c.1920 Neptune Banjo Ukulele



Update 2014: This, by the way, is a Harmony-made instrument.

Speaking of images on banjo heads from the last post? Here's another. This one is quite the looker with a mahogany neck inlaid with a maple "skunk stripe" on top, a maple with birdseye veneer rim, black enamel tension hoop, and mahogany original wood pegs. Work included neck reset, fret polish, finish cleanup/resto, and full setup with new bridge.


Another angle.


"Neptune" on the headstock.


Polished nickel-silver frets on a cool "skunk stripe" board.


Here's the great decal: notice it says "Neptune" on their canoe, too! Strummin' fun! I used an ebony-topped Grover 5-string bridge to dampen down any harshness (ebony tends to do that for nylon/nylgut/fluoro strings) and then cut it for uke spacing, which gives it a wide, comfortable feel. The ebony also matches the tension hoop!


Another angle. This is a "California style" rim -- ie, inline, top-tension head with screw adjustment for tension.


Side.


Birdseye!


Back.


Simple, tasteful headstock. Love the wood pegs.


Neck was originally just bolted, now it's glued in place for strength, too.


Good clean tailpiece.


At home with nature, no?
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I love the decals you see on some of the banjo ukes. The one on this banjo uke looks great. I have never played a banjo uke and I've been tempted to buy one before, but from what I hear in some of the uke videos or cd's , the sound can be kind of harsh. Although I recently saw a youtube video where the guy was playing a "Red Baron"? banjo uke and it sounded great - not too punchy or harsh.
Tamster
July 17, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Josh said…
A couple of real beauties. Are these things sitting around in the backs of junk shops or something?
July 17, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Antebellum Instruments said…
Tamster: Banjo-ukes are wonderful instruments that fill an interesting void -- they have that nice plucky sound a 5-string banjo makes but have a higher palette. A lot of people's problems with them are simply because the instrument hasn't been setup correctly. Really tight heads make a shrill, piercing tone, while slacker ones give you tubby muddy sound. Bridge choice also plays a factor as well as string height, etc. I shoot for the tone that I like in my banjos: sweet but poppy, some sustain but not an echo chamber, loud but not evil.

Josh: They're sitting around in all sorts of awful places. I rescued one from an "antique barn" the other day where it sat around slowly accumulating water damage on a cement floor that hadn't been cleaned since the cows left. A lot of people have them as "family heirlooms" and hang them on their walls or shut them up in a closet, which is better preservation than most get.
July 17, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the info.
Is it the screws around the edge that tightens or loosens the banjo head? And do they have to be retuned or tightened frequently, or do they stay in tune for a while?
Tamster
July 17, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Antebellum Instruments said…
Tamster: The screws tighten it, yup. They only need tightening very rarely as small skin heads actually stay in tune quite well. It's the bigger ones, such as 10-11+" regular banjo rims, that get more effected by weather.
July 18, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Anonymous said…
Thanks again for the info.
I noticed that Friday night you had it for sale on ebay and then it was gone the next day. That was a quick sale! I'm not surprised, though.
Tamster
July 19, 2009 at 7:06 PM
Franco said…
So how do I know the head is tight enough...I suspect the one on my banjo uke is too tight...Gices that metallic/brassy quality...Would the head tension influence the action at the 12th fret?
January 18, 2010 at 1:14 PM
Bob in NM said…
Just what exactly is ukulele spacing? I have made some bridges for a similar banjo ukulele and I don't know where to file the notches
March 27, 2010 at 1:22 AM
John B said…
This is the best one of this model I've ever seen in terms of condition. Question! I see this california-style flush head uke all over - probably the most common banjo uke available, except for maybe Slingerlands. Who originally made these? I've seen them sold as Neptune, P'migo, B&J and B&J Mele, and no-names. Someone once told me they were made by Harmony or Regal, but I can't find them among their offerings so far.
August 6, 2010 at 10:51 AM
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