FOR SALE - BANJO UKES
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THE UKE, THE BEATLE, AND ME
The story of my eleven year friendship with George Harrison and his love of George Formby and of Ukes and Banjo Ukes.
For further details, click on the title text (above).
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*** I’M ALWAYS OPEN TO OFFERS ON INSTRUMENTS (WHICH THE OWNER’S MAY OR MAY NOT ACCEPT),
BUT AS THE OLD SAYING GOES, ‘NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED’. ***
ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ DE-LUXE Banjo Uke (January 1976). Hold your breath, here is a second wonderful ‘Abbott’ restoration by Alan Yates, this time on an early top-tension version of the Abbott ‘Monarch’ De-Luxe banjo uke made by Jack Abbott Jnr. By about 1974, all of Jack’s remaining pre-war parts had been used up, so he designed a new top-tension system which (with the exception of a small number of later bottom-tension versions) he continued to use from then on. Once again, an arrow straight spliced neck with no wear to the fingerboard or the frets. This instrument comes with it’s original ‘Shellard’ black hard shaped lockable case which has a red padded lining and fits the instrument perfectly. Once again, together with its wonderful plating, this all makes for another absolutely fabulous instrument. £3,250.
ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ DE-LUXE Banjo Uke (1973). WONDERFUL CONDITION. This is a very rare (and highly desirable) bottom- tension Abbott banjo uke from the early 1970’s, and it has a concave resonator back, which many players prefer because it gives the instrument has less of a tendency to slip whilst being played. It is fitted with geared tuners with pearloid thumbgrips, and the ‘Abbott’ transfer is on the peghead. The neck is dead straight, and the 17-fret fingerboard has ivoroid binding with position dots on one side, no wear, and is decorated with very attractive mother-of-pearl inlays. The nickel plated pot, bezel, hooks, nuts, and shoes, were made by Abbott in the 1930’s, and are the same type that were fitted to Abbott’s of that period, including the ones played by Billy ‘Uke’ Scott. In the first few years after Jack Abbott jnr. started to make banjo ukes again in about 1970/71, he sometimes used parts left over from the Abbott workshop when it closed in 1938. This instrument is fitted with a very useful hinged tailpiece. The resonator has a concave back, and is beautifully inlaid around the side and on the back. It comes complete with its original ‘Shellard’ black hard shaped case with padded red lining. £3,500. (*See information below).
The excellent player Lewis Clifton bought this instrument from me about nine years ago, and when he eventually decided to sell it he wrote the following on a letter to the new owner:
“ Dear ……, Many thanks for purchasing my Abbott Monarch Deluxe Banjo Ukulele. I’m pleased that your decade long search has finally been rewarded, and personally, I don’t think you could have wished for a better example! Concaved models are scarce to start with, but to find a bottom tension concaved Monarch really is a rarity. I’ve certainly enjoyed my five years owning it.”
ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ DE-LUXE Banjo Uke (1976). Another great instrument, in wonderful condition. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Excellent quality tuning pegs. Abbott transfer on the peghead. Attractive mother-of-pearl inlays on the peghead and the fingerboard. Spliced neck with bound fingerboard. Fourteen top-tension bolts. Adjustable tailpiece. Superb plating. Resonator bound top and bottom around the edge, with patterned wooden inlay strip in-between. Lovely resonator back with pearloid binding around the inside edge, and a decorative inlaid motif in the centre. Comes complete with a Cartwright black lockable hard shaped case, with padded maroon plush velvet lining, and an internal pocket. Superb instrument. £2,250.
ABBOTT ‘MONARCH’ DE-LUXE Banjo Uke (1982). Another lovely de-luxe Abbott, in wonderful condition. Just like the Abbott shown above, it has a straight neck with no wear to the frets and barely noticeable wear to the first fret on the fingerboard. Excellent quality tuning pegs. Brass plate on the peghead with the Abbott name engraved into it. Attractive mother-of-pearl inlays on the peghead and the fingerboard. Spliced neck with bound fingerboard. Fourteen top-tension bolts. Adjustable tailpiece. Superb plating. Resonator bound top and bottom around the edge. Lovely spliced resonator back with a decorative inlaid motif in the centre. Comes complete with a Cartwright black lockable hard shaped case, with padded maroon plush velvet lining, and an internal pocket. Superb instrument. £2,250.
