Uke Yak Fans, Chuck "Frets" Fayne has been the resident expert for "Uke Yak" since 1998. Since that time he has answered almost 6,000 questions related to vintage ukuleles. Over many years, Chuck assembled his own world-class collection of vintage Hawaiian and Mainland ukes, including some amazing one-of-a-kind pieces. It was Chuck’s collection that made up the majority of the ukes in my book, "The Ukulele-A Visual History." Although Chuck has retired from the Uke Yak, his extensive knowledge and unique sense of humor live on in this searchable archive. Enjoy! Search the Uke Yak. Jumpin’ Jim 2015
Flea Market Music Uke Yak (233 of 296) (Chuck "Frets" Fayne has answered the following 5919 questions.)

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Question asked by: leslie/raleigh, nc Subject: new at this Question: HI. I've inherited my father's baritone uke. All the books seem to be for the sopranos. Is tuning the same? Are the chords the same fingering? What's a good resource for a very real beginner like myself? Thanks. Answer: The fingering is the same. The chords will be different because of the difference in tuning. The best place to find out all you need to know is the products section of this site. You will find books, cd's, video's and people who will come to your house and place your hands on the uke...O.K I lied about the person...But do visit the On Line Store. You might also want to venture into the bulletin where the den of ukenutz hold court 24 hours a day. They will be able to answer all your questions. They will even answer questions you have not asked. I never miss reading the Bulletin board. If you love to talk, but you don't want to travel a great distance to yak...the bulletin board was made for you. thanks for visiting and welcome to Ukedom..frets fayne - Monday, April 22, 2002

Question asked by: Charley Montroll Subject: Apology Question: Hey, Chuck- I just wanted to apologize for what was essentially a 1:00 a.m. sleepy blurt of nonsense (my recent posting about the "philosophy" of ukes & toddlers). I deserved the sarcasm my post received, having tried - immaturely - to level some myself. You've always provided a valuable means for collectors to get answers about their ukes that they might not otherwise be able to find, and I wish you continued success in your music and your magic. Anyway, Have a great Spring, Charley Montroll Answer: Hey Charley..no apology necessary. If there is a lesson to be learned from this, I think I learned it. Never do anything at 1:00 a.m. when your sleepy ...but sleep. However, if you do temporarily slip and try to make sense at 1.am and don't... your friends will always understand. Thank you very much for the very nice letter. I hope you will keep in touch no matter what the time. If the truth be known, I am very happy you are introducing music to children...The ukulele has brought me more pleasure than I can ever express, And has given me a chance to know people like yourself. What a blessing. cheers...frets fayne - Tuesday, April 16, 2002

Question asked by: Wiliama Pulu Subject: Inquiry into Da Fluke Question: last time I played a uke was growing up in the islands in the 50s. I like to get back to it and the Fluke sounds great for the quality and price, plus I dont wanna have to go thru much pain relearning. Anyway, besides checking the products list for books,cds etc after purchasing a fluke, explain some of the terminology that i see with the catalog info, like what's a fishman pickup (what about undersaddle?), what version (tenor, concert, etc) is mo betta, what is a pre amp ....as you can see, it's been a long time......island boy in his fifties living in Colorado... mahalo, wiliama Answer: Hi Wiliama...so...Whats the question and how can I help?..frets.... - Sunday, April 14, 2002

Question asked by: richard gimpelson Subject: martin tiple Question: My wife was given a Martin tiple in 1966. The serial # is 20918. The Martin imprint is on the back of the head and a second imprint is inside. Should I insure my wife or the tiple for the highest value? Answer: It depends on what the imprint is on the back of your wifes head. I know the serial number, but I don't know the style. If you can furnish that, I will let you know what the value is. t15 and t17 are mahogany...t 18 is spruce top mahogany back..t 28 is spruce top and rosewood back. its an oldie...l923-3-24...At this point the wife is still leading, but the lead could change at any moment. let me know what you have..not your wife...the tiple....best chuck - Sunday, April 14, 2002

