ManuelNunes & Sons 1910’s Vintage Ukulele Made in Hawai’i

between 1910 and 1917

Original Label onthe inside:

MadeExpressly for Southern California Music Company

By M. Nunes & Sons

Inventor ofthe Ukulele and Taro Patch Fiddles in Honolulu in 1879

Manufacturersof string instruments Guaranteed

KapiolaniBuilding, Alakea St., Honolulu, T.H.

It is agreat piece for a serious collector and or aficionado who will be able to spendthe time and money to restore it to become a collector’s high prized item.

Right nowit is not.

One couldof course just hang it on a wall and play it from time to time like I did.
It soundsgood despite the bits of unglued and or cracked pieces.

Short of afull restoration by a professional luthier, you could just have it re-glued andthe top re-finished.

I am noexpert by any means and can’t guarantee the item’s condition beyond that what Ican see, photograph and describe here. I took the best pictures I could from all the issuesmentioned and you should be able to see them clearly. if not, let me know please and i will email you more pictures.

The good:

100+ yearsold

Gorgeouskoa wood with flaming pattern front and back

Neck is ingood shape

Plays andholds tune

Originalkoa wooden pegs in great shape

Intarsiaaround the sound hole is in good shape, though it has tiny gaps.

All pieceslook original.

The bad:

Broken small \'gap\'on the side

Crack onthe bottom

Top seemsto be detached ~50% - 3 ½” length on both side top unglued or almost unglued

Lacquerworn off on the front ~90%

Two thincracks less than 1\" long

Dent andsmall crack on side / bottom

No case

There are also otherNunes ukuleles which bear the label \"Ukulele of Hawaii\" but thosewere manufactured in Los Angeles by Nunes\'s son. This one is NOT one of themand was made in Hawai’I before 1917 and accordingto my research definitely between 1910 and 1917.

If needed Ihave many more pictures and can email them to you.

Please letme know if you have any questions.