1930s Favilla Painted Soprano Ukulele





I worked on a more "surfy-blue" painted Favilla in 2013 and this one is essentially the same model, though it bears some sort of retail shop label at the headstock. I adore Favilla ukes and when I spotted this on eBay I grabbed it as soon as I could, as the Wildwood family was on a hunt for a uke to gift to Oona's kindergarten teacher (she got it this morning).

It's all-solid birch in construction and has quite-thin wood for the top and back. The neck is fast and comfortable and the whole thing is well-built, though obviously corners were cut to keep costs down as it was a student model when made -- there's a more rough transition from the headstock to the back of the neck, the bracing was light but more "rectangular" and not as well-shaped... stuff like that. Still, as you can hear in the soundclip, after all the wor was done it's turned-out a sweet, mellow, loud, easy player.

Work included a fret level/dress, cleats to an old repaired crack on the back, a brace replacement, some seam repairs, a new fret-saddle for the bridge, and general setup.


I love the blue paint and the off-center soundhole and stencil.





The pearl dots hide tiny bolt holes.





The tiny dot on the back of the heel is from where I predrilled a mounting hole for a bolt-screw that I installed through the soundhole. The neck joints on these student-model Favillas are often a little suspect so I wanted to make sure this was good for the road.




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