Question asked by: Barry Werbin Subject: Strings Question: Chuck - Just read about your great site in Acoustic Guitar Magazine. What a find! I inherited two beautiful ukes from my dad- an early 1920's Oliver Ditson Type 2 (made by Martin) and a circa late 1920's Martin Type 3. The Martin in particular sounds just lucious with great volume. I had both recently reconditioned (a couple very old cracks) by Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island, NY, and the guys there even fell in love with teh Martin and said Type 3's are hard to come by in good playable condition. They put new strings on and my question is whether there are any "premium" strings out there and where to find them, or are all uke strings basically the same? Thanks. Answer: I am a fan of Kamaka strings but I might be tempted to try Martin strings since they are Martin ukes. You can't go wrong. No..all strings are not the same. You got two wonderful ukes. Let us know how they turn out. Do you have the copy of Acoustic Guitar Magazine. I have not seen the article that mentions this site...Please let me know. They are unavailable here in Australia...frets - Friday, April 12, 2002

Question asked by: rohan Subject: pickups in ukes Question: i have a basic mahalo ukulele and i want to put a pickup in it, can u tell me what options i have and the price ranges they will cost and the capabillities it will have. thank you so much keep up the good work, from rozz Answer: rozz...I have had the most success with the saddle pick up. Go to a good luthier ( a good luthier, not necessarily your local music store) and ask about this type of pick-up. please let me know where you live ( not the address..just the city) and I will try to help find a good luthier for you. thanks for writing in....chuck - Friday, April 12, 2002

Question asked by: BERN BUDD Subject: banjolele strings Question: Jerry Moore turned me on to this great sight and suggested I ask you this question. I'm a newbie with a new Gold Tone Banjolele. I love it, but the 3rd "C" string sounds horribly dull. GT won't tell me what gauge it is and I've noticed that string sets come in varying gauges. Somewhere I even saw a suggestion to use the same gauge for the 1st and 4th strings, so I tried tuning down the 2nd string to C and like the sound much better. Is there any problem with using only two gauges, say .022 for G and A and .032 for C and E? Any information will be greatly appreciated. Answer: Bern...you need to take it to a good luthier...same advise as the last one..a good luthier... and they have to find out why the string is dull. It probably is not the string gauge, but perhaps the size of the groove for the string. You need professional help on this one..Don't try it yourself..Its like skydiving. When it works its great, when it doesn't you won't be able to play the uke at all. I am known for these appropriate comparisons..I saw that exact sign when I went skydiving the last time...Yeh, the man who won't change a lightbulb. best...Frets" the daredevil Fayne.... - Friday, April 12, 2002

Question asked by: Mike Subject: Waverley Victory Banjo Uke Question: My father (king of the thrift store bargain hunters)recently purchased a banjo ukulele with the markings "Waverley" on the tuners and "Victory" on the inside (it's an open backed uke). Does anyone know the history/origin of this instrument? The guy at the thrift store said something about it being a WWII instrument issued to GI's during the war to pass the time. I don't have a picture yet but I can post/send one soon. Any ideas? Answer: I love the part of the story that the word "victory" had to do with a ww2 issue for the troops to pass the time. How creative. The word Victory appears on many many different ukes and banjo ukes. I have no pic to go on, but my guess is that it is a 30-40's banjo uke. The victory banjo uke I had was made by Regal. I would need a pic to make sure, but its a pretty safe guess. Waverley is the name of the brand of tuners and has nothing to do with the instrument. They are a little better than most of the tuners used on banjo ukes of that ilk...so thats a plus. plese send a pic to me at cfayne@bigpond.net.au or to this site. thanks again and keep your head down, buy bonds and don't light a cigarette late at night....Sgt Frets - Thursday, April 11, 2002

