c.1930 U-King Copper Banjo Ukulele


I'd like to call this one Pumpkin... or C-3PO... I just don't know. The pot is incredibly awesome, and if it lacked F-holes on the resonator-style back, I'd be able to cook out of it... just use the neck as a handle and take off the head. Who'd'a thought of a copper banjo rim? Lovely!


It is, of course, like most of its type, a little worn around the edges, but polish, cleaning, and a good setup has made this little copper kettle... pot... a fantastic player, with a nice plunky, mellow old-time sound.


How do you like that metallic orange paint? I suppose it's "copper" but it's more like "wonder jack-o-lantern" to me. New nut, cut from some birch scraps. Fittingly simple for this uke.


Period maple replacement bridge with plastic saddle.


Fret dots are silver paint. Frets are nickel-silver and in just-fine condition. Someone used steel on this fellow at some point.


Here you get a view of the funky F-holes.


...and the newly-gleaming pot. The other hardware is quite dull, having been corroded or rusted or both... but I've scrubbed them clean and de-rusted as best as possible.


It's like a lantern!


Side view.


More shine.


Here you can see a little more of the wear and tear. Typical tailpiece.

Comments

Ukulele Baby said…
I just bought one of these from a uke-friend tonight--mine's missing the pretty back, though. I fell in love with it, the second I saw it! I came online to find out more about this instrument. What a treat to find your blog.
Anonymous said…
I've got one just exactly like this one - it's in pieces at the moment but I have all the parts to restore it back to its former glory - was fun to find your blog
Anonymous said…
I've got the same banjo uke. I think yours is a "MELE" like one of your others seen here:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0K70sLCgQbE/Sl_LH5tjtaI/AAAAAAAAClo/FBaGO8DFaY4/s1600-h/mele04.jpg

Mine is just like yours with the copper paint and silver painted fret markers. The body on mine is all dark blackened metal which I guess might be copper underneath. Anyway, mine has the same hula girl with uke decal on the gumby headstock. I'm guessing the decal has come off of yours. Nice photos on your blog. Thanks for sharing.
Anonymous said…
I have one exactly like that with Maxitone on the headstock label. U-King just made the tailpieces.
Anonymous said…
Enjoy you information on the web. I have a U-King Copper Banjo Ukulele that I've had for many years and would now like to do some restoration on it and try to return it to a usuable condition. I know three items that I need and was wondering what you might recommend. I need a bridge ( which I could possible make) strings and wonder what are the best type for this instrument and I need tuners for this instrument. One of the tuners is completely missing and another is cracked. Do you have any recommendations that would help me.

Also to clean the instrument I would like to remove the head but have heard that you cannot reuse the head once it is removed. Is this true? I t would bo so much easier to clean the copper if the head was removed.

Thank for you help and information.

Ed Nagle
Angola, IN
Unknown said…
I have one in working order just wondered how much I could sell it for