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It showed up on my doorstep. Literally.<\/p>\nIt showed up on my doorstep. Literally.<\/p>\n
A blue grey suitcase with its condition belying 30+ years spent toting travel necessities on land and air. This little Samsonite\u2019s latest excursion, though, had taken it from Phoenix (Arizona) to Paradise (California) in a class far lower than coach: try UPS Ground.<\/p>\n
The suitcase, one we might have called an \u201covernighter\u201d in days prior to wheeled rollaboards, sat stoutly just at the front door of our office as I returned from a lunch visit to the nearby taco truck.<\/p>\n
I squealed at its sight\u2014I knew what the blue grey valise held: an ukulele lovingly sent to me by my Uncle Harry, because, as he said, he knew I\u2019d appreciate it and give it a good home.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Uncle Harry had told me about this instrument a few years\u2019 back after hearing about my passion for ukuleles. It had belonged to his mom, Katherine (Quigley) Weaver. Born in 1912, Katie, as she was known to family, seemed to have lived a wanderlust life of rollicking music. A deft ukulele player, she and a few fellows formed up groups in Indiana in the early 30s and played \u201chonky tonks\u201d (Uncle Harry\u2019s words) throughout the Hoosier state.<\/p>\n
When she died in 1983, Uncle Harry laid claim to one of her ukuleles. Uncle Harry is many fine things, but he\u2019s not a musician. He put the ukulele in one of his suitcases and parked it in a closet. And that\u2019s where that little ukulele had stayed until it took its trip west to me.<\/p>\n
I tore off the UPS label, clipped free the packing tape over the hinges and opened the suitcase. The instrument was wedged in diagonally, a thin blanket nestled \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcround it. I lifted to peek under the mint-green wrap: It\u2019s a banjo ukulele!<\/p>\n
In my few years of playing ukulele, I\u2019ve never strummed a real banjo ukulele (or banjolele, as some call them). I wasn\u2019t going to be strumming this one right away either\u2014three strings were loose (two appear to be a gut material of some kind) and the fourth\u2019s position over the banjo\u2019s drum head was simply for placement since it was held at both ends by thin air.<\/p>\n
No matter. I cradled it in my arms (gee, these things are heavy!) and imagined the places it had been and the songs it had sung in decades\u2019 past.<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll be singing again soon, though.<\/p>\n
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Mark (my personal Google guru) quickly researched this ukulele and gave me links aplenty to help me get better acquainted. It\u2019s a Stromberg-Voisinet, fondly referred to as SVs or Strombys.<\/p>\n
The company incorporated under the SV name in 1921, but its heritage goes back to its establishment in 1890 as the Groeschel Mandolin Company. Based in Chicago during the earliest years of the twentieth century, the company became the Kay Musical Instrument Company in 1931 under the leadership of president Henry Kay Kuhrmeyer.<\/p>\n
Stromberg-Voisinet made several models of these instruments in the 1920s and 30s. My little guy is a simple version with a mahogany pot resonator (see, I\u2019m learning a whole new set of ukulele words) and a forthright, earnest appearance. No fancy \u201cmother of toilet-seat\u201d pearloid on the fretboard, here.<\/p>\n
I also appreciate that the fret wear is on the ever-popular first through fourth frets\u2014evidently Katie kept her fingers right up in my favorite territory of the fingerboard, too!<\/p>\n
It has an eight-inch head, maple rim, checkerboard purfling, six mother of pearl fretboard inlays (most Strombys have four), 16 tension hooks and a Grover tailpiece (another new word!). No cracks that I can discern and the neck appears straight.<\/p>\n
I think I\u2019m in love.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve ordered some Senorita strings by La Bella (while not popular strings on other instruments, these sound great on a Stromby says another banjolele player (see his extensive banjo uke blog here<\/a>) and when they come in next week, Mark promises he\u2019ll install \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcem, set up the bridge properly and adjust the skin.<\/p>\n
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Above, circled in green, is the original owner of the banjolele, my Uncle Harry’s mother, Katherine (Quigley) Weaver. This photo was taken in the mid-60s and, while Katie is playing ukulele, it’s a standard ukulele, not a banjo version. Beside her, on a full-sized banjo (and with a harmonica) is her brother. Another relative is on the colorful toy drum set and my “cousin,” Kathy, was happy to join in on the accordian. Imagine the sounds coming from the living room that day!<\/em><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n