Question asked by: paula king Subject: maybell baritone uke Question: please tell me if this is a baritone uke or a tenor guitar. it has may-bell on the head. banjo pegs, nylon strings, it is 35" long, 13" wide, i am confused. I have been told it is a rare piece and it is a baritone uke and then i'm told its a tenor guitar. I have more pics if you need them, but please help!!!!!! Photos:      Answer: it is a tenor guitar..it is too long for a baritone uke. There is a MAy-BELL TENOR GUITAR for sale on ebay now. I will try to get the number for you. If you to the antique section of the home page and type in may-bell, I think you will find it. As to its rarity, I'm not sure what your friend meant by rarity. These words have all blended together by now...I would call it scarce..I have seen a couple dozen of them offered for sale thru the years. Thanks for writing and keep writing in...we are here to help...frets - Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Question asked by: Charley Montroll Subject: Toddlers playing my Martin Uke Question: Back in 1999, I asked you about the value of a Fine-der uke, & mentioned I let toddlers play my Martin uke, which you somehow turned into my asking if it was alright to let the child play (which I never did ask) & found to be one "strangest" messages you had ever received & hoped the uke would last... 3 years later, one of these former toddlers (he's 6 now & it was his dad who owned the Fin-der) just showed me his guitar and did a pretty good job of playing D and E chords. And the one-year-old twins whose birthday I entertained at this past weekend did not try to eat the uke or guitar, but spent an hour strumming the strings. Young children are extremely smart, and many show very clearly that they know how to respect that an instrument is not a toy. I feel that if one is so afraid to let a child touch their precious box of wood & strings, which is all the instruments really are, a chance to spread the joy of music when it could really matter has been lost. And as much as we'd like to think it can't, an instrument can be easily replaced, while excluding children from gaining an interest in music cannot, and frankly, if something did happen to my Martin uke, it wouldn't really matter. I'd just go out and buy another 50-year-old scratched-up Type-O and use that until I needed to get another. And having a friend - thankfully still alive - who decided to leave the World Trade Center when it was hit by the plane instead of going back upstairs brought home the fact that there are a few things that are WAY more important than if a baby scratches a ukulele. And yes, the Martin is doing just fine, scratched up and full of cracks like it was the day I bought it. Answer: Charley...Gee its nice to hear from you. I'm glad the toddlers and the ukes are all fine and that the 6 year old is well on his way to giving Eric Clapton a fair bit of competition. D and E....amazing...I'm glad your in a position to replace Martin O's when they get damaged..I am not. I would still have reservations about letting a toddler have one as a playtoy when cheap substitute ukes are available that will not hold back their interest in music. I have never know a toddler who knew the diffference between a martin and a Harmony and was influenced by the better instrument. That would be quite a child. But, I must remember that the 6 year old is alread playing 2 chords on a Guitar. I guess the Martin theory is correct. If a Martin uke is nothing more than a box of wood and strings than a 5000 year old Ming Vase in nothing more than a pot. I hope you are in a position to replace that Vase when you try apply your theory about not spreading the joy of Art. I think perhaps you also missed my sense of humor. I hope this message will help along those lines. Some children show a remarkable sense of what is valuable and what is not. However, having two children of my own and having been one myself, I would prefer , whenever possible,to substitute a less valuable example of that area of life I am trying to expose them to. If it must be...a cardboard cut out of a kitchen knife, rather than trust their innate ability to be able to make rational judgements at toddler stage by giving them on of my steak knife set. Point Made? And yes, I agree, there are more important things in life than a Martin O ukulele, but the leap to the Twin Towers is one I would have never thought of. Thank you for bringing us all back to reality. Please don't wait three years to get back to me. Always interested in others views. Your pal...frets - Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Question asked by: Debbie Subject: Have you ever heard of an Alex Uke? Question: My frined has an old Uke that belonged to his grandfather and wanted me to try to find some info on it. All he has told me is that it is an Alex, model #is134, 4 string, length is 30 inches by 9 1/2 inches, and that it is made in Japan. Have you ever heard of this? Any info would be greatly apprecated. Answer: Debbie...is there any chance that your friends grandfather's name was Alex? My Grandfather's name was William and He had a car named a Willys...Perhaps thats the connection...I have never heard of an Alex, however if you send me a pic to this site or my email address..cfayne@bigpond.net.au..I will attempt to tell you more about it. best and keep writing...Chuck - Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Question asked by: robert wheeler - founder Subject: fretless or fretted that is the question? Question: In line with "ask Chuck a question"... Did you know, Chuck, that Harmonys with "flush fret boards" were made before they started to attach plastic fret boards, so it is likley that flush fret board, (i.e. with frets directly into the painted neck - no fret board at all in truth - with painted dot position markers) - are prior to WW II, or just bearley after. In addition to "plastic fret board" - "no fret board" as indications of date of creation for Harmonys, they can be "guess- da-mated" by the decal on the head, if one was put on at the time of manufacture. Very early (20's - 30's ???) - Gold oval - red and white border with stylized garland at top Black printing - "HARMONY" - "MADE BY THE HARMONY COMPANY" - "CHICAGO. U.S.A." - With this decal, earliest have wooden pegs - later ones have patent friction pegs. Late 40's (perhaps) has black lettering against gold back ground, with no border. Gold background "shadows" the text - "Harmony - CHICAGO U.S.A." - Frets in neck. Late 40's??? - Early 50's - A symmetrical decal with cream colored back ground bordered in shaded green with a "ribbon like" format. Black lettering, on the cream - "Harmony" - "made by" - On the bottom of the green trim - "The Harmony Company" - "Chicago U.S.A." - Frets in neck. Asymmetrical Dodge tail fin inspired tuner buttons appear. 50's - In the symmetrical decal described above, in the cream colored field, below "Harmony" - "made by" is removed and "reg. u.s. pat. office no 627412” is added. The plastic fret board appears. 50's - 60's???? In the symmetrical decal described, just above, in the cream colored field, below "Harmony" - "made in the U.S.A." was added. 50's???? - 60's ????? - An asymmetrical decal, with same coloring (cream/green) as those other cream/green (above), and all of the black text as with previous above. The design of the decal reminds one of a watermelon seed (different color of course) exiting stage left at great speed. Tapered. Very modern. These variants of decals also appear on non-painted, mahogany bodied, upscale, Harmonys, representing of course estimated time of creation. There are also different decals, or painted logos, for celebrity instruments, which, you will be pleased to hear, I won't discuss here. This may represent all of the Harmony decals prior to selling the name "off shore". If anyone should have an interest. regards robert -founder Answer: And there is the answer only one man could give...OUR FOUNDER...I will add this to my list of ukefacts and hope all of you out there do as well.. Thanks Robert, what else do you have time to do?...your pals..the gang at uke yak thank you again....frets - Monday, April 8, 2002

