Jim Yates - Posted - 06/14/2013:  19:59:43

George owned a Formby banjo uke and when the family asked to buy it back from him for a museum, George donated it back to the Formbys.

Muskrat - Posted - 06/15/2013:  14:40:07

quote:

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Originally posted by beezaboy

Dan - Thank your the notice about John Croft's book. I will certainly get a copy when it is published. Currently I have noticed that the ukulele banjo is treated only briefly in in ukulele history books.

I wonder if his book will emphasize the British experience with the ukulele banjo with focus on the Keech contribution to the instrument. I personally have been struck by the Bolander contribution which apparently was more brief and lesser known.

I am curious about your ukulele banjo collection which you advise is more likely than not the best (most complete?) collection here in the states. It seems to me that the 1920's ukulele banjo was more of a novelty instrument so most of them are made quite simply. It seems to be rare to find a ukulele banjo with the upscale features offered in tenor banjos of the 1920's era. Has that been your experience?

I'm guessing Croft's book will be mainly concentrating on the history of the instrument itself. At least that is the type of history he had online previously. So, there was a section on Gibson, a section on Ludwig, etc.

Keech banjo ukes (in my opinion) were not the best sounding, but the two Keech brothers did a lot to popularize the instrument in England.  The name banjulele and banjolele should really only be used for their instruments, not other banjo ukes. It was a brand name. There is a clip online of Alvin Keech playing the uke. Sadly there is no sound on the clip, but you can tell his strumming was quite advanced. Interesting that you bring up the Bolander. I believe these were actually invented earlier than the Keech banjo uke.

"It seems to be rare to find a ukulele banjo with the upscale features"

Yes, most banjo ukes were made to cash in on the ukulele fad of the 1920s. Professional quality ones are quite rare. There were thousands of cheapos made for every one pro model. Some are in between, like the Slingerland models with 8-inch head. Even the famous Ludwig Wendell Hall model had a few features that weren't so great.

I'd be happy to discuss the collection with you privately.

beezaboy - Posted - 06/17/2013:  05:24:50

Dan -  From the period magazines I've seen it appears that Bolander was first by about a whisker.

Mirek Patek - Posted - 06/17/2013:  10:24:21

Concerning the "British experience with the ukulele banjo" - nobody mentioned Bertie Wooster in the Thank You, Jeeves novel by P. G. Wodehouse...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_You,_Jeeves

Muskrat - Posted - 06/17/2013:  13:34:19

Yes, but his description was a bit weird. He said the instrument fit into someone's pocket.

Cottonmouth - Posted - 06/19/2013:  12:32:35

Here is an old photo which has been around the block a few times; several fairies with ukes and a banjo uke.

Nuts - Posted - 06/21/2013:  14:44:13

This is a display of ukuleles that was part of a large vintage instrument exhibit my wife and I hosted in 2007.

Of note are a Lyon and Healy with a gold stenciled pattern on the top, a Vita Uke, a LeDomino, an early  Maccaferri plastic TV Uke and a Polk-A-Lay-Lee uke. The Polk-A-Lay-Lee is a curious instrument, it was designed for use at the beach. One could shove the pointed head stock into the sand and keep the rest of it high and dry.