1950s Harmony-made Silvertone Baritone Uke
Update 2019: I've updated this post with new pictures, a soundclip, and a new description.
Back in 2015, I worked on this old Harmony-made baritone uke for a customer of mine. Since then, he's acquired a Favilla baritone, so this one's surplus. It came back in a bit more of a state than when it left, so I took the time to make it right and now it's a happy camper with a sweet, mellow sound and excellent playability.
I've worked on so many Harmony baritone ukes that I've started to lose track, but generally the older they are, the better they sound and feel. This '50s one has the "early-style" thin, fast neck and nicer-looking mahogany throughout, though it has been around a bit. There's lots of wear-and-tear to the finish.
Work included: a minor fret level/dress this time around (with a full one last time), some seam repairs in the past, a bridge reglue in the past and a total bridge shave/resculpt this time around, replacement (Kluson-style, geared) tuners install, side dots install, general cleaning, and a good setup. I've strung it with all-plain fluorocarbon strings (made for low-G tenor uke, the D'Addario EJ99TLG set) and it plays with bang-on, hair-under 3/32" action at the 12th fret. The neck is straight. I really like the feel of an all-plain set on baritone uke and it definitely gives it a more-relaxed, more-uke-like sound.
Back in 2015, I worked on this old Harmony-made baritone uke for a customer of mine. Since then, he's acquired a Favilla baritone, so this one's surplus. It came back in a bit more of a state than when it left, so I took the time to make it right and now it's a happy camper with a sweet, mellow sound and excellent playability.
I've worked on so many Harmony baritone ukes that I've started to lose track, but generally the older they are, the better they sound and feel. This '50s one has the "early-style" thin, fast neck and nicer-looking mahogany throughout, though it has been around a bit. There's lots of wear-and-tear to the finish.
Work included: a minor fret level/dress this time around (with a full one last time), some seam repairs in the past, a bridge reglue in the past and a total bridge shave/resculpt this time around, replacement (Kluson-style, geared) tuners install, side dots install, general cleaning, and a good setup. I've strung it with all-plain fluorocarbon strings (made for low-G tenor uke, the D'Addario EJ99TLG set) and it plays with bang-on, hair-under 3/32" action at the 12th fret. The neck is straight. I really like the feel of an all-plain set on baritone uke and it definitely gives it a more-relaxed, more-uke-like sound.
Scale length: 19 3/16"
Nut width: 1 5/16"
String spacing at nut: 1 1/8"
String spacing at bridge: 1 3/4"
Body length: 13 3/4"
Lower bout width: 10"
Waist width: 6 1/2"
Upper bout width: 7 3/8"
Side depth at endpin: 3 3/8"
Top wood: solid mahogany
Back/sides wood: solid mahogany
Neck wood: mahogany
Bracing type: ladder
Fretboard: rosewood, original bone nut
Bridge: rosewood, original bone saddle
Neck feel: slim C, flat board
Condition notes: tons of scratches and some minor water damage on the finish. Bridge has been converted from standard "classical style" to string-through-top. This is more stable and gives better back-angle on the saddle. One has to pass the strings through the top, pull them out the soundhole to knot, and then tug them tight and up to the tuners. The saddle is glued-in due to its tiny slot, so action modification will need to be done via shaving it if desired. The tuners are non-original but an improvement over the cruddy friction pegs this came with. The neck also has a tiny repaired hairline crack under the 1st fret position that is stable and non-obvious.
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