Uke Fans,I’m particularly thrilled to have Chuck “Frets”
Fayne as the resident expert for “Uke Yak.” Over the years Chuck has assembled a
world class collection of Hawaiian and Mainland ukes, including some wonderful
one-of-a-kind pieces. It was Chuck’s collection that made up the majority of the ukes
in “The Ukulele-A
Visual History.” He’s also promised to take full advantage of all the
collectors he knows in the rare instance when somebody throws him a curve ball.
PLEASE NOTE: If you want a response to your question please send a clear jpeg of the front and back of the entire ukulele.
You may Search the Uke Yak,
or Ask Chuck a Question now!
Yak away!
Jumpin’ Jim
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(Chuck
"Frets" Fayne has answered the following 4843
questions.)
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 Question asked by:
Hal Landon
Subject: Inquiry
Question: I have a Martin Soprano my wife
bought me in 1964. It is in mint
condition in original case. I am
curious about how much I should
sell it for.
Answer: In that condition 600+...nice instrument..chuck
- Monday, August 04, 2008
Question asked by:
Jeff Mercer
Subject:
Question: Hey,Chuck, a fella wrote in
recently seeking info on
a "Patrician" brand Tiple.It's
one of nearly 50 trade names used
by- no surprise here- the Harmony
company, and the Patrician line
of instruments was first offered
in Sept 1938. They were one of
their..ah.."affordable" lines,
yet I had a Patrician Tenor
guitar that sounded fantastic.
Hope this helps, and hope you're
keeping warm (was on tour in
Victoria last week..FREEZING!!)
Answer: Thanks as usual Jeff. I found Patrician finally but no mention to Harmony. Always appreciated. chuck
- Monday, August 04, 2008
Question asked by:
Mario
Subject: 2 Peg Martin
Question: Chuck,
I rescued this Frat House
survivor, but as you can see (if
you got all 3 images) half the
headstock is gone; it seems it
was used as a door stop, as well
as the House directory.
I've been happily playing it with
4 strings, once I slid the bamboo
sleeve to get all 4 pegs.
Anyway, my Real Question: Twice
on trips to the tropics, the
bridge has popped off from the
excessive humidity on the horse-
hide glue. Short of trying to
keep an entire room dry with a de-
humidifier, is there a product
that will stay inside the uke
case to keep my Martin stable?
Answer: AT this stage..plain white glue..only got one image, but my favorite image of the last few years..thanks..chuck
- Monday, August 04, 2008
Question asked by:
Doug Roper
Subject: Wendell Hall Uke
Question: I'm not going to imply that you
are stupid. Most people don't
realize that most servers limit
the size of attachments. I sent
some earier which may have been
too large so I resampled the
images. Hopefull they come
through. There was one question I
forgot to ask. The neck is a
little on the loose side. It
appears that a wooden peg holds
it in. Is this peg screwed in or
glued in. How can I secure the
neck?
Answer: I am so relieved that you are not going to imply that I am stupid. I was losing sleep over the thought. Take the uke to a LUTHIER, he will be able to hold the uke in his hand and see the work that needs to be done. It would be stupid of me to suggest how repair work I can't see. chuck
- Monday, August 04, 2008
Question asked by:
Doug Roper
Subject: Furrier
Question: You mentioned to someone else to
take their uke to a furrier to
have it restored. Would it be
worth it to have mind done and how
do you locate one in Jacksonville
Florida? By the way, did you get
the images I sent or were they too
large?
Answer: No images and a furrier is a person who makes and repairs fine fur coats. Luthier is the word you are looking for. Look at out player directory, you will find people in your area and perhaps one of them knows a LUTHIER>
- Monday, August 04, 2008
Question asked by:
William
Subject: Pics
Question: Chuck...I've been seeing this for
quite a while now. I don't know if
you realize, but your site only
takes in ONE pic at a time. Even
when NUMEROUS pics are sent
separately, and conscientiously
tied to one question. Your
responses can sometimes seem a bit
condescending...like we are all
REALLY stupid. I'm not sure that
you are putting all of the pics
together with the questions. I,
personnaly, go way out of my way
NOT to be STUPID, and I've had
multiple answers to a single
series of pics and a single
question...some nice, some...where
you still make me feel STUPID. I
just want to let you know that we
are doing our best on this end. As
dtupid as we may appear, and
usually are, there just may be a
little bit of a glitch in the
system somewhere. I still love the
show...and please... bring on the
abuse. (and advice, if time
permits)
Answer: There is a glitch in the system but not as big as the glitch in my system. I have a habit of being an asshole sometimes. You, and I'm sorry, got one of those days. I have many excuses but none that I would accept from anyone else. Please give me another chance and I will shut the south hole and use the north one. My apologies...chuck
- Thursday, July 31, 2008
Question asked by:
Adam
Subject: Dating advice
Question: Dear Mr Chuck,
Please help me with my problem. I
was recently dumped by my ukelady.
