Soprano ukulele
Date1926-1928 ca.
Place MadeChicago, Illinois, United States, North America
SignedNoneDescriptionDonna Curry, the donor of this ukulele, enjoyed a successful career as one of the first professional lutenists in the United States. She recounts that this humble ukulele was what got her musical start."This soprano ukulele is not a fine instrument, is not pristine, but to me has enormous emotional value. It is the instrument that launched me into a career as a professional fretted stringed player, and especially into the world of the Lutes and Early Music. My mother played it as a teen-ager and young adult. Her maiden name: Louise Evelyn Williams. Her uncle gave it to her around the age of 14 to 16 years of age so it would have been new c. 1926 -1928. I remember her still playing it when I was a small child. In college I had friends who were camp counselors in the summer and who played guitars and sang together in the dorms at school. This stimulated me to learn to play my mother’s ukulele so I could join them. This not only enriched the social part of college life but introduced me to fretted instruments which, especially after I graduated, became a passion. It lead me to guitars (hence my 19th century Martin guitars) and certain American folk music lead me to British folk music, which in turn lead me to Early Music and the lute family of instruments of greater Europe as well as the UK. Here is the particular well used, scared, no-name soprano ukulele which started me into a career I could never have imagined."
Stringing: four gut strings
Soundboard: one-piece light hardwood, possibly birch
Back: one-piece light hardwood, possibly birch
Ribs: two-piece light hardwood, possibly birch
Head: light hardwood, possibly maple; integral with neck; shield-shaped upper end
Neck: light hardwood, possibly maple; integral with head
Heel cap: none
Binding: none
Fretboard: integral with neck; 12 brass T frets;
Nut: black-stained maple
Bridge: maple; maple saddle integral with bridge; strings fit in notches on lower edge
Tuners: nickel-plated steel tension pegs with black plastic heads
Rosette: three black-painted lines set in from edge
Finish: medium orange-brown lacquer
Linings: kerfed poplar
Neck block: poplar; round dowel through neck block, possibly integral with neck
End block: poplar
Top braces: two poplar transverse braces with tapered ends above and below soundhole
Back braces: one transverse brace at center bout, now missing
Other: machine planning marks on inside of top and backDimensionsTotal ukulele length: 526 mm (20-23/32″)
Back length: 234 mm (9-7/32″)
Upper bout width: 129 mm (5-3/32″)
Waist width: 98 mm (3-7/8″)
Lower bout width: 161 mm (6-11/32″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 52 mm (2-1/16″)
Rib height, at waist: 56 mm (2-3/16″)
Rib height, at end block: 58 mm (2-9/32″)
Head length: 124 mm (4-7/8″)
Head width, top: 58 mm (2-9/32″)
Head width, bottom: 50 mm (1-31/32″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 167 mm (6-9/16″)
Neck width, nut: 33 mm (1-5/16″)
Neck width, heel: 45 mm (1-25/32″)
Soundhole diameter: 43 mm (1-11/16″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 336 mm (13-7/32″)
Scale length: 334 mm (13-5/32″)ProvenanceThis soprano ukulele originally belonged to the donor's mother, Louise Evelyn Williams. Her uncle gave it to her around the age of 14 to 16 years of age so it would have been new around 1926-1928.
Credit LineGift of Donna J. Curry, 2021
Object number15604
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