Baritone banjo-ukulele
ALTERNATE NAME(S)
- Baritone ukulele-banjo
- Baritone banjo uke
- Baritone banjolele
Maker
Eddie Connors
Date1955
Place MadeBoston, Massachusetts, United States, North America
Serial No.#1
SignedScratched into dowel stick: #1 BARITONE BANJO / E.CONNORS / 1955Markingsnone
DescriptionConnors, a Vega employee, is credited with inventing the baritone ukulele in conjunction with his relationship with Godfrey. Hercules Favilla also has a rival claim to the invention of the instrument. The baritone banjo uke did not achieve more wide-spread adoption until recently, and Gold Tone currently manufactures the instrument. It is not clear what relationship this Connors baritone banjo ukulele has with Godfrey, but it is possible that it was used by him.
Neck: very dark brown-varnished maple; black wood center stripe
Peghead: white pearloid veneer over very-dark-brown-stainedvarnished maple with black center stripe; integral with neck
Fingerboard: Brazilian rosewood bound in ivory celluloid; 20 nickel-silver frets; single mother-of-pearl dots behind 5th, 10th, 15th, and 17th frets; double mother-of-pearl dots behind 7th, 12th, and 19th frets; single pink-brown side dots behind 5th, 7th, 10th, 15th, 17th, and 19th frets; double pink-brown side dots behind 12th fret
Heel cap: white pearloid
Head: skin
Dowel stick: dark-brown-varnished maple
Rim: hardwood veneered in very-dark-brown varnished maple; lower edge lined in plywood with plain maple outer layer
Bracket hooks: 20 chrome-plated steel
Tension hoop: nickel-plated metal
Resonator: none
Armrest: none
Nut: bone
Tuners: nickel-plated brass tension pegs with ivory plastic heads
Tailpiece: chrome-plated steel
Finish: very dark brown, clear on outer edge of rim
DimensionsTotal instrument length: 767 mm (30-3/16″)
Vibrating string length: 512 mm (20-5/32″)
Fingerboard length: 357 mm (14-1/16″)
Fingerboard width at nut: 35 mm (1-3/8″)
Fingerboard width at body: 47 mm (1-13/16″)
Head diameter: 252 mm (9-29/32″)
Vibrating head diameter: 245 mm (9-21/32″)
Rim diameter: 266 mm (10-15/32″)
Combined rim and bracket hoop depth: 65 mm (2-9/16″)
Credit LineGeoffrey Robert Rezek Collection, 2013
Object number14824
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