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| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner |
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| Anyone know about this old baritone Uke? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24th, 2007 04:32 am |
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1st Post |
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ukeless Approved
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Hi all, Just found this at a garage sale - Regal baritone ukulele. "Marlboro" label inside. Can't seem to find much online. Anyone got any info? Thanks! Van    Label inside says "Marlboro"    
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24th, 2007 06:52 am |
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2nd Post |
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theBlackman Approved 
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Apparently the REGAL instrument company was started in the 30's and made instruments for other companies. Wikipedia has a page on them. They were known for Dobro's, and other resonator guitars. They also made ukeleles. I can't find any information on the "Marlboro" brand/model. Try a GOOGLE advanced search with the keywords of REGAL INSTRUMENTS, and use UKELELE in the blank for "must contain". In without put in CIGARETTES, and any other you want to eliminate. I found many referrences to other models but not for the baritone.
____________________ Let each day start as a blank page for life to write upon. http://ezfolk.com/audio/dusty http://cdbaby.com/all/theblackman http://youtube.com/DustinFLeer |
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24th, 2007 01:51 pm |
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3rd Post |
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UkeForever Approved 
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That looks a lot like a tenor guitar, and not a baritone at all. What's the scale-length? That may be one way to tell; if it's over 20", then I'd bet you're looking at a tenor guitar. The headstock is banjo-like, which is a sign, and it looks like it has that tenor guitar skinny neck. (Tenor guitar was a crossover instrument for banjo players.) Then again, those tuners looks like nylon string tuners, and usually tenor guitars took steel strings (thin ones, like banjo strings). Instrument collector Will knows much more about the tenor guitars, so maybe he'll pipe in. Regal did have some "custom shop" models that differed from their factory lines--limited release type stuff, nice ones with binding, etc., although I have to say that I've never seen a Regal baritone uke.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24th, 2007 04:07 pm |
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4th Post |
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Will Approved 
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UkeForever wrote: That looks a lot like a tenor guitar, and not a baritone at all. I think John (UkeForever) is correct - it does look like a tenor guitar. Regal did make tenor guitars, which were much more common during the 1920's through the early 50's than nowadays. The tell-tale sign for me was the elongated parlour guitar style body, similar to the photos of the Martin O17T tenor that Nick Reynolds played with the original Kingston Trio back during the late 1950s. Also, the Regal instrument has a tailpiece string anchor, rather than the bridge anchor characteristic of nearly all baritone ukes. If you measure the scale length and it comes out to something close to 22" then it is indeed a tenor guitar. The friction tuners were used in order to appeal to tenor banjo players, who needed a guitar that was tuned CGDA and did not require them to learn a new tuning. The tenor guitar originally had steel strings. If you would like to use baritone uke tuning (DGBE), as I do, just use the 4 highest strings of a standard guitar string set. If you want to use nylon strings, use a classical guitar set; the scale length is too long for standard baritone uke strings. If you like the sound of Aquila strings, Aquila also makes a classical guitar version of Nylgut strings.
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24th, 2007 06:36 pm |
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5th Post |
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ukeless Approved
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Thanks guys! Measurements: total length = 31" body = 15 1/2" scale length = 20 1/4 (from nut to middle of 12th fret = 10 1/8 ") body depth = 3 " width of neck at nut = 1 1/4" Bridge is not secured. (moveable) Nice tone but getting some fret buzz (from the first fret). Tried raising the brdige a little which helps but naturally affects the action. Thinking might be better to file down the first fret a little?? Any suggestions? (No experience doing this. Don't want to damage the ole gal out of my incompetence.) I have D'Addario Baritone Uke strings on at the moment. Wondering if I could put all metal on? Don't know the implications of the tailpiece string anchor. Couldn't figure out a good knot to anchor the strings with so just futzed my way through it. I have my dad's Martin Tenor guitar (from the 1960's I think) but not too wild about the tone. Thinking of selling it and putting the money into a better quality baritone uke. Trouble is finding some to try! Don't want to order a Jenny or something and find out I don't like the tone. Locally I can go try an Oscar Schmidt, Samick (George Bennet), and Mahalo and that's about it. Totally new to the Baritone uke but it is singing to me! (Love it.) All the best, Van
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24th, 2007 06:41 pm |
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6th Post |
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UkeForever Approved
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1) Have a qualified luthier do the fret dress. You will be happier for it. See, once you take down the first fret, the action is lower on the next fret, and so forth. So it's usually not a one-fret job. 2) That Martin tenor guitar is worth more than a Jenny or (gulp!) an Oscar Schmidt, etc. You could E-bay it and buy 10 Jennys! (Kidding.) If you sell the Martin tenor guitar, you should be able to use the cheddar on a high-end baritone (if that's your thing), ala Ken Potts (KP ukulele), Kanile'a, or the like.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24th, 2007 11:35 pm |
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7th Post |
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Will Approved
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As John said, the Martin tenor is rare and quite expensive (they haven't been made since the early 1960s). A good luthier can do some work on it and add new strings to improve the tone.
