c.1920 Super Fancy Maple Banjo Ukulele

Wow! This one's hot to trot. It's got three-ply celluloid binding around the fretboard and headstock, inlaid multicolored purfling around the rim top, on the rim sides, and down the middle of the neck, and celluloid binding top and back of the rim. That's compounded with fancy spring-loaded (ie, high class) friction pegs and a nicely solid flamed maple f-hole resonator backplate. How about them apples?

Yeah, I'm impressed. It sounds good, too! Cleaning, neck reglue/reset, fret dress, new (parts bin vintage) bridge, and a replacement tailpiece were in order. And as far as the tailpiece goes... it was in my parts box and must have come off of an older bowlback mandolin, but I used it here as it fit so nicely with the aesthetic (and it's also doggone hard to find "true" old banjo uke metal tailpieces).

Super slick! Inlay down the headstock and neck center... and b/w/b three-ply binding all over.

Old-style top tension "California" rim design. This lightens the weight (no hooks) which means you can hold it strapless like a regular uke, though the head is about an inch smaller than the hook & nut & shoe style banjo rim (5-6" vs 7").

The finish is in great shape save the fretboard, which obviously had been played a bunch.

Birdseye maple on the sides.

Spring-loaded bakelite-buttoned pegs. Gotta love em.

Nope! That's no veneer... nice solid piece of turned flamed maple. Gives this uke a nice bright punch (though plenty of sweetness, too).

Tailpiece... tie some loops and you're ready to go.