Soprano ukulele
Maker
Oscar Schmidt
Date1936-1950 ca.
Place MadeJersey City, New Jersey, United States, North America
ModelHawaiian Ukulele No. 30
Serial No.none
SignedPrinted on paper label with image of woman in hula skirt playing ukulele while seated on a beach: Hawaiian / Ukulele / [oblit.]ED / BY / OSCAR SCHMIDT, INC., JERSEY CITY,N.J. [sic]Markingsnone
DescriptionThe presence of Phillips’ head screws on the tuners suggests a date of 1936 or later, the first year in which this head was commercially available.
Stringing: four gut strings
Soundboard: one-piece koa, faint narrow curl
Back: one-piece koa, faint narrow curl; back stripe comprised of angled, alternating strips of light and dark hardwood, surrounded on each side with light and dark hardwood strips
Ribs: two-piece koa, no end graft
Head: mahogany; integral with neck; decorative outline
Neck: mahogany; integral with head
Heel cap: none
Binding: angled, alternating strips of light and dark hardwood with light and dark hardwood strip trim
Fretboard: rosewood; 12 nickel-silver frets; no fret markers
Nut: missing
Bridge: mahogany; separate nickel-silver saddle; strings fit in notches on lower edge
Pegs: four nickel-plated steel worm-gear machine heads; nickel-plated steel rollers with blackened Phillips’ head screws, brass gears, white plastic heads, the plates stamped with parallel lines; decorative plate outlines; each tuner affixed to head with two nickel-plated steel Phillips’ head screws
Endpin: none
Rosette: angled, alternating strips of light and dark hardwood surrounded on each side with light and dark hardwood strip trim; light hardwood ring set in from rosette with space between
Varnish: clear with cracquelure
Linings: kerfed maple
Neck block: maple; wide; reciprocating saw marks visible on face
End block: maple; wide; reciprocating saw marks visible on face
Top braces: transverse braces with tapered ends above and below soundhole
Back braces: koa back graft; one spruce back brace with chamfered edges and ends
DimensionsTotal ukulele length: 532 mm (20-15/16″)
Back length: 236 mm (9-9/32″)
Upper bout width: 117 mm (4-19/32″)
Waist width: 89 mm (3-1/2″)
Lower bout width: 153 mm (6″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 49 mm (1-15/16″)
Rib height, at waist: 54 mm (2-1/8″)
Rib height, at end block: 57 mm (2-1/4″)
Head length: 130 mm (5-1/8″)
Head width, top: 61 mm (2-13/32″)
Head width, bottom: 51 mm (2″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 167 mm (6-9/16″)
Neck width, nut: 34 mm (1-11/32″)
Neck width, heel: 47 mm (1-27/32″)
Soundhole diameter: 47 mm (1-27/32″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 332 mm (13-1/16″)
Credit LineGift of Grace L. Freeman, 2006
Object number12951
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