John King Ukulele Pdf
Adelaida Frodge
The son of a navy pilot,[2] King was born in San Diego. His father's position took the young King to Hawaii for a few years in his childhood, where he was introduced to the ukulele by his mother. Despite his early start in the ukulele, he initially showed no aptitude for the instrument, but quickly became a proficient guitar player, studying at one point with both Pepe Romero and his father Celedonio.[1]
King's repertoire ranged widely, but he is particularly noted for his interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 2008, the Journal of the Society for American Music called King "perhaps the world's only true classical 'ukulele virtuoso'".[4]
King recorded two records and wrote several books of ukulele arrangements. He did extensive research into the history of classical guitar and the ukulele, writing numerous essays. He wrote an encyclopedia of Hawaiian luthiers. He was working on a history of the ukulele with Jim Tranquada at the time of his death which was published in 2012, The Ukulele: A History, published by the University of Hawaii Press.
I love his article debunking one of the ukulele naming myth: taking in discussions of political wranglings, the pestilent nature of fleas, racist stereotypes and whether Edward Purvis got the nickname ukulele by being an asshat.
It is relatively simple to determine the Style. Martin has had five Styles, or quality levels, of instruments that they produced. They began with just four, Style 1, Style 2, Style 3 and Style 5. There is no information about what happened to the Style 4. The market indicated the need for a lower end model, so they created the Style 0. There are two primary items to look at to determine the Style, the 7th fret marker and the bindings.
The bindings are also distinctive. The Style 0 has no binding at all. The Style 1 had a rosewood binding on the front of the instrument, starting in 1926 it would also have binding on the back. On a vintage instrument, the binding can be difficult to see, the single thin white stripe hidden beneath an accumulation of dirt and age and the rose wood blending with the mahogany. In 1926 they changed from rosewood to the plastic tortoise shell. The binding on the Style 2 was an unmistakable white plastic celluloid with one black line in the middle. Binding for the Style 3 was a white plastic celluloid with a total of 7 alternating white and black lines. The Style 5 was similar to the Style 3, but had 9 bands with a mother-of-pearl inlay in one of the bands on the top.
The primary wood for the lower three models of the instruments was mahogany. Martin did make Style 1,2 and 3 instruments in koa wood. The Style 5 were made primarily in koa, but a few of them they were available in mahogany. The koa wood instruments in the lower styles are much less common than the mahogany models and the opposite for the higher two styles.
All of the models were available in both a soprano and a concert size. The tenor was available in all styles except the Style 0. You can see from the production tables that finding a koa instrument is much more difficult than finding a mahogany one. And there were only 764 Style 5 instruments ever made.
I wish you good luck in your quest to add a vintage Martin to your collection. The sound is unique and there is a sense of pride in owning an older instrument. If you wish to consult, please feel free to drop me a line at TheUkul...@gmail.com.
I have a tenor ukulele that has rosewood front and back. That says Type 1, 1935 or later. However, that 7th fret is single and that says type 0, but tenors were not made in that type. I have 1 in the 5th, 7th, 10th and 15th, and 2 in the 12th fret. Does that tell you anything?
I recently picked up a really nicely preserved style 2m soprano, complete with its original (vgc) Geib case, (now in a nice new Gator case btw), for a bargain price on US Ebay. The superb book, which I also bought, dates it to between 1934 and 1937. As it is my first all-solid uke, I am worried about how it will fare in my centrally-heated house over the winter. What precautions do I need to take. Thanks in advance for any advice. Mike
In 1945 Martin went from small to slightly larger fret markers. Do you have the exact measurement of the small vs larger fret marker? I just acquired a vintage concert ukulele and believe this would help me date it. Mine seems to have small markers but I have nothing to compare it to.
Thanks!
Sorry, but after checking all my references, none of them specify the sizes, only that they made them larger in 1945. If you can send some pictures of the tuners and other key items, I may be able to help narrow things down.
I have a style 2 in koa. 3 piece binding, no decal on headstock, stamped on back of head and in sound hole. No cracks or separations, original case. Widow of original owner said it was purchased new in 1920.
With the Made in USA on the inside stamp, we know it was made in 1960 or more recently. I concur it is probably a Style 0 from your description. It certainly has some value, you can check some of the auction sites or used instrument stores and see what they are asking for one like this.
It is going to be mahogany or koa. The koa tends to be a bit lighter. Most of the pictures you see on my posts are mahogany. Your best bet is to visit some of the auction sites and check out the pictures to see the difference. With a bow tie, you are probably talking a Style 3.
Hello, I came across your information and wondered if you could possibly assist me to determine if the martin listed in this reverb link for sale is actually a 1920s martin style 1. It seems to be a 1930s style 0? I truly appreciate your help. Thank you so much
I came across your information and wondered if you could possibly assist me to determine if the martin listed in this reverb link for sale is actually a 1920s martin style 1. It seems to be a 1930s style 0? I truly appreciate your help. Thank you so much -1920-s-martin-stlye-1-soprano-uke-w-original-soft-cloth-case
A gorgeous CD from the great unknown, Hem; debut music from singer/poet Pieta Brown; minimalist rockers The White Stripes; a look back at the Talking Heads; Hungarian folk on accordion from Daniel Barksi; a Bach cello suite on ukulele from John King; new pop from 'emo' pioneers Promise Ring.
New York song writer Dan Messe puts an ad in the paper for a singer and finds "the most beautiful voice" he's ever heard. Sally Ellyson sings here on Rabbit Songs, a gorgeous debut from the group, Hem.
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