CARTWRIGHT ‘GIBSON UB-2 STYLE’ Banjo Uke (2021). In MINT CONDITION. This is an absolutely immaculate example of these great little banjo ukes. Straight neck and an unblemished fourteen fret fingerboard with three inlaid position dots. Good quality friction tuning pegs. Gibson style ‘The Cartwright’ gold logo at the top of the peghead. Fourteen tension hooks that slot into a recessed bezel. Adjustable tailpiece. ‘Sunburst’ resonator with ivoroid binding and a central pearloid decoration. Comes complete with a Cartwright hard shaped case with padded plush crimson lining and an internal pocket with lid. Light to hold, easy to play, and with a very good sound, this a lovely little banjo uke. £650.
CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ Banjo Uke (2010). Deep Gold-plated example. Another Gorgeous example of Phil Cartwright’s ‘Ludwig Style’ Banjo Ukes. Straight neck and barely any sign of wear to the frets or the fingerboard. ‘Cartwright’ name at the top of the mother-of-pearl inlaid peghead. Gold-plated 4-to-1 ratio ‘Gotoh’ geared tuning pegs with pearloid thumbgrips. American Walnut spliced neck and resonator. Bound fifteen-fret ebonised fingerboard decorated with multiple patterned mother-of-pearl inlays. Sixteen gold-plated top-tension bolts. Gold-plated scalloped bezel. Gold-plated pot and flange, with ‘crown’ shaped cut-outs in the flange. Gold-plated tailpiece. Bound resonator with patterned inlaid strip around the side, and with a circular ‘Ludwig style’ wooden inlay pattern on the back. Cartwright black hard shaped case with internal padded blue plush lining with an internal pocket with lid. Comes with a shaped velvet cover to put over the top of the uke inside the case. £1,100.
CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ Banjo Uke (2020). £750. SOLD.
CARTWRIGHT ‘LUDWIG STYLE’ Banjo Uke (c.2020). Another really lovely banjo uke by Phil Cartwright. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Cartwright ‘Wendell Hall style’ label on the peghead. Nickel-plated 4-to-1 ratio geared tuning pegs with pearloid thumbgrips. American Walnut spliced neck and resonator. Bound fifteen-fret ebonised fingerboard decorated with multiple patterned mother-of-pearl inlays. Sixteen nickel-plated top-tension bolts. Nickel-plated scalloped bezel. Nickel-plated integral pot and flange, with ‘crown’ shaped cut-outs in the flange. Nickel-plated and engraved adjustable tailpiece. Bound resonator with patterned inlaid strip around the side, and with a circular ‘Ludwig style’ wooden inlay pattern on the back. Cartwright black hard shaped case with internal padded blue plush lining with an internal pocket with lid, containing the tension key. Brand new calfskin vellum now fitted, so scalloped bezel is now set at exactly the right height. £750.
DALLAS ‘E’ MODEL Banjo Uke (1938). AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNER! Original deep Gold-Plated version with very rare original geared tuners. Serial No. 1031. This instrument was restored by the late, great, Eddie Uttley, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. It has all of its original parts, and its original hard shaped case (in the pocket of which is the original tension key). Straight neck, beautifully inlaid fingerboard with just one small amount of wear at the first playing position. Scalloped bezel, hinged tailpiece, etc. etc. I’m simply going to let the photos do the talking. £1,500.
