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Post by ukulelezaza on Oct 15, 2020 9:39:04 GMT
Aloha folks!  These are my vintage National ukuleles, left to right: 1933 style 1, ±1927 uke-banjo, 1933 Triolian Brown Duco (one of two known to exist). Let's see yours! I am in the process of compiling a book about vintage National ukuleles, so every little bit of info would be very welcome. The more owners I can reach, the better - still have a few gaps to fill! |
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Post by pete1951 on Oct 19, 2020 8:29:37 GMT
[quote author=" ukulelezaza" Let's see yours! I am in the process of compiling a book about vintage National ukuleles, so every little bit of info would be very welcome. The more owners I can reach, the better - still have a few gaps to fill![/quote] Ok, so this won’t get in your book ( unless you have a thread called ‘Reso- Ukes, but not as know them’ ) but thought it might get some forum members with real National ukes to post something. I guess you have or have seen Mark Makins book? Pete  |
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Post by ukulelezaza on Oct 19, 2020 10:39:12 GMT
Hehe, interesting folk art-y uke.  Yes, I do have Mark's book and in fact he's on board for advice. |
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Post by mendax on Oct 19, 2020 13:06:51 GMT
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Post by ukulelezaza on Oct 19, 2020 20:15:20 GMT
Beautiful ukulele! Thanks for sharing. I didn't have this serial number in my database yet, so that's great too. The screens versus holes is a bit of a mystery. I've been reading that the earliest ones have screens, and holes come later. My database roughly confirms this. But a friend owns 104 which has holes, and so does 121. Perhaps they were (factory) replacements? I used to have a silver large body with screens and the coverplate "popped inwards" twice, being quite vulnerable. 104:  |
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Post by mendax on Oct 19, 2020 21:36:52 GMT
My first reso-uke is the Dobro one John Dopyera suggested I have Dave Flood make me back in 1972. Although a spider system, it has an original National neck and cover plate from John's parts bin--and the body is made from the same Japanese ash paneling the covered the walls of the Fiddle Fret Shop. John would also use the scrap paneling for his own experimental instruments.  |
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Post by Noah Miller on Nov 6, 2020 10:40:42 GMT
No longer mine, but it was very cool to play it for a while:
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Post by hawgwash on Nov 8, 2020 15:34:42 GMT
Hmm - I always kinda wondered where the reso ukes fell in the world rankings ... and the mandolins also as far as the sound goes are they considered top rank like the guitars - never really heard either in person just wondering ...
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Post by mendax on Nov 9, 2020 21:01:33 GMT
I have one of the first NRP Silver ukes (#28) and it sounds fine, but my larger bodied early National ukulele is much louder and clearer sounding. My cyclops Dobro tenor uke is not nearly as loud nor bright as either National, but the neck has a much better shape and it has a sweeter sound, more like a loud regular wooden ukulele. Blues songs sound particularly nice on the metal bodied National ukes.
I also have a steel string nickel silver tenor ukulele made by John Morton which is the loudest of all. It was designed by Robert Armstrong, but Morton put screens in the "parentheses" shaped sound holes
which Armstrong didn't like, and had him make another without the screens. He told me about the first version and since I had no problem with the screens, I had Morton finish it but I wanted steel strings to make it more in line with the earliest steel string mando/ukes. I had him inlay a "!" on it to be in keeping with the punctuation themed sound holes, and always refer to it as the "!ulele".
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Post by pete1951 on Nov 10, 2020 10:41:10 GMT
Looks like a chapter on the development and design of ukes after National/ Dobro might be worth doing?
Pete
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Post by ukulelezaza on Nov 13, 2020 9:40:45 GMT
Thanks for the replies. There will surely be a chapter about Dobro ukes, but I'm planning to keep it vintage. Having said that, It's quite likely I will include an early style N from the 90s (because of its resemblance with the old ukes, and because it's National) as well as silver Beltona's.
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Post by ukulelezaza on Nov 26, 2020 9:33:01 GMT
Here's my latest addition, 1933 style 2, with the rest of the family. Probably my favourite corner in the house!  |
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Post by vastopol on Dec 8, 2020 12:51:07 GMT
There's not much info about strings for resonator ukes on the web.
It could be great to have your point of view, as you certainly have made up some idea by using all those different types of ukes, and maybe different lengths and tunings...
Of course it's also a matter of taste, but it could be usefull.
But it may be another subject?
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Post by mendax on Dec 8, 2020 14:54:52 GMT
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Post by ukulelezaza on Dec 9, 2020 21:49:05 GMT
There's not much info about strings for resonator ukes on the web. It could be great to have your point of view, as you certainly have made up some idea by using all those different types of ukes, and maybe different lengths and tunings... Of course it's also a matter of taste, but it could be usefull. But it may be another subject? It is a very good question, but I'm sorry to say I haven't found a satisfactory answer yet. At first I tuned them ADF#B, thinking: the more tension on the cone, the better. But in GCEA (my prefered tuning) they're just as powerful. All mine have different string brands on them now, in various gauges. I guess I should make a comparison video! Originally, the tricone ukes came with steel strings. But for the single cone ukes National used gut. I've never tried gut on a National, but for the authentic experience I think I will at some point. Gotta get me a large body for that...  |
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