Now I feel like a real ukeloser.
How can I find ukelove again?
Answer: You can't...once dumped is all you get from a ukelady. However a call to me personally might cheer you up. I haven't spoken to you in a long time...My best to you and your brokenstring........c
- Thursday, July 31, 2008
Question asked by:
Kent Carnes
Subject: uke pics
Question: Here is the front.
Answer: This one has me stumped. I'm not sure of the wood. I think you are right, its home made. Its a very large body for a short 12 fret neck. I wonder how it sounds. The proportions are not correct. I have seen many ukes like this that sound great, I hope this is one of them. Stick you finger in a poke around the top and see if the braces seem very thick. This is a common mistake on home ukes...write me ane let me know...chuck
- Thursday, July 31, 2008
Question asked by:
Kent Carnes
Subject: Uke origin
Question: Hello Chuck,
These are photos of the uke I wrote to you
about earlier, the J Nemes redwood uke.
Thanks for your time, Kent
Answer: thanks f9or the pic of the sound hole, how about the pic of the whole uke front and back..thanks...chuck
- Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Question asked by:
Doug Roper
Subject: Wendell Hall Uke
Question: If I were to shop for strings for
this particular ukelele (Wendell
Hall TV Concert) what should I
ask for. I sent the pixs before I
read your reply.
Answer: Being a vintage ukulele, I would write to Kamaka and order a set of concert strings. Always a good bet...chuck
- Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Question asked by:
Doug Roper
Subject: Wendell Hall TV Ukelele
Question: Chuck,
I sent this information to Jim
Beloff and he told me that you wre
the person I needed to contact.
I had inherited a Wendell Hall
Ukelele from my mother. This
particular one has the Regal
Trademark with the crown at the
top then Wendell Hall T-V. I
believe this is the concert
version. It has a crack on the
face which had been glued. One of
the Tuning keys are cracked and
someone bound it tightly with
wire. One or two of the screws
holding the keys has the head
stripped and it is minus the
strings. Where can I find out the
value, not that I want to sell it,
and where can I find replacement
parts that will keep as original
as possible.
Doug Roper
roperdoug@bellsouth.net
Answer: Doug...I would go on the marketplace and the bulletin board on this site and state your wants. You have to find someone who has a trashed one that will sell the parts. It is a concert and it was made by Regal.. In fine condition they would be worth to a collector 300 bucks. good luck...I wish I had better news, but if it was mine, and I understand the sentimental aspect, I would not spend a lot of money and it sounds like what you have to have done is going to be much more than the uke is worth in dollars and cents. Please write if I can help...Perhaps this question will spark a few parts. best..chuck
- Monday, July 28, 2008
Question asked by:
Raul
Subject: Vintage Hawaiian Uke 2
Question: Hi Chuck! Thanks for the info. I
had a few other questions for you.
I would like to see this uke in
playing condition. The nut has been
chipped between the 1st-2nd string
grooves, is that repairable? It
also has a 2 hairline cracks on its
bottom, is that an easy repair?
It's missing a tuning peg and I'm
not sure if I should replace them
with modern friction tuners and if
so, which one. Any recommendations
on strings as well? I can't wait to
play this uke... Thanks again!!
Answer: Take it to a good luthier and have it repaired. Nothing is sinister and they are easily fixed. Strings are a personal touch, I still like the old Kamaka Black....see ya...chuck
- Thursday, July 24, 2008
Question asked by:
Raul
Subject: Vintage Hawaiian Uke
Question: Hi Chuck! I just picked up this Uke
from an antique store earlier
today. It's your typical early,
hawaiian made ukulele complete with
the Coat of Arms Seal(w/ HAWAII
underneath it) on the front of the
headstock and a Tabu Stamp on the
back. It also has "June 1924" and
the letters "HA"(sharing the right
line of the H w/ the left line of
the A) carved in the soundhole and
the "HA" again on the lower of the
back of the headstock. Can you tell
me anything about this uke,
possibly who manufactured it? Also,
about how much would a uke like
this be worth? Thanks!!
Answer: Raul...Without a label or a mark of some kind it is almost impossible to tell. It is a standard ukulele of the 20-39's because of the tabu stamp. As far as a maker it could be anyone of 20 makers at the time. Its still worth 300+ dollars and probably plays very well. Sorry, I couldn't do more but there were just too many that looked exactly alike...chuck
- Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Question asked by:
Jon Detka
Subject: Mauna Loa Uke - Thanks for the info.
Question: Chuck,
Thanks for all of the great info on
my new little Mauna loa banjo uke
friend. One last set of questions.
How much should one expect to spend
having a new head put in a little
banjolele like this? I am starting
to look around for a shop to do the
repair. I would really like to
learn how to do it myself. Are
their any good suppliers you
recommend? Is this an easy job for
a rookie with a good shop sense?
