I have always been a favilla fan, and i am ordering the book tom provided the link to in his response. The advancement of the ukulele has been influenced by instruments from spain, south america, and africa. Ukulele instruction manuals from former times were headed down memory lane at this point. To look at this ukulele quickly it is quite convincingly mistaken for a c f martin brand instrument. Rare black favilla soprano ukelele 1930s damaged see photos and description. Nov 17, 2017 vintage favilla baritone built around 1953 1957.
Thomas favilla very kindly identified as close as he could from the photos i supplied the model and the approximate years in which it might have been built. From 1890 to 1910 the instruments including ukuleles were labeled marca aquila, then they were labeled favilla brothers until 1919 when they became favilla, this is the official line but i know. Hi chuck, just saw dougs posting about his favilla baritone uke. There isnt much else out there regarding favilla history, and this looks like a pretty good read.
Shows some wear along lower edge and some crazing to lacquer fin. The ukulele a visual history is a fun, photofilled look at the ongoing story of this diminutive instrument. The early marca aquila label from a favilla mandolin. Could you tell me the style and date of this favilla uke. Favilla s most famous ukulele design is the tearshaped uke which looks a great deal like a mandolin inspired no doubt by the favilla family s italian heritage.
A generation earlier the family was building string instruments in italy under my. Wondering what could be there with regard to ukulele. Get the best prices on our vintage ukuleles both instore and online. U2 1930s1940s solid mahogany up for auction is a favilla soprano ukulele model u2 from around the 1930s1940s. Soprano ukulele style plastic ukulele style 1 ukulele harmony uke roy smeck uke ukulele no reserve ukulele circa soprano mahogany vintage harmony ukelele kamaka soprano ukulele gibson ukulele harmony ukulele uke kamaka gold label martin style 1 regal ukulele martin uke ukulele gold label vintage harmony soprano koa wood ukulele harmony baritone ukulele vintage harmony baritone.
The finish has some slight crazing and there are very light strum marks on the upper bout. Brothers john giovanni and joseph opened their first music shop in the us in 1890, the family had been making instruments in italy prior to that, and in 1884 they started the musical instrument making company, initially as favilla bros. The daily ukulele baritone edition by jim beloff, liz. The largest wave of portuguese immigration lasted about 30 years, and 11,000 portuguese immigrants would arrive in its first decade. This high quality ukulele was made by the favilla company in the 1920s era i. Full of solid information on everything from choosing an instrument to daily practice.
The beginning of ukuleles has been from the portugal country side in 9 b. The ukulele is commonly associated with music from hawaii where the name roughly translates as jumping flea, perhaps because of the movement of the players fingers. After 1959 the familiar gold label inside the body bore the model and serial number. Soprano ukulele style plastic ukulele style 1 ukulele harmony uke roy smeck uke ukulele no reserve ukulele circa soprano mahogany vintage harmony ukelele kamaka soprano ukulele gibson ukulele harmony ukulele uke kamaka gold label martin style 1 regal ukulele martin uke ukulele gold label vintage harmony soprano koa wood ukulele harmony baritone ukulele vintage harmony baritone mahogany uke. Feb 11, 2015 the days of wine and roses, aquila strings, roland junell. When i lived in arlington, va and was an associate program director for marine chemistry at the national science foundation 19891991 i had time and access to the library of congress. Features color photographs of the finest and most unique ukuleles, the history of the ukulele, the greatest players, the great makers, and the uke in popular culture. This book is a remarkable tribute to the scholarship and musicological drive of the two authors, and to the determination of tranquada in ensuring the book reached publication. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Hercules herk favilla was a thirdgeneration luthier and the son of.
Strum a different song every day with easy arrangements of 365 of your favorite songs in one big songbook. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading favilla familia. As near to mint as you are likely to see from a 80 year old favilla ukulele. Around 1950, herk was the first to author a series of instructional booklets specifically for the baritone ukulele player. Rare vintage favilla teardrop soprano ukulele with fremont tweed hard case i am selling a hardtofind vintage solid mahogany favilla teardrop soprano ukulele which dates back to anywhere from the 1920s to the 1950s depending upon what reference source you consult. The neck is straight and it has good action and intonation. Leslie nunes, decendent of manuel told me the story of a book put out in the 1950s by a decendent of one of the othter two men usually mentioned in connection with the origin of the ukulele. Four years later my grandfather john giovanni and his brother joseph, a violin builder, formed a company in 1894. Solid mahogany 1 38 36mm nut 19 scale i have my favourite martin baritone. About half the book is an eight week plan to learn to play. Dixon et al 2011 daniel dixon with dixie dixon and jayne mckay, ukulele. Theres some flaking around the sound hole is that wax. The ukulele slowly declined in popularity through the 1930s, momentarily being revived in the late1940s through to the 1950s with some american servicemen bringing the instrument home with them from hawaii after world war two. There is already a great deal of informantion about the old martin, favilla, gretch, gibson, lyon and healy.
People with a low budget who could not afford other musical instruments channel their resource to buying the ukulele. There is much to admire in a book that gives the ukulele its proper due and thereby makes a fine contribution to cultural history. Journal of new zealand and pacific studies this is the outstanding scholarly work on the history of the ukulele. It features breathtaking color photographs of the finest and most unique ukuleles, the history of the ukulele, the greatest players, the great makers. We have a ukulele that my father purchased through a comic book during the 1920s. This instrument, which has no dents or scratches, produces warm rich tones. This madeinnew york allmahogany body uke, with the favilla decal peghead logo, is quite unusual because it has six strings. The machete itself is a descendent of the early european and middle eastern plucked stringed instruments.
