2019 John Morton Resonator Ukulele

Overview: Mr. Morton passed recently but he was well-known (especially in the Pacific Northwest) for his interesting and folksy takes on metal-bodied, National-style resonator instruments. He took pride in the craftsmanship and the builds are truly individualistic. I've worked on several, now, and each instrument is definitely its own beast.

Tone: The Morton-made cones tend towards bright and snappy with an almost lo-fi, reedy thing going-on. They have good sustain and record easily but they're not your "typical resonator uke" voice.

Feel: The neck is comfortable, with a medium-heft, D-shaped profile and flat fretboard. This is a shape employed by a lot of modern builders.

Interesting features: It has cool "sandblasted" trim effects etched into the nickel-silver finish of the instrument. The coverplate is also fantastic, with a deco-style, sun-ray cutout look to it and "screens" fit in each of this cuts. The bridge cover/wrist rest is removable for easy setup adjustments at the saddle, too. The tailpiece is an interesting and practical design and it's nice to have geared, 4:1 pegs at the headstock (they're fancy Gotoh units).

Repairs included: I reinforced the neck joint, gave it a level/dress of the frets, tweaked the saddle and cone seating, and set it all up. It plays spot-on and is good to go.

• Weight: 2 lbs 5 oz
• Scale length: 15 1/4" (concert)
• Nut width: 1 5/16"
• Neck shape: medium D
• Board radius: flat
• Body width: 7"
• Body depth: 2 3/8"
• Body: metal
• Cone type: single cone
• Bridge: maple
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck wood: mahogany
• Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: fluorocarbon
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium/narrow

Condition notes: It's in good order overall and quite clean throughout. There's a small blemish on the back of the heel (tiny dot) and a little discoloration at the very edges of the heel where it meets the body where I'd filled edged to make sure the neck angle didn't drift. Inside, there are two additional screws between the neckblock/heel to increase stiffness of the joint -- the original single-bolt design as not working the best. I will note that the original cone (spun by the maker) is neat to have, but the whole instrument would more than likely get a good volume and warmth boost if a National uke cone were fit to it. I can do that if desired!

It comes with: It has a nice hard case.

Consignor tag: SK