Also, interestingly I did some more
searches and found a shop selling
the same uke for way more than I
spent. (I spent $25) If it is
repairable for cheap I will be
pretty jazzed. :-)
Link to the expensive one like
mine:
http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/details.asp?prodid=3248&cat=650&path=
This one looks like mine but in way
better shape. Am I correct with the
like-ness.
Thanks again for all of your help.
jd
Answer: Same uke...If you are really handy you should be able to do the job. There are many sites that sell banjo uke parts. Its a matter of measuring it and stretching it. They make stuff easy for us now. Let me know how it comes out..IT is a good little uke and 25 is like stealing ...... Good luck and thanks for writing in..chuck
- Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Question asked by:
michael
Subject: general
Question: Hi Chuckster. Not a question, just
a comment on a film you probably
all have seen but i just managed
to catch recently. "STANLEY'S GIG"
it's a 2000 release, and schlocky
and all, but I cried anyway. But,
for ukies, it's great since the
soundtrack is all Ian Whitcomb
(love him or hate him, i know..)
and the main character is a uke
player who wanders through the
film with a beautiful martin
soprano. the background radio uke
lessons are also very interesting
and a little helpful as well. I
don't know how well it did, but
it's for sure a uke lover's film.
Just wanted to share.
Answer: michael...thanks for the update...always welcome.....chuck
- Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Question asked by:
Jon Detka
Subject: More Info on Mystery 'Mauna Loa' banjolele
Question: Hi again Chuck.
Re: The mystery banjolele. Could
not get a decent shot of the
artwork between the pegs but here
is a description.
The words say 'Mauna Loa' and
there is a palm tree and a guy in
a long canoe.
jd
Question asked by: Jon Detka
Subject: Mystery Banjolele
Question: Chuck, I was hoping you
might be able to provide some
history/info on a banjolele that
I just picked up. Does it look
like it can be repaired? (torn
head). Any good info/links on how
to do the repair? materials? Any
idea of the make or age? Any
other cool knowledge you can
share?
Answer: Jon...any chance that
thing between the tuning pegs is
part of the name of the uke. If
so, it might be the start of a
clue. I need closer pictures.
thanks...chuck
- Monday, July 21, 2008
Answer: Mauna Loa was a cheapie brand made by Lyon and Healey. I wouldn't spend a lot fixing it up....just put it in shape and play it. hope this helps..chuck
- Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Question asked by:
Jon Detka
Subject: Mystery Banjolele
Question: Chuck,
I was hoping you might be able to
provide some history/info on a
banjolele that I just picked up.
Does it look like it can be
repaired? (torn head).
Any good info/links on how to do
the repair? materials?
Any idea of the make or age?
Any other cool knowledge you can share?
Answer: Jon...any chance that thing between the tuning pegs is part of the name of the uke. If so, it might be the start of a clue. I need closer pictures. thanks...chuck
- Monday, July 21, 2008
Question asked by:
Carolyn Lewis
Subject: C.F.Martin Ukulele
Question: Hi Chuck, I inherited this
ukulele,I would like to find out
it's value. You can see it has a
crack, I've allways been told to
repair would take away from the
value is this true? Does the
auotgragh add to the value. Tell
me what you can. Thanks
Answer: Did you also inherit the front of the uke. .I see no crack and I have no idea what you are talking about when you say an autograph. The people who have been telling you it will take away from the value by repairing the crack are in fact telling you that if you leave it alone, it will crack more and more and eventually you will have a ukulele that is completely worthless. Who ever gave you that information is clueless. Lets start all over from the beginning. It is imperative that you you repair the crack. It is very important you send me a picture of the whole front of the uke as it is the only way I can tell which model martin ukulele it is. Please make clear what a signature is in your definition. I'll be glad to tell you all I can when you send me all I want. chuck
- Friday, July 18, 2008
Question asked by:
Liz Williams
Subject: strings for vintage martin
Question: Hi Chuck - I so enjoy the uke-yak
forum and your expertise - not to
mention your sense of humor. Thank
you for sharing your expertise.
My question is about strings for a
Martin 1933-35 Style O soprano.
Specifically, are there any strings
(types or brands) that might damage
this uke? I've read many opinions
about this, but so far, no facts.
Can you help?
Answer: I can't imagine any string (except for a metal string that would damage a ukulele. I would write to the Martin company and order a set of soprano strings. That will solve your immediate problem. If you want a softer sound you can also order strings from Kamaka. I like their strings a lot. If neither of these work, write back. c
- Friday, July 18, 2008
Question asked by:
steve
Subject: uke history
Question: more detailed photos of 1930s uke
Answer: Sorry...never saw that decal before. Perhaps someone out there has and will write in. Just when I think I have seen it all (only kidding) ..something comes along....thanks for sending it in. sorry I can't help...c
- Friday, July 18, 2008
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