Up for sale, a 1924 Gibson UB Banjo Ukulele in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Only produced in 1924 and early ‘25, the UB was Gibson’s first-ever ukelele, designed in hopes of capturing a piece of the Hawaiian music craze sweeping the nation in the ‘20s. Predating the introduction of Gibson’s full ukelele line in ‘25, the UB has more in common with Gibson’s banjos of the time in terms of construction than later banjolele iterations, featuring a “trap door” resonator, larger rim diameter, coordinator rod system, and snakehead headstock with a unique multi-color “The Gibson” script logo.
The UB has a maple rim and a maple neck capped with an ebony fingerboard, pairing the shape and look of a scaled-down banjo with the tuning and playability of a ukulele. The resultant tone delivers on that hybridization, blending the banjo’s barky, percussive pluck with the uke’s sweet, harmonic chime. Crisp and responsive, this banjolele has plenty of projection, and the hinged plate “trap door” resonator can be opened for even more volume. This UB Banjo Ukulele has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with fresh fluorocarbon strings and easy-playing action.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Medium V, measuring .850” 1st fret, .940” 5th fret, 1.035” 7th fret
-Fretboard: Ebony, dot inlay
-Frets: Slender, faint wear on frets 1-3
-Scale Length: 14”
-Nut: 1 1/8”
-Headstock: Snakehead, “The Gibson” multi-color script silkscreen
-Tuners: Grover
Body Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Hardware: Modern bridge, tailpiece, tension hooks and hoop (nickel-plated)
-Resonator: “Trap door,” hinged, grained ivoroid binding
-Head: Synthetic calfskin
-Rim: 9 1/2“ diameter
-Serialization: FON dates to 1924
Cosmetic wear on the French Polish finish is limited to light wear central to the back and just a few faint marks on the rim. The neck profile has a worn-in, easy-playing feel, with palm wear through the finish behind frets 1-5.
A padded gigbag is included.
The UB has a maple rim and a maple neck capped with an ebony fingerboard, pairing the shape and look of a scaled-down banjo with the tuning and playability of a ukulele. The resultant tone delivers on that hybridization, blending the banjo’s barky, percussive pluck with the uke’s sweet, harmonic chime. Crisp and responsive, this banjolele has plenty of projection, and the hinged plate “trap door” resonator can be opened for even more volume. This UB Banjo Ukulele has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with fresh fluorocarbon strings and easy-playing action.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Medium V, measuring .850” 1st fret, .940” 5th fret, 1.035” 7th fret
-Fretboard: Ebony, dot inlay
-Frets: Slender, faint wear on frets 1-3
-Scale Length: 14”
-Nut: 1 1/8”
-Headstock: Snakehead, “The Gibson” multi-color script silkscreen
-Tuners: Grover
Body Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Hardware: Modern bridge, tailpiece, tension hooks and hoop (nickel-plated)
-Resonator: “Trap door,” hinged, grained ivoroid binding
-Head: Synthetic calfskin
-Rim: 9 1/2“ diameter
-Serialization: FON dates to 1924
Cosmetic wear on the French Polish finish is limited to light wear central to the back and just a few faint marks on the rim. The neck profile has a worn-in, easy-playing feel, with palm wear through the finish behind frets 1-5.
A padded gigbag is included.
