Wild Muse Notes

Here is a picture of me with my brand new (to me) vintage Stella banjo ukulele. I took the picture myself so I couldn’t get all of both of us in the frame without growing much longer arms. I am so excited about this I can’t see straight even with my new glasses on. I lucked out and snagged her on ebay. Eeeee-bay.

I’ve been lusting for a banjolele. This one is in excellent shape for being a 1925 model and it was one quarter of that price. It’s an Oscar Schmidt and I like those. C.P. McDill’s ukulele and one of my zithers are Schmidts. This one needs a little fixing up although it is playable now. Eventually, I’ll get a new skin and replace the rusted parts.

I’ve been told was owned by the same woman since the 1920’s. She took excellent care of it and kept it under her bed wrapped in a silk shawl. She called it her banjo uke and claimed to be quite the hit at parties. I guess she’s too old to play now and doesn’t want it to get trashed when she goes to banjolele heaven. This baby has mojo. I can feel it.

The previous owner was left handed (which we could tell because the strings were on backwards) and the instrument seems to be “trained” to play that way. As odd as it sounds, when I pick her up I usually fall into the reverse position automatically and have to switch over. It doesn’t happen when I practice on the other ukulele we have. Weird. I guess if someone is attached to their instrument and plays it for over seven decades a certain way, the instrument itself is going to have a preference. We’ll just have to get used to each other.