DALLAS ‘E’ MODEL Banjo Uke (1938). A fine and very early example of the top instrument in the ‘Dallas’ ‘George Formby’ range of popular and well made banjo ukes. No fret or fingerboard wear. Made of walnut. It has the serial number of 1024, which is now very hard to read because of the (magnificent) restoration work done on this banjo uke by Eddie Uttley. The original gold-plating was so tired that it had to be re-plated, but because of the high price of gold it was decided to have it done in chrome - and it has been done magnificently. Nevertheless, the frets remain gold-plated, as does all the internal metalwork. The original geared tuning pegs have been replaced with original period Dallas tuners, which is unsurprising because the internal gear mechanism of the original tuners was made of poor quality brass which had a tendency to fracture and break over time. The rest of this instrument is all-original, with the ‘George Formby’ inlaid mother-of-pearl scroll in the peghead, the lovely fingerboard inlays, and the attractive scalloped bezel. Some of these peghead scroll inlays were made in two pieces (like this one), but why, we do not know. Lovely ‘slunk’ vellum - always the pick of the crop for semi-professional and professional players. Comes with a modern hard shaped case with plush grey padded lining and an internal pocket and lid. Another lovely vintage banjo uke. £1,350.
DALLAS ‘D’ MODEL Banjo Uke (c.1946). FANTASTIC CONDITION. A simply wonderful, faultless example of these attractive and well-made Dallas banjo ukes. Magnificently restore by Eddie Uttley, this instrument has all of its original parts and is in unbeatable condition. Straight neck, no wear to frets or fingerboard, and stunning plating. I’ve never seen a better one. Comes complete with its original black hard shaped case with internal pocket and lid (containing the original tension key). £850. ON HOLD
DAVIDSON ‘GIBSON’ UB2/3 STYLE Banjo Uke (2013). A de-luxe example of another banjo uke in stunning ‘As New’ condition. Phil Davidson is based in Cinderford and he has a long-standing reputation for making superb musical instruments, including terrific banjo ukes and ukuleles, and this beautiful banjo uke is a fine testament to his work. Made of stunning flame maple. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Original tuning pegs. Bound peghead with Phil’s trademark mother-of-pearl ‘pd’ inlaid into the top. Straight neck with no wear to the frets or to the ebony fingerboard. Binding (with position dots) along both sides of the fingerboard. Multiple mother-of-pearl position dots inlaid into the fingerboard. Twelve hooks, shoes and nuts, with the hooks recessed into the bezel. Original ‘No Knot’ tailpiece. Metal parts beautifully plated in nickel. Really beautiful flame maple pot which is bound around the edge. Flat disc resonator bound around the outside and with an inner inlaid ring. This banjo uke comes complete with a modern black lockable hard shaped case with an internal pocket (with key) and shaped grey padded plush lining. Wonderful, wonderful sound. As Craig Revel Horwood (he of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ fame) would say… FAB-U-LOUS! £1,450.
GIBSON UB-3 Banjo Uke (1927). A gorgeous de-luxe vintage Gibson banjo uke in fabulous condition. This uke comes complete with its original (very rare) Gibson made-to-measure black hard shaped case, with red plush velvet lining and an internal pocket with lid. It has a straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. It has all of its original parts and the original nickel plating is in excellent condition. Once again, the original ‘sunburst’ finish serves to make this lovely uke even more eye-catching. Another great example of a great instrument. £1,850.
(The original customer had to cancel his option to buy because of unexpected financial commitments - not least caused by him moving house!).
GIBSON UB-3 Banjo Uke (1927). Another wonderful example of these lovely vintage Gibson banjo ukes, and it has all its original parts and is in unrestored original condition. Virtually unplayed since new. Pristine frets and fingerboard, and a lovely old English case in fabulous condition.It has a straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. It has all of its original parts and the original nickel plating is in excellent condition for its age. Once again, the original ‘sunburst’ finish serves to make this lovely uke even more eye-catching. It comes with an old Grover style ‘Non-Tip’ maple bridge. Another fine example of a great instrument. £1,750.
LUDWIG ‘DISPLAY MODEL’ Banjo Uke (1927). Ludwig ‘Crown’ models are viewed by most people as the ‘Holy Grail’ of banjo ukes, and apart from those having the optional enhanced inlays, the ‘Display Model’ was the top of the tree. This example is in wonderful condition. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. It has a silver-plated and engraved flange, and it comes with its original Geib & Schaeffer ‘KantKrack’ hard shaped case with padded green plush velvet lining, internal pocket with lid, and still with its original Ludwig badge and tension key. The banjo uke is all-original and an added bonus is that it has a lovely flame walnut back of the resonator, which is only found on the very earliest Ludwig banjo ukes - and rarely on a ‘Wendell Hall’. £7,000.
