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RARE! 1920's Vintage Jonah Kumalae Soprano Style E (Style 5) Ukulele
Estimated price for orientation: 800 $
Category: Ukuleles
Class:
Description Condition: Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition Brand: Kumalae Items Included: Case Ukulele Type: Soprano Type: Ukulele String Configuration: 4 Strings Country/Region of Manufacture: United States Body Material: Koa
Found in our relatives closet after 40 plus years! Has been in a box and it's case for many decades. This is a early 1920's Kumalae Style E (5) Ukulele in great condition with the original canvas hard case. This almost perfect Jonah Kumalae Style E (aka Style 5) is/was the fanciest ukulele model. The fancy head stock shape was used only on Kumalae’s Style E - all other models had the crown shaped head stock. Please appreciate the unusual top with the two-tone Koa wood. It was likely made right around 1922 based on the head stock decal and the address on the label.
*Light hairline crack in back. See picture*Jonah Kumalae was a second generation ukulele maker beginning his craft in 1911. He quickly became one of the most prodigious ukulele makers around – making around 300 a month according to Jim Beloff’s The Ukulele: A Visual History. Kumalae ukuleles were made of Koa wood brought over from the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1915, Kumalae got a big break in his ukulele manufacturing and sales. He applied for, and won, a bid to display his ukuleles at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, where his ukulele design won a Gold Award. This enabled Kumalae to market and sell his ukuleles to companies on the U.S. Mainland and, according to many ukulele historians, was instrumental in ushering in a 'new wave' of ukulele and Hawaiian music popularity.
This particular example has a post-1919 "Gold Award" head stock sticker, and an immaculate pre-1922 sound hole label (which is when the original manufacturing site burned down), making it a late teens or early 1920s model. Featuring all solid koa construction, with a classic peanut shaped body and Spanish neck heel, this uke is warm, resonant, and projects well for its size.
Description
| Condition: | Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition | Brand: | Kumalae |
| Items Included: | Case | Ukulele Type: | Soprano |
| Type: | Ukulele | String Configuration: | 4 Strings |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: | United States | Body Material: | Koa |
Found in our relatives closet after 40 plus years! Has been in a box and it's case for many decades. This is a early 1920's Kumalae Style E (5) Ukulele in great condition with the original canvas hard case. This almost perfect Jonah Kumalae Style E (aka Style 5) is/was the fanciest ukulele model. The fancy head stock shape was used only on Kumalae’s Style E - all other models had the crown shaped head stock. Please appreciate the unusual top with the two-tone Koa wood. It was likely made right around 1922 based on the head stock decal and the address on the label.
*Light hairline crack in back. See picture*Jonah Kumalae was a second generation ukulele maker beginning his craft in 1911. He quickly became one of the most prodigious ukulele makers around – making around 300 a month according to Jim Beloff’s The Ukulele: A Visual History. Kumalae ukuleles were made of Koa wood brought over from the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1915, Kumalae got a big break in his ukulele manufacturing and sales. He applied for, and won, a bid to display his ukuleles at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, where his ukulele design won a Gold Award. This enabled Kumalae to market and sell his ukuleles to companies on the U.S. Mainland and, according to many ukulele historians, was instrumental in ushering in a 'new wave' of ukulele and Hawaiian music popularity.
This particular example has a post-1919 "Gold Award" head stock sticker, and an immaculate pre-1922 sound hole label (which is when the original manufacturing site burned down), making it a late teens or early 1920s model. Featuring all solid koa construction, with a classic peanut shaped body and Spanish neck heel, this uke is warm, resonant, and projects well for its size.
*Light hairline crack in back. See picture*Jonah Kumalae was a second generation ukulele maker beginning his craft in 1911. He quickly became one of the most prodigious ukulele makers around – making around 300 a month according to Jim Beloff’s The Ukulele: A Visual History. Kumalae ukuleles were made of Koa wood brought over from the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1915, Kumalae got a big break in his ukulele manufacturing and sales. He applied for, and won, a bid to display his ukuleles at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, where his ukulele design won a Gold Award. This enabled Kumalae to market and sell his ukuleles to companies on the U.S. Mainland and, according to many ukulele historians, was instrumental in ushering in a 'new wave' of ukulele and Hawaiian music popularity.
This particular example has a post-1919 "Gold Award" head stock sticker, and an immaculate pre-1922 sound hole label (which is when the original manufacturing site burned down), making it a late teens or early 1920s model. Featuring all solid koa construction, with a classic peanut shaped body and Spanish neck heel, this uke is warm, resonant, and projects well for its size.