely in the style of a Gibson UB-2. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Modern replacement tuning pegs. Plated ‘NC’ (New Concert) metal logo on peghead. Original nut. Spliced neck. Sixteen-fret ebony fingerboard bound along each side and inlaid with multiple mother-of-pearl dots. Fourteen bottom-tension hooks and shoes shoes around the pot. Tailpiece fixed to the body therefore it will always remain in the same position. Old vellum in great condition. Gibson UB-2/3 style resonator with binding around the outside edge. Modern lockable hard shaped case with black exterior and grey internal plush velvet padded lining with internal pocket and lid (lock key inside), into which this banjo uke fits perfectly. £595.
‘BABY’ CARTWRIGHT Banjo Uke (c.2021). This is a totally original and MINT example of a ‘Baby’ Cartwright and it’s completely unblemished. Based on the design of the much loved pre-war Gibson UB2 & UB3 it is easy to hold and even easier to play. With no wear and no issues it is attractively finished and has ‘tobacco sunburst’ on the back of the resonator. The maker’s name is engraved onto the top of the adjustable tailpiece With its original and equally immaculate and MINT Cartwright black hard shaped case with made-to-measure padded red plush lining and an internal pocket, it represents fantastic value for money. £650. ON HOLD
CARTWRIGHT Banjo Uke (2012). This is an absolutely stunning example of a Phil Cartwright banjo uke, and it’s in MINT condition. Straight neck with no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. ‘Cartwright’ logo at the top of the peghead, and his name is also engraved onto the top of the adjustable tailpiece. Diamond shaped mother-of-pearl inlays on the peghead, which is fitted with very attractive geared tuning pegs with pearloid thumb grips. Fifteen-fret ebony fingerboard with multiple diamond shaped inlays, cream coloured ivoroid binding, and position dots on one side. All metal parts untarnished and with fabulous plating. Spliced neck. Resonator bound around the bottom with cream-coloured ivoroid binding and with a decorative inlaid strip around the side. The back of the resonator is very attractive and is in beautiful ‘Bird’s Eye’ Maple, including a decorative circular inlay in the centre. Comes complete with its original made-to-measure Cartwright black hard shaped case, with maroon plush velvet lining and an internal pocket and lid. Inside the pocket is a spare bridge and a tensioner. This instrument looks lovely, plays beautifully, and sounds terrific. £825.
DALLAS ‘D’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1946). Fantastic original condition and complete with its original black hard shaped case with blue brushed cloth lining and an internal pocket, inside which is its original tension key. Made from very attractive ‘Birds Eye Maple’, and aesthetically it’s always been viewed as perhaps the most attractive of the Dallas range of banjo ukes. For the purest, it’s still fitted with gut strings, and there are several spare sets (including packets of original ‘Keech’ gut strings) in the case pocket. I may decide to fit it with some good nylon strings, but it does look attractive with the original gut ones. Original tuning pegs. Original ‘George Formby Registered’ metal badge on the peghead. Straight neck with sixteen-fret ebony fingerboard inlaid with multiple mother-of-pearl position dots. Straight neck with only the tiniest amount of nail wear between the second and third strings at the first playing position. All the plating on the metalwork is in outstanding original condition, as is the condition of the whole banjo uke - inside and out; the photos all speak for themselves. The original vellum with the pencilled facsimile ‘George Formby’ signature has been replaced, but the original is still inside the case. Interestingly, written in ink on the internal wooden perch pole and on the inside of the case lid is ‘J. Abbot, 41 Meadowpark Drive, Ayr’, which was probably the address of the original owner. This is the finest original example of a Dallas ‘D’ Model that I have ever seen (and I’ve seen quite a lot of good ones) £675.
DALLAS ‘E’ MODEL Banjo Uke (1938). With the serial number E/1093 this instrument is wonderful example of a rare original topof-the-range gold-plated ‘E’ model and it’s in magnificent original condition. The frets are good, and nail wear between the first few frets of the fingerboard have been expertly repaired. The only other thing to mention is a that a small piece of the black resonator binding has lifted near the neck (shown in the photos) The original deep gold-plating is in brilliant condition and virtually unblemished, and the original finish on the uke is superb. All the parts on this instrument are original as is its black hard shaped case with brown padded internal padded lining with pocket with lid. A great example of a great banjo uke. Tremendous value at £1,395.
