Le Domino Soprano Ukulele, made by J. R. Stewart Company , c. 1926
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Le Domino Model Soprano Ukulele, made by J. R. Stewart Company, c. 1926, made in Chicago, black lacquer with decals finish, birch body, poplar neck, black rigid foam case.
The Le Domino Ukulele is a genuine 1920's classic, one of the more distinctive ukes from the instrument's original flapper-age heyday. The J.R. Stewart company of Chicago built Le Domino branded guitars, mandolins, soprano and tenor ukes and banjo-ukes starting in the mid-1920's, and were very successful for a time. The brand passed to Regal in the early 30's after Stewart was forced out of business following a disastrous deal with Lyon & Healy. The Le Domino ukulele was the best seller, and it's easy to see why.
Sold at a moderate price, this uke is well made (though not to the level of quality of a Martin) lightly built and braced and sounds very good. The cosmetics are very flashy with a black, white, and gold "tuxedo" look. The sleek ebony finish is highlighted by 3-ply W/B/W ivoroid binding on the top, back, and fingerboard. A Domino decal adorns the top below the bridge, and a gold soundhole ring festooned with small dominoes completes the top ornamentation. The headstock carries a J.R.S. & Co. diamond logo and a gold leaf script "Le Domino". Its distinctive carved ledge was carried on as a feature of many later Regal Uke family instruments. This is a good playing and fine sounding uke, and a real "looker" to boot!
Overall length is 21 3/4 in. (55.2 cm.), 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 3/8 in. (6 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This cool little 1920s decorated uke remains all original, with some wear mostly to the bridge slots but no major damage. The shiny ebony finish is largely intact showing only light digs and dents, with some patterning on the back probably from resting against something in a case. There is only very minor chipping to the decorative decals, which are lightly tarnished in the gold areas but still look cool as heck.
There is one sealed split in the top behind the bridge running through the Domino decoration, and a couple of discreet sealed cracks to the back, none of which are overly conspicuous. The bridge slots where the strings anchor are somewhat worn showing some visible repair, but work holding the string ends OK. This is a good playing and surprisingly fine sounding uke, a cool decorative piece that also happens to be more playable than many. Excellent - Condition.
The Le Domino Ukulele is a genuine 1920's classic, one of the more distinctive ukes from the instrument's original flapper-age heyday. The J.R. Stewart company of Chicago built Le Domino branded guitars, mandolins, soprano and tenor ukes and banjo-ukes starting in the mid-1920's, and were very successful for a time. The brand passed to Regal in the early 30's after Stewart was forced out of business following a disastrous deal with Lyon & Healy. The Le Domino ukulele was the best seller, and it's easy to see why.
Sold at a moderate price, this uke is well made (though not to the level of quality of a Martin) lightly built and braced and sounds very good. The cosmetics are very flashy with a black, white, and gold "tuxedo" look. The sleek ebony finish is highlighted by 3-ply W/B/W ivoroid binding on the top, back, and fingerboard. A Domino decal adorns the top below the bridge, and a gold soundhole ring festooned with small dominoes completes the top ornamentation. The headstock carries a J.R.S. & Co. diamond logo and a gold leaf script "Le Domino". Its distinctive carved ledge was carried on as a feature of many later Regal Uke family instruments. This is a good playing and fine sounding uke, and a real "looker" to boot!
Overall length is 21 3/4 in. (55.2 cm.), 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 3/8 in. (6 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This cool little 1920s decorated uke remains all original, with some wear mostly to the bridge slots but no major damage. The shiny ebony finish is largely intact showing only light digs and dents, with some patterning on the back probably from resting against something in a case. There is only very minor chipping to the decorative decals, which are lightly tarnished in the gold areas but still look cool as heck.
There is one sealed split in the top behind the bridge running through the Domino decoration, and a couple of discreet sealed cracks to the back, none of which are overly conspicuous. The bridge slots where the strings anchor are somewhat worn showing some visible repair, but work holding the string ends OK. This is a good playing and surprisingly fine sounding uke, a cool decorative piece that also happens to be more playable than many. Excellent - Condition.