Here's a very interesting period piece: a banjo-ukulele with a painted head and autographed by the original owner's classmates or campmates. It was most likely made in Chicago by Harmony or Regal for a "jobber" musical merchandise distributor. "Neptune" is probably the designation of one of this jobber's lines.
This particular banjo-uke is of a better grade than most jobber instruments of its class. It has a solid mahogany neck with a bound fingerboard and headstock. Running down the center of the peghead and fingerboard is an inlaid stripe of wood marquetry. The pot is solid maple veneered with Birdseye maple.
On the original skin head is painted an autumn scene of a young couple in a canoe: a flapper strums a banjo-uke and serenades her beau as he paddles. The head and pot rim, front and back, are autographed with different handwritten inscriptions, several of which are accompanied with various dates in 1933.
Wooden violin-style friction pegs, one of which is probably a replacement. Original tailpiece and screw-on metal head rim. The adjustable bridge is period but probably not original to this instrument -- it might even be homemade.
Overall length is 20 5/8 in. (52.4 cm.), 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm.) diameter of rim, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 12 7/8 in. (327 mm.).
All in all, this instrument is structurally sound and playable. The rim's veneer is pulling away from the pot. Good Condition.