GIBSON UB-2 Banjo Uke (c.1927). One of the truly great vintage banjo ukes. With a re-finish of real quality this Gibson is in great condition. The bonus is that it has all of its correct original fittings, with the original vintage Grover tuning pegs (in perfect original condition) inside the pocket of the Grafton hard shaped case. Even the fitted tuning pegs are of high quality. This Gibson produces a stunning sound and it has a straight neck with pristine frets and playing positions on the fingerboard - which is inlaid with three mother-of-pearl position dots. It still has the original ‘The Gibson’ (in silver) at the top of the peghead, fourteen original flatted tension hooks, nuts and shoes, as well as the original ‘Nashville’ tailpiece, and it’s fitted with an Eddie Uttley non-tip maple bridge. The finish on the resonator does show some signs of minor crazing but as you can tell from the photographs it is not readily apparent. It comes complete with a lockable black ‘Grafton’ hard shaped case with plush grey padded lining. Whoever buys this great vintage banjo uke will get the bargain of a lifetime. £995.
JOHN GREY ‘ROY SMECK SUPER’ Banjo Uke (c.1928). Roy Smeck was a famous American musician and entertainer known as ‘The Wizard of the Strings. This instrument was top of the four banjo ukes in ‘Roy Smeck’ range. It’s in fabulous original condition with its original hard shaped case. The case looks as though it has been through a war and it probably has! With the remains of the word ‘ENSA’ (Entertainment National Services Association) written on the lid, the indication is that it was once used by an entertainer of the armed services in World War 2 - but sadly we don’t know who. This banjo uke is completely original and has never been repaired or re-finished. It has a straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard and the resonator is easily detachable. Pristine condition inside and out. £595.
MARKENDALE GIBSON UB-3 COPY Banjo Uke (c.1994). A lovely banjo uke in MINT original condition. It was made by the late Gordon Markendale who produced fine instruments based upon the designs of the top vintage banjo uke manufacturers of the 1920’s such as Ludwig, Gibson, and Abbott. Markendale quickly developed a reputation for making excellent banjo ukes which not only looked good but also sounded good, and they became very popular amongst players and remain popular today. This Gibson UB-3 copy is all original with a straight neck and no wear to the fifteen frets or to the rosewood fingerboard. Grover tuning pegs. Markendale name at the top of the peghead. Original nut. Snowflake and diamond mother-of-pearl inlays on the peghead and fingerboard. Fingerboard bound in cream ivfinishoroid with four black position dots along one side. Fourteen hooks, nuts, and shoes, and original Grover ‘Nashville’ tailpiece. Very attractive ‘Sunburst’ finish on the neck, the body, and the resonator. The resonator itself is bound with cream ivoroid and has a decorative ring inlaid into it. Comes complete with a good quality black hard shaped case with made-to-measure plush velvet lining and an internal pocket and lid. £1,100. ON HOLD (For a customer returning to the UK at Christmas)
MARKENDALE GIBSON UB-3 COPY Banjo Uke (c.1994). Gordon Markendale made some fine banjo ukes and this nice example was the prototype of his Gibson UB-2 style instrument. Fine set of ‘Gotoh’ tuning pegs. ‘Markendale’ name at top of peghead. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or fingerboard, and the plating is in excellent condition. The original finish is in superb and it has a very attractive ‘sunburst’ finish. Best of all, this banjo uke really does produce a fabulous sound. It comes complete with a fine Savage & Hoy hard shaped case with internal made-to-measure red plush velvet lining and an internal pocket. The case even has a name tag attached to the leather handle. Light to hold and easy to play, whoever buys this instrument will love it. £700.
WINDSOR ‘WHIRLE’ Banjo Uke (c.1927). This is a fine and great sounding original example of one of the top of the range Windsor banjo ukes. Windsor’s top instruments were terrific and were frequently played by some of the best professional players. The mid to lower range of Windsor instruments generally have a rather poor name and are not very popular, but their best ones were great. Fingerboard, frets, and plating, are all immaculate. Original tuning pegs. Original tailpiece and original armrest, and it also comes with its original hard shaped case (with internal pocket). This Windsor is an absolute bobby-dazzler. £795.
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