Great Ukes: Gibson’s Ever-Changing Ukuleles
Gibson’s first line of ukuleles, introduced in 1926, included three styles of soprano and one tenor, likely patterning their models after Martin.
Great Ukes
Great Ukes: The Voluptuous, Vintage Hollywood Ukulele
BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY | FROM THE SPRING 2019 ISSUE OF UKULELE If you set a dozen ukes on a table face-side down, it’s usually pretty hard to tell who made them; the basic body shape of Martins, Kamakas, Kalas, etc.…
Cocoleles: What’s More On-Brand Than a Ukulele Made From a Coconut?
No one knows when the first ukulele with a coconut shell body was made, but Hawaiian examples of such instruments from the 1910s and ’20s are plentiful.
Great Ukes: The World War II-Era Regal Victory Ukulele
STORY & PHOTOS BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY | FROM THE FALL 2018 ISSUE OF UKULELE When one thinks of memorabilia connected with a past war, ukuleles don’t usually come to mind. But there’s one very special uke with a direct connection…
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Great Ukes: The Rare, Mysterious, and Valuable Gibson Poinsettia
BY GREG OLWELL | FROM THE SPRING 2014 ISSUE OF UKULELE | PHOTOS COURTESY ERIC SCHOENBERGER Why Gibson chose to festoon a ukulele with poinsettias is anyone’s guess, but it’s hard to argue with the striking results of this rare…
Great Ukes: The J.R. Stewart Le Domino
BY SANDOR NAGYZLANCZY | FROM THE WINTER 2017 ISSUE OF UKULELE Of all the hundreds of painted, stenciled, or otherwise decorated ukuleles made in America during the “uke craze” of the 1920s, few are as attractive and instantly recognizable the…
Great Ukes: J. Chalmers Doane’s Northern Ukulele is an Icon of Music Education
STORY & PHOTOS BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY | FROM THE SUMMER 2018 ISSUE OF UKULELE Whether they’re made by artisan luthiers or manufactured in large factories, most ukuleles are born from a desire to build and sell the instrument itself. But…
Great Ukes: The Harmony-Made ‘Harold Teen’ is One of the Coolest Ukes Ever Made
The Harold Teen comic strip ran from 1919 to 1959 and is considered a cultural icon of the Jazz Age
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Great Ukes: The Vintage Echo-Uke Had a Sonic Secret
These ukuleles look just like other 1920s-era Hawaiian ukes, but they have a small and rather curious difference
Great Ukes: The 8-String Martin Taropatch Paved the Way for Larger Ukes
An early ukulele cousin is the taropatch, an instrument with eight strings set in four courses of two strings each