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My latest book tells the story of how a totally unexpected phone call was to turn into an eleven year friendship, with George Harrison, during which time I came to realise what kind of man, behind the fame and fortune, George Harrison really was.

For More Details Please click HERE.

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VALUATIONS

Email me photos of your instrument plus a brief but accurate guide to its condition and I will try to give you an accurate up-to-date valuation. The above service is free.

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If you would like a comprehensive written and signed valuation for insurance purposes, please contact me for details. Tel: 01691 828850.

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Are You Searching For A Particular Instrument?

Always let me know if you are looking for an instrument that I do not currently have listed for sale and I’ll do my best to find you a really good example.

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SELLING AN INSTRUMENT?

If you have a nice instrument that you are thinking of selling and you would like to sell it on my website, please telephone me on

(+44) 01691 828850

or email me at theukuleleman.com@gmail.com

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I am always looking to sell good quality Banjo Ukes and Ukuleles as well as other nice instruments.

Banjo Ukes of particular interest include those made by

LUDWIG

GIBSON

ABBOTT

BACON

BACON & DAY

MARKENDALE

DALLAS

SLINGERLAND

and

DAVIDSON

Ukuleles of particular interest

include those made by

C. F. MARTIN & Co.

NATIONAL

GIBSON

DE VEKEY

KAMAKA

S. S. STEWART

LA FOLEY

DAVIDSON

HOWLETT

and

ARIA.

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I have been interested in Ukuleles and Banjo Ukes for more years than I care to remember. For many years it was always very difficult to find good quality instruments, so when I started my website in early January 2001 my aim was to try to provide excellent quality instruments of all ages and across all price ranges, which is something that I continue to try very hard to do.

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*** Copyright ***

This website and all of its contents (past and present) are owned by John Croft (full contact details shown below ‘The Ukulele Man’ banner at the top of every page).

None of the contents of this website (past or present) may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without first obtaining written permission from the owner and producer of this website and its contents, John Croft.

Site Design & Build by John Croft.

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QUICK DIARY

‘BANJOLELE DAY’

‘BANJOLELE DAY’ VIDEO CLIPS

For a GENERAL VIDEO, click HERE.

See FOUR of GEORGE FORMBY’S UKES, by clicking HERE.

Meeting Dates for 2026

3rd October 2026

(Doors open 10.00am & close at 10.00pm)

(All welcome, but numbers have to be limited due to the size of the room.

To ensure your place, please contact me to get your name on my meeting list).

Venue:

The Sweeney Country House Hotel

Oswestry,

Shropshire,

SY10 9EU.

Full details about the next event are available by clicking HERE.

Yours truly, at my Banjolele Day

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Ukulele Society of Great Britain

A bi-annual get together for anyone interested in the Ukulele or the Banjo Uke.

Next Meeting Dates

Sunday 4th October, 2026

Digswell Village Hall,

30, Harmer Green Lane,

Digswell,

Welwyn,

Hertfordshire,

AL6 0AT.

* Only 5 minutes from Junction 6 of the A1(M).

* Just 50 metres from Welwyn North Railway Station.

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Supplier to the Stars

CUSTOMER COMMENTS

*** MAKE SURE THAT YOUR NAME IS ON THE LIST FOR MY OCTOBER 'BANJOLELE DAY' MEETING. THERE ARE ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER THAT THE ROOM CAN HOLD, AND THE LIST IS ALREADY STARTING TO INCREASE QUITE QUICKLY. // CHECK OUT MY BOOK ABOUT EX-BEATLE GEORGE HARRISON AND HIS LOVE OF GEORGE FORMBY AND UKES (SEE BELOW UNDER 'LATEST NEWS'). // MORE SUPERB INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE. // THE UKULELE MAN IS CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF OFFERING FINE INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE, SO HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME! ***

*** LATEST NEWS ***

FOR SALE, MY LATEST BOOK:

‘THE UKE, THE BEATLE, AND ME’

The front cover photo (below) shows George Harrison collecting his newly restored Ludwig Banjo Uke from me in April 1991.

“I love your book. Its brilliant. My wife Julie.… George was her fave Beatle… has picked up your book and can’t put it down!” (GC)

“This small book written by John Croft is a gem. It describes how a serendipitous telephone conversation acted as a catalyst for an unlikely but enduring friendship between a secondary school geography teacher and a world-renowned musician who just happened to have been a member of a 1960’s pop group: The Beatles. A unique story that is beautifully told with honesty and an endearing humility. Miss reading it at your peril.” (CK)

“Thanks for the book. Absolutely great and a wonderful tribute to George.” (SM)

“I loved the book. Heartwarming and full of insight.” (MJ)

“Well John, I'm a dreadfully slow reader. However I couldn't put the book down. It was beautifully and sensitively written. I loved it. I think George was very lucky indeed to have you and Mary as friends. Hope to meet you soon. Best wishes and thanks for writing the book.” (IP)

“I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your book. I read it over two days straight after you gave it to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is such a lovely warm and genuine story of your friendship with George Harrison. I lent it to my sister and she also thoroughly enjoyed it.” (ES)

For Details About My Book And For More Readers Comments, Please Click HERE.

For Sales Information Please Click HERE

and scroll down the page.

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LATEST SALES

SOLD: LUDWIG ‘DISPLAY MODEL’ Banjo Uke (1927).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘E’ MODEL Banjo Uke (1938).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ DE-LUXE Banjo Uke (1974).

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ GOLD-PLATED Banjo Uke (2010).

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ Banjo Uke (2020).

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ Banjo Uke (2021).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: GIBSON UB-2 Banjo Uke (1925).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ DE-LUXE Banjo Uke (c.1974)

SOLD: BACON & DAY ‘SILVER BELL’ No.3A Banjo Uke (1927).