Question asked by: Unca Jim Subject: Stenciled Harmony Uke Question: I recently purchased a Harmony soprano ukulele with witha somewhat floral pattern stenciled in white around the soundhole, and a Harmony decal on the headstock. What struck me most interesting about the uke was the fact that the fretboard is flush with the face of the body. I was jusrt wondering what vintage this little beauty might be. Answer: Dear Unca....Harmony made hundreds of different varieties. You have one. Nothing surprises me when it comes to design variations. They made ukes from the 30-50's...Hope this has helped you..please keep in touch...chuck - Sunday, April 7, 2002

Question asked by: Steven Subject: teacher? Question: Nice work, Chuck and Jim. I like the site. When you been out and about, have you ever met anyone who teaches the classics on (forgive the herasay) Hawaiian lap steel guitar? I'm an old dude who loved being out on the edge of the world in Hana, and feel the need to slide around on the strings like a sweet ocean breeze. I'm in Glendale, CA. Answer: Stephen...Please call McCabes Guitar shop in Santa Monica. 310 8284497 and ask for John Zehnder. He is an old and dear friend and a great teacher. If he does not teach hawaiian guitar himself he will know someone who does. Please and tell the team of Beloff and Fayne say Hello. Thanks for writing in and let us know your progress..Best...frets - Sunday, April 7, 2002

