Vintage Jonah Kumalae Hawaiian Solid Koa Soprano Ukulele 1915

Vintage Jonah Kumalae Hawaiian Solid Koa Soprano Ukulele

I am selling a vintage solid koa Kumalae soprano ukulele that was made in Hawaii by Jonah Kumalae and dates back around a century.

This particular Kumalae has a very rare blue label as well as an internal label which in combination appears to date it to around 1915.

The bridge and tuning pegs appear to be original. The action is good, and it sounds just fine. It is quite playable as is, although the wooden tuning pegs, as usual, can be frustrating.

The instrument has certainly been around the block a few times and has numerous relatively crude repairs that are quite obvious in the photos, so please research this vintage Kumalae solid koa Hawaiian made ukulele and study the photos carefully before purchasing. The instrument is more than a hundred years old so that must be considered.

Includes period hard case in very rough shape.

According to an article written by SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY in the Summer 2022 issue of the online magazine “Ukulele”:

Like most Hawaiian ukes made during this period, the bodies of Kumalae ukuleles were egg-shell thin and had slightly arched backs. Because they were individually handmade, no two bodies are exactly alike. Metal frets were set directly into the necks; no applied fingerboards. All instruments were finished in French polished shellac. Friction wood pegs came standard, but celluloid or mechanical tuners could be fitted for an additional cost.

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