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Kona
Aloha
USA
10 Posts |
 Posted - 12/23/2008 : 07:05:15 AM
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I have a baritone ukulele that has a long and interesting history, some of which still remains unknown. When I moved to Hawaii in 1961, I met a young American man from Samoa. He was the son of a missionary from American Samoa and he wanted to sell this baritone ukulele that you see pictured below.
I asked him about the ukulele. He said that his father gave it to him and that his father had bought it over 40 years ago or that he had bought it in 1940. The Ukelele had been in America Samoa for most of the time.
I bought it since everyone in Hawaii has a ukulele and I needed one. I had no idea at all about the value of this instrument but what he wanted for it was very reasonable.
In the late 1960’s, I was traveling around the Islands quite a bit with the ukulele.
I had a chance encounter with a professional musician on Maui who played ukulele. He wanted to take a look at it. He played it to see how it sounded. After he heard it, he said, “I will give you $600 for it.” That was about 1967. This took me by surprise but I did not want to sell it, because of its sentimental value and also because I had no idea of the real value.
So, as you see, I still have it. It has always had a very rich sounding tone. That is what the professional musician must have heard.
When I lived in Michigan, I took the uke to a man in Kalamazoo, Michigan who used to work for Gibson to have him to identify it and evaluate it. He was at a lost to identify it. I am positive it is not homemade, but there are no markings that clearly identify it. There some numbers inside but are unclear. One side seems to be 913 and a space slightly to the right X95. The X might be 0, but I am unsure. Is there any way to make the numbers more clear?
Does anyone have some early history of baritone ukuleles. Any ideas about my ukelele, information or leads would be appreciated. Here are some pictures of my baritone ukulele:
Aloha, :)
Kona
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
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Kona
Aloha
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2008 : 08:01:50 AM
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Konabob,
I am not you, but I am a close cousin.
We met each other when you arranged for HSGA steel guitarists to play in Kona almost 2 years ago. I was one of the steel players who played.
I enjoyed getting to see and hear the stick bass for the first time.
Thanks for giving me the lead.
May you have a merry Christmas.
Aloha, 
Don |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
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