LUDWIG ‘WENDELL HALL’ Banjo Uke (c.1927). Fabulously restored gold-plated and enhanced example of these great vintage banjo ukes. The deep, rich, gold-plating is exceptional, and it’s of the same quality as originally used by Ludwig. Made of walnut throughout. Four replacement friction tuning pegs (gold-plated). Peghead lightly varnished so as to retain the original ‘Wendell Hall transfer. Straight neck with no wear to the frets or to the sixteen-fret fingerboard. Fingerboard bound with cream-coloured ivoroid, with four position dots down one side. Ebony fingerboard inlaid with diamond-shaped mother-of-pearl motifs. Sixteen top-tension bolts, original tailpiece, and original adjustable armrest. Ebony heel cap. Absolutely gorgeous flame walnut side to the resonator, with very attractive patterned strip inlaid around the middle. Resonator bound in black ivoroid around the bottom, and there’s a beautiful patterned marquetry inlay in the centre of the back. The original ‘Ludwig & Ludwig’ sticker is still on the inside base of the resonator. This lovely instrument comes complete with a Savage and Hoy black hard shaped case with an internal pocket and deep maroon coloured padded plush velvet lining. Great looking and great sounding. £2,000. ON HOLD.
LUDWIG ‘WENDELL HALL Banjo Uke (c.1927). Gold-plated example, great sounding. Straight neck and now wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Good quality gold-plated friction tuners with pearloid thumbgrips. Original ‘Wendell Hall’ logo on the peghead together with two mother-of-pearl inlays.Four mother-of pearl inlaid position dots on the fingerboard together with four small position dots down the side. Gold-plated top-tension bolts, pot and bezel, tailpiece and detachable armrest. Complete ‘Wendell Hall’ transfer around the side of the resonator. Black binding around the bottom edge of the resonator and a lovely wooden inlaid pattern on the back. Original Ludwig maker’s label inside the resonator.
Lovely condition. Very nicely repaired part of the top edge of the resonator (a common occurrence on Ludwig’s). Comes complete with a black lockable hard shaped case with internal pocket (containing case key) and grey plush velvet padded lining. £1,895.
LUDWIG ‘WENDELL HALL’ Banjo Uke (1927). In beautiful original condition, this lovely example is fitted with Ludwig’s 4-to-1 ratio Planet geared tuning pegs (which were an optional extra on a ‘Wendell Hall’), and it comes with its original Geib & Schaeffer ‘KantKrack’ hard shaped case with green plush velvet lining (rarely found with a ‘Wendell Hall’) and its original Ludwig badge. Just for information, a set of vintage Ludwig banjo uke ‘Planet’ pegs and the plush velvet lined case are currently worth around £300 each. The original nickel plating is in superb condition and the original transfer decoration around the side of the resonator is unblemished. The original Ludwig paper label is still attached to the inside of the resonator. £1,950.
LUDWIG ‘WENDELL HALL’ Banjo Uke (c.1927). This is an immaculate example of a vintage banjo uke made by the ‘Ludwig’ company of Chicago, who many believe produced the best banjo ukes that were ever made. Made of American Walnut throughout. Straight neck and no wear to the frets or the fingerboard. Replacement tuning pegs. ‘Wendell Hall’ transfer on the top of the peghead. Four mother-of-pearl position dots inlaid into the fingerboard. Sixteen top-tension bolts (with tensioning key), original tailpiece and original detachable armrest. Original nickel plating in fantastic condition. The decorative transfer around the side of the resonator is unbroken. Original black ivoroid binding around the bottom edge of the resonator. Ebony-tipped heel. The complete original oval ‘Ludwig’ label remains on the inside of the resonator. Original black Geib & Schaefer ‘KantKrack’ hard shaped case has to be seen to be believed. Lined in green cord, with it’s original ‘Ludwig’ badge on the inside of the case lid. Internal pocket with lid. Original leather handle. This case alone in this condition is easily worth £300 to £400 on its own. Fabulous instrument, fabulous case, and it makes a fabulous sound. £1,850.
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