Vintage Gretsch Army Ukelele WWII

[Abbollonia]

Does anyone know more history about this instrument? My understanding is that Gretsch made it in the 1930s/1940s for soldiers in WWII and shipped many of them overseas to US bases. They were made blue and green for the army and navy. Would love to know more history!

 

[Ukecaster]

I've heard them called Gretsch camp ukes. I've seen them in blue, but never heard of a military connection

 

[richntacoma]

One on Reverb now https://reverb.com/item/51049960-vintage-gretsch-nyc-blue-round-uke-soprano-blue-moon-ukulele-1940-s

 

[Patrick Madsen]

we had a WWII vet in our group who spoke about coming home on one of the ships crossing the Atlantic. He said he first learned to play the ukulele during the crossing because the supply room had many of them to loan out to the personnel who sat around playing them.

He was a tail gunner on a bomber and always mentioned how surpized and grateful he made it home. We have our first get together this coming weekend since the Covid started and hope he's still around. The ranks are thinning rapidly.

You're playing history there girl and trust you appreciate the significance it represents. Welcome to the Forum also.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

I’ve never heard of theses being associated with the military before and have always thought of them as durable ‘camp ukes’ fit for taking out on ‘the trail’. As far as I can gather these ukes by Gretsch were made between 1925 & 1935. Near anything that eased the pains and pressures on service folk is a boom and I can envisage playing a Uke on the long journey home falling into that group of comforts. Maybe Gretsch did make some specials for the Forces in WWII, but I’ve only ever seem the standard one - and replicas - as pictured.

In the early 2010’s Gretsch reintroduced their Camp Ukulele in their Roots collection, I’ve never seen mention of any Armed Forces link to it.

Gretsch G9101 Camp Uke - Peghead Nation

Gretsch brings back a classic vintage ukulele design.

www.pegheadnation.com

NEW Gretsch Camp Uke!

We just got a shipment of these Camp ukes! Pretty cool :) Actually sounds a little better than the originals I've played :D

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

Camp Ukulele

Why are round ukes called camp ukuleles? Barry reviewed the one below, but he thought the sound was too weak, probably because the bridge is down so low. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0748761PR/?coliid=I1ZKQDYCI60OVI&colid=1K6S0U4KGY5NH&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

1930s Gretsch "Camp Uke" Soprano Ukulele

jakewildwood.blogspot.com

 

[frets alot]

One on Reverb now https://reverb.com/item/51049960-vintage-gretsch-nyc-blue-round-uke-soprano-blue-moon-ukulele-1940-s

Yes, that's the same one that the OP is asking about.

 

[EDW]

I don't know what the origin was, but here is some info

1930s Gretsch "Camp Uke" Soprano Ukulele

jakewildwood.blogspot.com

1930s Gretsch "Camp" Ukulele

Rochester, Vermont-based guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and general vintage and antique fretted instrument repair. Also history, how-tos, and slice of life.

jakewildwood.blogspot.com

 

[John Colter]

Fifteen or twenty years ago a friend had one of the original Gretsch 'Camp' ukes. I was told, back then, that they had been provided to the US troops in WWII.

 

[ukulelekarcsi]

Gibson made Army/Navy guitars and mandolins, but in and after the First World War. The guitars were simplified LG-1's, the mandolins were completely new 'pancake' models. The official designation was DY for mandolins and GY for guitars, and I'm a bit unsure about their backstory and nickname (ordered by the military, or an initiative of Gibson itself?), so I'll have to check the Spann book on this (UPDATE: the book contains nothing on these instruments, except that they were produced until 1922 or even later, so probably no real military connection there).

Gretsch's 'pancake' ukulele models are generally known as Camp ukes, but even that name was only used by Lyon and Healy.

 

[Wiggy]

Previous discussion:

Camp Ukulele

Why are round ukes called camp ukuleles? Barry reviewed the one below, but he thought the sound was too weak, probably because the bridge is down so low. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0748761PR/?coliid=I1ZKQDYCI60OVI&colid=1K6S0U4KGY5NH&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

Here is Enya's take on the style:



I am curious as to why there aren't more of this body style made. Like pineapples, they are cute.
Are they sonically unintersting? Baz explains that the position of the bridge on the soundboard probably stifles its potential.

 

[EDW]

I know that Jake Wildwood is a big fan of the Lyon and Healy Camp Ukes. Aaron Keim (Beansprout) makes a model patterned after this, which he calls the Scout

Special Model Ukuleles — Beansprout Musical Instruments

www.thebeansprout.com

 

[Ziret]

My Tom Petty songbook has a picture on the cover of him, about 14, playing one.

 

[LarryS]

Looks very nice!

 

[Abbollonia]

I’ve never heard of theses being associated with the military before and have always thought of them as durable ‘camp ukes’ fit for taking out on ‘the trail’. As far as I can gather these ukes by Gretsch were made between 1925 & 1935. Near anything that eased the pains and pressures on service folk is a boom and I can envisage playing a Uke on the long journey home falling into that group of comforts. Maybe Gretsch did make some specials for the Forces in WWII, but I’ve only ever seem the standard one - and replicas - as pictured.

In the early 2010’s Gretsch reintroduced their Camp Ukulele in their Roots collection, I’ve never seen mention of any Armed Forces link to it.

Gretsch G9101 Camp Uke - Peghead Nation

Gretsch brings back a classic vintage ukulele design.

www.pegheadnation.com

NEW Gretsch Camp Uke!

We just got a shipment of these Camp ukes! Pretty cool :) Actually sounds a little better than the originals I've played :D

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

Camp Ukulele

Why are round ukes called camp ukuleles? Barry reviewed the one below, but he thought the sound was too weak, probably because the bridge is down so low. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0748761PR/?coliid=I1ZKQDYCI60OVI&colid=1K6S0U4KGY5NH&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

1930s Gretsch "Camp Uke" Soprano Ukulele

jakewildwood.blogspot.com

I had no clue they remade this model!! It looks like it's out of production currently. Too bad... it's sort of speaking to me... lol

 

[Abbollonia]

we had a WWII vet in our group who spoke about coming home on one of the ships crossing the Atlantic. He said he first learned to play the ukulele during the crossing because the supply room had many of them to loan out to the personnel who sat around playing them.

He was a tail gunner on a bomber and always mentioned how surpized and grateful he made it home. We have our first get together this coming weekend since the Covid started and hope he's still around. The ranks are thinning rapidly.

You're playing history there girl and trust you appreciate the significance it represents. Welcome to the Forum also.

Oh I don't own it!! I wish I did... it's been tempting me! My grandpa was in WWII. He's passed now. Too bad, I'd ask if he'd ever seen one!

 

[Abbollonia]

I don't know what the origin was, but here is some info

1930s Gretsch "Camp Uke" Soprano Ukulele

jakewildwood.blogspot.com

1930s Gretsch "Camp" Ukulele

Rochester, Vermont-based guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and general vintage and antique fretted instrument repair. Also history, how-tos, and slice of life.

jakewildwood.blogspot.com

Awesome!! Thank you for the links!!!

 

[Abbollonia]

My Tom Petty songbook has a picture on the cover of him, about 14, playing one.

Post a picture if you can!

 

[Ziret]

Post a picture if you

Post a picture if you can!

Tom Petty for Ukulele
https://a.co/cYR5fXo

 

[bbkobabe]

Add Tom to the list of rockers who Uke!

 

[ksiegel]

No, that would be Ukers who Rock!