c.1960 Favilla Baritone Ukulele
There's a reason that Favillas are lauded and sought-after baris: they're just plain good instruments. They're easily on par tone-wise with any old Martin bari I've played (but different) and have a good feel in the hands, too. They're built light and thoughtfully-made and so... they work!
This one is in for consignment and it's pretty darn clean: aside from the most minor of scuffs and light scratching (with a few knicks on the lower bout top edge, treble side) it's good to go with no cracks. My work was a fret level/dress and light setup (the frets were simply worn). It plays with 1/16" (spot on) action at the 12th fret and has an older set of Aquila strings on it which give it plenty of power but also a bit more tension compared to, say, a general set of Worths or Martin fluoros.
These ukes are all-solid mahogany builds with rosewood bridges/fretboards. I'm pretty sure this one dates to around 1960 as it has a synthetic nut and saddle.
The finish is that thin satin-style stuff that Martin also used. It has a low gloss effect that's attractive but unfortunately the stuff scratches easily so you have to be careful with it. Maybe this is fortunate, though... because a thin finish = a more resonant instrument. I can't stand new stuff that's dipped in 1/16" of gloss ick. Eww.
Please excuse some of my out-of-focus shots... today was gloomy as heck.
Yep -- it has its original chip case, too, which could use light repair but serves as-is.
Comments
It's finished exactly like a 60s Favilla classical guitar -- yes, the bridge is sprayed -- just like the body, in a semi-satin finish. It's not like the 50s baris at all which aren't sprayed this way and have a thinner, truly satin finish. The board still IS rosewood, it's just that it's darker. Rosewood comes in all different colors -- some dark, some cinnamon, some almost koa-looking in terms of color (like on 1940s Regals and Kays).
If it were a real "refin" the decal would be gone. I've seen a number of Favs with this style finish so it's definitely factory work and definitely later in the game.