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Fri Nov 30th, 2007 12:28 am |
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8th Post |
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JohnB Approved 
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My first thought was that is a neat looking Baritone, bet it sounds sweet. My second thought was it looks like a Tenor Guitar, my third thought is, now that you've reported it's length at 31" it's more likely to be a Baritone uke. oh and another thing to consider... a tenor guitar, assuming it's had any substantial playing time, with its steel strings will likely grind down the frets. Do the frets close to the nut appear to be worn? Last edited on Fri Nov 30th, 2007 12:32 am by JohnB |
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| Posted: Sun Dec 2nd, 2007 04:50 pm |
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9th Post |
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Mike Bagneski Approved
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I interpret your statement: getting some fret buzz (from the first fret). to mean that the fret buzz is occuring on open strings. If I'm right, then you have a low nut, and if it's not glued in real well, you can try shimming it to fix your buzz. On the larger issue of what this is, the movable bridge and tailpiece shoves it a bit more in the direection of being a tenor guitar, since that config used to be a common strategy for dealing with the higher tension of steel strings. Mike
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| Posted: Thu May 8th, 2008 08:54 pm |
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10th Post |
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PhilUSAFRet Approved
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I think it's definately a baritone uke. Most tenor guitar necks I've seen had different tuners and had a scale length a few inches longer than a baritone uke) Regal made several model of ukes, and a Regal baritone is 31" (others may be 29 or 30" with 30" considered the standard length for a baritone. Scale length is usually about 19". The fact that this one is 1" longer than the norm does not make it a tenor guitar. Hope this is helpful. Ukulele - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Last edited on Thu May 8th, 2008 09:29 pm by PhilUSAFRet |
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| Posted: Thu May 8th, 2008 09:26 pm |
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11th Post |
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PhilUSAFRet Approved
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Last edited on Thu May 8th, 2008 09:27 pm by PhilUSAFRet |
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| Posted: Thu May 8th, 2008 11:43 pm |
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12th Post |
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TomHB Guest
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Van, it looks like you've got a Regal tenor guitar, perhaps circa 1930. In pretty good shape too! http://www.minermusic.com/cc/jbrock.htm Second from left. Looks just like yours. I'll bet it's worth a bundle 
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| Posted: Fri May 9th, 2008 01:30 pm |
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13th Post |
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PhilUSAFRet Approved
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TomHB: Thanks for the link. Opinions are great, but facts are better. I guess this settles the debate. Looks like many Regal Tenor Guitars have been sold as Baritone Ukes after Arthur Godfrey "allegedly" invented the baritone uke around 1960 . The size of the Regal is so close to a baritone uke, and most people are so unfamiliar with tenor guitars (read Me!) , that the mistake was bound to happen. This is such a great site to learn about and appreciate musical instruments.
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| Posted: Sun May 11th, 2008 01:53 pm |
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14th Post |
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TomHB Guest
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Phil, it sure looks like a baritone uke, especially with the peg tuners, so don't feel bad about opining that it was. I had no idea either, until I found that page with some creative Googling
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| Posted: Sun May 11th, 2008 09:47 pm |
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15th Post |
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PhilUSAFRet Approved
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I do have to wonder, looking at that bridge. Most tenor guitars I've seen have tailpeices. This one does not. Harmony made ukes and guitars for Regal for a while, and I wonder if this was a baritone uke that Harmony was making under it's own name based on the tenor guitar they were making for Regal since they are both the exact same size . Regal may have said "what the hell" and sold a few under their own name. Aren't vintage instrument mysteries fun?
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| Posted: Tue Oct 14th, 2008 05:15 am |
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16th Post |
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ukeless Approved
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Hey guys, Thanks for all your help! Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. No excuse - just been busy, and away, and ... lots of excuses it turns out!  Had a European-trained luthier do the work on the uke/tenor guitar and he said it was the sweetest tone he's ever heard from such an instrument. (Am I beaming??) He estimated close to 100 years old. I love this little gal no matter what she is and it has become my primary instrument for writing tunes (my focus) instead of my keyboards. Even has me out and about for the first time actually performing the songs for others. (One of the hassles of being a keyboard player!) (You can check out some of my songs here: Van Clayton Powel (The video of There's An Old Lady On The Outside Of My Body (outside version) isn't the Regal. It was a friend's baritone uke - the first uke I'd had my hands on actually, and it shows! ;-)) But the video of the same song performed in a pub is the Regal. And many others on the music page were recorded with the Regal.) Thanks again for all your help. Very kind of y'all! Gonna post another question now about going electric with this gal. All the best, Van Last edited on Fri Sep 18th, 2009 11:04 pm by ukeless |
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| Posted: Tue Oct 14th, 2008 01:11 pm |
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17th Post |
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Will Approved
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If your instrument is 100 years old, it most definitely is a tenor guitar. The baritone uke wasn't made until the 1940's, designed specifically for Arthur Godfrey, the radio and TV superstar of his day.
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Tue Oct 14th, 2008 08:19 pm |
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18th Post |
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ukeless Approved
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Thanks, Will. Certainly no date stamp on the instrument but that's what the luthier estimated. He tried to get the "Marboro" label off to see what was underneath but it wouldn't come. Van
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| Posted: Sun Jul 5th, 2009 09:17 pm |
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19th Post |
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jumpingflea Approved
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I am certain its a parlor guitar body shape. Matches up with many I have seen. Yet only four strings like a tenor guitar. With Regal who knows, perhaps a hybrid. Pete
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