A coffee table with a neck?
"The paths of experimentation twist and turn through mountains of miscalculations, and often lose themselves in error and darkness!"
--Leslie Daniel, "The Brain That Wouldn't Die."
Some tunes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa1...SV2qtug/videos
Careful! Down in the basement it could be part of the building’s first floor load-bearing structure.
See if you can find it on architectural drawings for the property.
If not then burn it thoroughly in an incinerator, it may be of alien origin.
If I recall it's an Aero Ukulele.
https://ukulelemagazine.com/stories/...d-aero-ukulele
Wow, actually quite pretty.
Even more amazing, it comes with a case!
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I'm interested in the significance of the "Aero" part of the designation.
"To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar
The shape gives it some aerodynamic lift??
Len B.
Clearwater, FL
I have one similar but in excellent condition. It was made by Stromberg-Voisenet around 1927 to celebrate Lindbergh's flight and cash in on the craze. My case is a canvas end opening one in not great shape. There were two models: mine has black sillscreened logo and the fancier one has gold ink. It actually plays and sounds pretty good. I love the propeller (see shots below). I was thinking of installing an engine with radio control in mine.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
That is really cool. I wonder how many were made? How many survive?
Charley
A bunch of stuff with four strings
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I have had mine for decades. Probably got it in the early 1980s—my uke collecting era. I was taking ukulele lessons with Roy Smeck who was around back then and quite famous to the point where Harmony made a line of instruments some of which had airplane-shaped bridges.
Back then there were no websites but I got instrument lists from some vintage dealers. There was a listing mentioning a uke in the shape of an airplane from a store in New Hampshire run by Dave Colburn but no photos. I called him up and asked if he could mail me some photos. He said a few other people called about it and he described it. I said, "just send it to me."
Soon after that, there was a uke "convention" in Massachusetts and I brought the Aero and amazingly there was another nutcase who also had one. A friend of mine took photos of us dive bombing each other in a ukulele dogfight. Ah, those were the days. BTW this was way before people knew what ukes were, before the current craze for ukuleles.
I have seen a few but not too many. Maybe under ten over the years but I am sure they are out there under beds with a few Loar F-5s. There have been some makers who made modern copies, like this one:http://www.pohakuukulele.com/aero
I see that a few sites mention that Harmony made them but not sure about that. The guy who writes the Uke section for the VG Price Guide is pretty knowledgeable uke collector and he says S-V.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I didn't parse the shape or notice the propeller until Jim pointed it out. Pretty dang cool.
"To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar
...As I told the Wright Brothers, It'll never fly.
I'd like to see a picture of it being played. I can't imagine how one can hold it.
Not all the clams are at the beach
Arrow Manouche
Arrow Jazzbo
Arrow G
Clark 2 point
Gibson F5L
Gibson A-4
Ratliff CountryBoy A
1- Uhmm... Because it was the 30's, and anything aeronautical was a hot item. Lindberg was mentioned above, the first passenger planes were being attempted, and air racing was really hot. The British Supermarine company had the hottest racer around, actually a seaplane, that would develop into WWII's Spitfire fighter.
2- Think of the names that Leo Fender would assign in the '50s, "Telecaster", "Strato-".... the hot items of the day.
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Do you know, that actually sounds great, who'd have thought
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