Robert Wheeler showed up with ukuleles and beer and we sat in the back yard with the cats, cherries and my daughter Zoe, who helped me test the sonic capabilities of some of the ukuleles.
Robert describes the luncheon ukuleles thusly"...a simple thought, "bring ukes (early) that have slotted (as opposed to (latter) itty bitty drilled holes) wooden pegs, to lunch." ...... Four have labels, one doesn't. Should be a piece of cake to ID the damn things. The Martin flesh searing stamp ....... busy S,S, Stewart blue paper .....triangular Sammo head logo and artful paper, brown tones, label ....... the simple early white Supertone, maker not identified (this is not helpful) ......... and then, in attached pics, on the left, no ID ........
but familiar head silhouette ....... on two of my wall hangers, a 30's "elaborate" blue Supertone label and one with "Winner" trade mark on head ... which doesn't help tell us who, were ....... as ...... according to the King, this mark is for Manhattan Band Instrument Co. Inc. (who also has uke marks .."SUPERUKE" (Look!! Up in the sky!!!!) - "FOURLEAF CLOVER" (Ukes for the Irish Ukulele Festival) .... and sensing that MBI Co, didn't make the thing ........ as 19th Century music business practice .... "...... Many music stores, large and small, were able to order a quantity of instruments from major manufactures (Conn, Buescher, Holton, King, Martin, York) with their names inscribed on the ...." (Ditson being a example that we all know and love...)"
1 comment:
That's a lovely photo of yourself and Zoe, Craig. One for the album. Not an electronic album but a real, handmade, sepia photo album bound with raffia.
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