Offering a 1950s herk favilla baritone ukelele with case. Enjoy the lowest prices and best selection of favilla ukuleles at guitar center. We have the 1940s uke ukulele in stock in our collection. It was during the start of the ukulele craze in the early part of this century that martin started making ukuleles. Up for sale is my excellent condition favilla baritone ukulele, circa 1960, style b2, serial number. This revised edition includes a new chapter on recent popculture visibility, new photos, and updated information throughout. Ukulele production was halted in 1973, and tom favilla, herks son built the last favilla guitar in 1985. For comparisons sake, martin baritones, which didnt appear until 1960, have 20 18inch scales. Tom hodgkinson and gavin pretorpinney lots of illustrations and beginning history of the instrument. The favilla brothers started building string instruments in the united states in 1890. Incorporated hawaiian ukulele dealers tacoma, wash. Excellent historical resource, and a great read as well. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at.
If you are interested in vintage banjo ukuleles or banjoleles, see the banjo ukes page on this site. Over the years i invented new, original and unique designs for martin. John favilla is credited with the invention of the baritone uke at the request of herk hercules favilla and herk wrote the first baritone uke method book in 1949, published in 1950. A very rare vintage favilla teardrop model, solid mahogany, soprano ukulele for your consideration. He also published a collection of arranged guitar music in 1965. All favilla baritones sported solid mahogany bodies and necks and rosewood fretboards with a 19inch scale. The finish is all in tack, there is no observable wear. Favilla familia is a book that is an overview of the history and serves as a guide book to the favilla instrument brand. Dear ukulele hall of fame museum, here is an all koa wood soprano ukulele made for the mainland department store, rhodes brothers in tacoma, washington, established in 1892.
They carried on making ukuleles up until 1968 and baritones up to 1985 but most favilla ukuleles are from the 1920s and 30s. Also includes a complete chord chart, vintage baritone uke advertising, and the history of the favilla baritone uke by tom favilla. By the 1920s, the company had expanded to over 50 employees. A selfteaching method for the beginner book 1 herk favilla on.
This page could be better described as less famous vintage ukes. Favilla for sale vintage musical instruments for sale. Others, including david hodge, author of the complete idiots guide to playing the ukulele, suggest that the honor goes to john favilla of favilla guitars, a oncethriving stringedinstrument company in new york city. Shop now and receve free shipping on your order today. There is a tiny edge ding on the lower bout, and an end pin. Although their ukuleles dont fetch quite the prices of martin ukuleles, they are quickly rising in price particularly the older ukuleles. Hal leonard jumpin jims the bari best 30 baritone ukulele. Favilla used, 1950 model uh6 sixstring tenor ukulele. Now baritone ukulele players can have fun every day, too. Covers history of the instrument, vintage sheet music, players through the decades, and assorted tidbits.
Legend attributes it to the nickname of the englishman edward william purvis, one of king kalakaua s officers, because of his small size, fidgety manner, and playing expertise. Flea market music offers an online community for ukulele. The days of wine and roses, aquila strings, roland junell. According to hodge, favilla built the baritone at the urging of his son, herk, who wanted to use it as a guitarteaching tool. At favilla, ukulele production was never more than 10% of their overall production of favilla instruments, and a lot less after 1960. Ukulele books hawaiian music for listening pleasure. Favillas most famous ukulele design is the tearshaped uke. Martin, gibson, favilla, and lyon and healy produced highquality instruments. In 1951 he authored and published a twovolume baritone ukulele method, one volume for selftaught beginners, the other for students and professionals.
Hal leonard jumpin jims the bari best 30 baritone ukulele arrangements songbook 0884088019495. Favilla, like martin, were a mainland us guitar company who were quick to pick up on the trend for ukuleles in the 1920s. Favilla baritone ukulele, circa 1960, style b2 w case. Then the second part of the book is more of a favilla reference guide for guitar collectors and music dealers. The ukulele is derived from a pair of portuguese instruments first brought.
The daily ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulelefriendly keys that are particularly. First half is a interesting look of the history of a family of instrument makers from southern italy and there journey thru time to nyc. Uke players will know these favillas made in new york as theyre one of the more soughtafter vintage baritone models, for good reason they sound great. Their factory at the time was at west 16th street new york.
It is believed that purvis has given thehawaiian nickname of ukulele whichmeans jumping flea, because hewas small lively. Favilla familia is a book that is an overview of the history and serves as a. Martin, the martin guitar company of nazareth, pennsylvania, soon became world renowned for making some of the worlds finest guitars. Two of the courses are doubled, and one of the strings is an octave higher than the other like a 12string guitar. Favilla s most famous ukulele design is the tearshaped uke which. Up for sale is my very nice condition favilla baritone ukulele, circa 1960, style b2. This instrument, which has no cracks, dents or scratches, produces warm rich tones. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Flea market music offers an online community for ukulele players to. Very early baritones 1940s to 1953 had no serial numbers. The daily ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and. The popularity of poprock music caused the ukulele to fade into the background in the 1960s, although it still. Tiki kings ukulele database, favilla brand ukuleles. Lavishly illustrated book traces the history of the ukulele with a sense of whimsy befitting the instrument. The ukulele was adopted by many people as a good beginner instrument due to its small, portable size and a low price.
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