Question asked by: Mark Cassettari Subject: Question: Hi Chuck! I know this is a site for Ukulele-ists, but I have to ask as I have just stumbled onto this sight. Are you the same Chuck Fayne who is also a magician? I am part of a comedy magic team in the SF Bay Area that uses our ukes in our act. If you are him, I saw you perform at the World Magic Summit in D.C. about 6 or 7 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm glad we're not the only ones that share the love of Magic and Ukuleles. It's obvious you do too. If you're not the same Chuck Fayne, please disregard this e-mail. :) Answer: I am the same Chuck Fayne and I am glad you found me and this site. If there anything we can do to help you guys, don't hesitate to write in. I go to bed, but the machine works 24 hours a day. Good luck...I hope to be at the Summit this year. Perhaps I will see you there....Best and say hello to Marc Silber......frets - Sunday, April 7, 2002

Question asked by: Diane Subject: Miami Professional Question: Greetings! Have you ever heard of a Miami Professional Uke? Perhaps it's old, say before the 40's. Was it made well? Thanks for your time; enjoy reading your comments. Answer: Yes..I have heard of Miami Professional Uke. I would guess it was made in the 40's...A little heavy but not bad player. Distributed by Stadelmeir ( may be wrong on the spelling, I tried to check it but couldn't find it now.) Your uke should have the correct spelling on the back of the headstock. Dont be taken in by that label either...you don't have to be a professional to play it nor do you have to live in Miami...You can just play Mah Jong...thats qualifies instead of living in Miami....best...frets - Friday, April 5, 2002

Question asked by: Ray Subject: Question: Oh Chuck oh chuck I think your worth a million bucks!! with your good advice and comments nice . keep it up this page its alright (ALL the best) What do you think of this banjo I have just finnished re building it as it was a mess are they any good to learn on or do I get shut?? Windsor Whirle about 1920`s so I was told Answer: Oh ray Oh ray what can I say... a poem from you makes me wonder some 'cause your the first man who's ever sent me one.... I'm honored and touched and thats the truth... but i got to end it here cause i can't think of anything clever that rhymes with truth except ruth...and he was a baseball player... I hope you tried to send me a pic because If you think I can read minds I'd be a sluth ...well what do you know..I found a rhyme for truth...best and send a pic to me or to this site.. cfayne@bigpond,net.au....cheers frets - Friday, April 5, 2002

Question asked by: Greg Markarian Subject: emotion Question: Hey. I love this resource. Have you ever heard of a uke maker called "Emotion"? This uke is up for auction and it looks really nice. It's supposedly made from solid Australian hardwood. Any idea what it's worth? Thanks. Photos:      Answer: Greg...I have never heard of anything called emotion. I am void of all feelings except the desire to sing like Edith Piaf....A fine rice dish . I know nothing about an emotion ukulele..Where is this ukulele up for auction..I would like to see it...thanks for writing...and keep it up....frets - Friday, April 5, 2002

Question asked by: jim Subject: 6string Question: Do they make 6-String Ukeleles? I have been looking for one online but I cannot find one. If the answer is yes, can I please get a link to a website that carries them? Thanks, Jim Answer: If you mean six different strings...the answer is no...The six string ukuleles are actually four strings with two of the strings being pairs tuned an octave apart, giving the uke a fuller sound. You can find a six string ukulele on the Kamaka Uke site . They are in Hawaii. The oldest makers still in business. Speaks well for their instruments. Just go to any search engine and type in Kamaka....you will get there. good luck..chuck - Friday, April 5, 2002

Question asked by: rocky Subject: new kamaka tenor Question: I've noticed that new Kamaka tenors (maybe all)have a different look. Do you have any specifics on the new nut, fretboard and bridge. Would you rather have a brand new one or one made in the mid 90s? Answer: Rocky..I have not noticed the different look to the modern kamaka tenors. I would, if given a choice , rather have a tenor from the 60's....I have never played a Kamaka I didn't like, so the shape is not that important to me. Its how it sounds that is important...play it , close your eyes, and make up your mind. frets - Monday, April 1, 2002

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