c.1940 Regal Mahogany & Oak Ukulele

Way cool little uke, here. Solid mahogany body with oak neck and rosewood fretboard. New bone saddle. Repairs included bridge reglue, neck reset, two hairline crack repairs to sides near neck block, and the usual cleaning, setup, etc. I had a spare set of black 1930s tuners that replaced the identical, but crumbling, ones that were on this uke in the first place.

What's cool about this uke is the odd construction: like the later 1950s/60s/70s Kay and Harmony ukes, this one has no bracing at all, opting instead to use a thicker top and back to make up for the loss of stiffness. While its compatriots ruined tone in this manner, this uke has a nice, mellow, fairly loud, and warm tone -- just what you want out of a mahogany uke. I suppose that's because they didn't got for too thick.

Cool headstock decal -- and notice the neck wood? Yup. This one has an oak neck! Way cool!

Rosewood fretboard, too.

White binding in the soundhole.




Pretty nice looking mahogany, huh?


Gotta love oak!

Note the little strap button -- someone got to this before me and had drilled a hole into the neck pocket and installed a second dowel in some form of neck set. At any rate, their plan didn't turn out so well, but I used the "sore spot" (post-drilling-out) and reinforced the neck with a bolt in addition to glue.

Forgot to mention I also repaired a couple of back hairlines.

...ah, and a matching strap button at the end pin area. This configuration lets you pop on a strap and play it mandolin-style, over one shoulder, with ease. This is how I play my own "stepping out" uke when gracing a stage.