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John Croft, Glan Tanat, Llanyblodwel, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8NQ, England
Tel: (+44) 01691 - 828850.
E-Mail: theukuleleman@hotmail.com
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People have often asked me what I think were the best banjo-ukes that were ever made, and time and time again after much discussion and deliberation I come up with the same answer. I should point out that I am not saying that these are the only great banjo-ukes out there, because there are lots of good ones and some extremely good ones, but in my opinion there were three manufacturers who produced the finest banjo-ukes and I’m going to talk briefly about them in reverse order.
In 3rd Place: The Gibson Banjo-Ukes (1925 onwards)
Gibson banjo-ukes were first made in 1923 with the production of the poorly received ‘trapdoor’ models which had a hinged opening in the back of the resonator. These were completely revamped with the appearance of the UB-1 the UB-2 & the UB-3 in 1925. Apart from the six-inch diameter UB-1 (known as the ‘Baby’ Gibson and aimed at the children’s market), all Gibson banjo-ukes had eight-inch diameter wooden pots, some of which were of veneered triple block construction, and some of which were laminated. Gibsons were superbly designed, constructed, and finished, and testament to this are the comparatively large number of Gibsons that are still in circulation. The ‘flat-plate’ resonator versions of the UB-2’s and UB-3’s (often referred to incorrectly as ‘Baby’ Gibsons) were brilliant. Well-made, beautifully light and easy to hold and complete with a fabulous sound, these were wonderful banjo-ukes. A Gibson could sound fantastic when tuned anywhere from ‘C’ right up to ‘F’, and many people prefer the sound produced in the higher tunings. Originally complete with excellent ‘Grover’ tuning pegs, Gibson banjo-ukes were superb. The extended resonator versions of these instruments (with the diamond-shaped holes in the flange) were heavier to hold but even punchier with their sound and they are wonderful banjo-ukes. The UB-4 & UB-5 had longer scale lengths, different decoration, walnut construction, and tone-ring constructed pots which gave a different sound. Some like it, some don’t.
In 2nd Place: The Abbott ‘Monarch’ Banjo-Ukes (c.1927-37)
The Abbott company was based in London and founded by John G. Abbott. They produced a variety of instruments that were sold under their own name, and for other retailers such as Frank Merton in Glasgow, Barnes & Mullins in London, and Rushworth & Dreaper in Liverpool. The original Abbott ‘Monarch’ banjo-ukes were of the extended resonator style with ‘slot’ shaped cut-outs in the flange, but one of its advantages was that it was much lighter to hold than it looked. The neck profile was actually parabolic in shape and it sat perfectly in your hand, allowing a wonderful ease of movement up and down the fingerboard. Whilst the build quality of the old Abbott ‘Monarch’ was questionable in some areas, the nickel-plated pot with its inner wooden hoop produced a tone that was wonderfully mellow, but which still had plenty of punch, sustain, musicality and resonance. The revamped Abbott ‘Monarch’ with ‘crown’ shaped cut-outs in the flange that came out in the 1930’s was far more sturdy and was generally a much better made instrument. This version also produced a great sound, and it too is a wonderful instrument. Although it is heavier than the original, it sits perfectly balanced in ones hands and is great to play. Original Abbott ‘Monarch’ banjo-ukes are hard to find.
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In 1st Place: Ludwig Banjo-Ukes (1927 to 1930)
Banjo-ukes were first made by the Ludwig Drum Company in 1927 and production lasted just four years. Cheapest of their banjo-ukes (but still expensive at the time) was the ‘Wendell Hall Professional Model’, with a slotted flange, a resonator with a transfer motif around the side, and the name in a transfer on the peghead. Not the easiest banjo-uke to hold, it made a fabulous sound and sold in large numbers. The other two models had crown-shaped cut-outs in the flange, proper mother-of-pearl inlays on the peghead and fingerboard, and very attractive parquetry inlays around the side of the resonator and in the centre of the back of the resonator. One was nickel-plated and the other was a gold-plated and engraved version. Not only were these models aesthetically beautiful, all Ludwig banjo-ukes were well-made out of the best materials, and they produced a sound like no other
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If a Ludwig is properly set up you barely need to touch the strings in order to produce the most wonderfully resonant sound, from which you can hear all four strings individually within each chord you play. There is a wonderful fullness of tone, with the range from bass to treble being equally distributed so that no single tone dominates. This great quality of tone continues all the way up the fingerboard. The sustain is superb, and the musical quality produced by the instrument is unsurpassed
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Ludwig banjo ukes had a metal pot that was stamped out as a pressing. The pot was really quite shallow and contained no internal wooden hoop, and the top-tension design made tension adjustment and changing a vellum both extremely easy. Ludwig were the only company to manufacture every part of their instruments themselves including the bridge, the strings, the tuning pegs, and the vellum, and they produced the superb vintage ‘Planet 4-to-1 geared pegs. Relatively few Ludwig banjo-ukes are found today. The original style nickel-plated ‘crown’ models were only produced for just two years (1927 & 1828), and even then there were two slightly different versions. Different versions (mainly of the ‘slotted’ flange variety) followed until the company went bust in 1930, after which no Ludwig banjo-ukes were ever made again.
Most professional and many semi-professional banjo-uke players want to have either an Abbott ‘Monarch’, a Gibson, or a Ludwig to play. George Formby’s main banjo-ukes included all three, whilst Billy ‘Uke’ Scott played two crown Abbott ‘Monarch’ banjo-ukes (but not at the same time!). Today. Andy Eastwood usually plays a Ludwig in his act. These were great instruments and their desirability has withstood the test of time.
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