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT LUDWIG STYLE Banjo Uke (c.2023).

SOLD: MARKENDALE LUDWIG COPY Banjo Uke (c.2010).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘D’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1945).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’

DE- LUXE Banjo Uke (c.1971).

SOLD: LUDWIG ‘DISPLAY MODEL’ Banjo Uke (1927).

SOLD: BARNES ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Replica Banjo Uke (2023).

SOLD: LUDWIG ‘WENDELL HALL’ Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT DE-LUXE LUDWIG STYLE Banjo Uke (2020).

SOLD: BACON Style 1A Banjo Uke (1926).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘E’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1945).

SOLD: BOOKS (Many!): The Uke, The Beatle, And Me (2025).

SOLD: BOOK: All About The Banjo Uke - A Photographic Companion.

SOLD: STITCHED LEATHER CASE HANDLE.

SOLD: TGI BANJO UKE CASE (c.2022).

SOLD: LUDWIG ‘BLACK HAWK’ TENOR BANJO (c.1928).

SOLD: ‘Big Resonator’ GIBSON UB-3 Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: GIBSON STYLE 3 Banjo Uke (Gold-plated) (c.1927).

SOLD: JOHN GREY ‘ROY SMECK’ SUPER MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1930).

SOLD: TGI BANJO UKE CASE (c.2022).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘E’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1938).

SOLD: ORIGINAL TENOR UKULELE CASE (c.1926).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (1975).

SOLD: BOOK: All About The Banjo Uke - A Photographic Companion.

SOLD: 4 x STITCHED LEATHER CASE HANDLES.

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ Banjo Uke (2020).

SOLD: GIBSON UB-2 Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: STROMBERG-VOISINET Banjo Uke (c.1930).

SOLD: ‘Big Resonator’ GIBSON UB-3 Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: BANJO UKE CASE (c.1922).

SOLD: BOOK 1 & BOOK 2 (See Left).

SOLD: LUDWIG ‘WENDELL HALL’ Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: ORIGINAL LUDWIG BANJO UKE CASE (c.1927).

SOLD: MARKENDALE ‘SILHOUETTE’ Banjo Uke (1995).

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ Banjo Uke (2016)

SOLD: DAVE BARNES ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (2018).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (c.1971).

SOLD: BACON & DAY ‘SILVER BELL’ No.3A Banjo Uke (1926).

SOLD: GIBSON UB-1 Banjo Uke (c.1926).

SOLD: GIBSON STYLE 3 Soprano Ukulele (c.1927).

SOLD: KEECH MODEL ‘A’ Tenor Ukulele (c.1926).

SOLD: Pre-War ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: LUDWIG Banjo Uke (1927).

SOLD: BEDDOES ‘NEW CONCERT GIBSON UB-2 STYLE Banjo Uke (c.1978).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘D’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1938).

SOLD: WILL VAN ALLEN STYLE Banjo Uke.

SOLD: BOOK 1 & BOOK 2 (See Left).

SOLD: ‘Big Resonator’ GIBSON UB-3 Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: CARTWRIGHT Banjo Uke (2012)

SOLD: ‘BABY’ CARTWRIGHT Banjo Uke (c.2021)

SOLD: VINTAGE GROVER ‘SIMPLEX’ TAILPIECE (c. 1926 - 1930).

SOLD: 4 LUDWIG ‘PLANET’ GEARED TUNING PEGS (4-to-1 Ratio). (For BANJO UKE). (C.1927).

SOLD: ASSORTED ITEMS including VINTAGE STRINGS, VINTAGE ‘GROVER’ BRIDGES, VINTAGE ‘GROVER’ ‘SIMPLEX No. 88’ TUNING PEGS, VINTAGE ‘NASHVILLE’ TAILPIECE & SECURING ‘T’ BAR & NUT.

SOLD: MARKENDALE ‘BIG’ GIBSON UB-3 COPY Banjo Uke (1993).

SOLD: STITCHED LEATHER CASE HANDLE (FOR A VINTAGE CASE).

SOLD: VINTAGE 8 inch DIAMETER PLATED BEZEL WITH FLESH HOOP.

SOLD: SET OF 14 VINTAGE ‘GIBSON’ FLATTED HOOKS AND NUTS.

SOLD: BOOK 2 (See Left).

SOLD: BOOK 1 & BOOK 2 (See Left).

SOLD: JOHN GREY ‘ROY SMECK SUPER’ Banjo Uke (c.1928).

SOLD: GIBSON UB-2 Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: LA FOLEY Soprano Ukulele (c.1926).

SOLD: (Prototype) MARKENDALE GIBSON UB-3 COPY Banjo Uke (c.1994).

SOLD: LUDWIG ‘STANDARD’ Banjo Uke (1929).

SOLD: MARKENDALE GIBSON UB-3 COPY Banjo Uke (c.1994).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘D’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1946).

SOLD: WINDSOR ‘WHIRLE’ Banjo Uke (c.1927).

SOLD: DAVE BARNES ‘ABBOTT MONARCH’ COPY Banjo Uke (2022).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘A’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1939).

SOLD: ‘BABY’ ABBOTT Banjo Uke (c.1979).

SOLD: ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (1974).

SOLD: DALLAS ‘C’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1945).

SOLD: C. F. MARTIN & Co. STYLE 1K Soprano Ukulele (c.1920).

SOLD: MARKENDALE GIBSON UB-2 COPY Banjo Uke. (1992).

SOLD: JOSE FERNANDEZ Tenor Ukulele (c.1930).

SOLD: Pre-War ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ Banjo Uke (c.1927).

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