Regal Ukulele

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Regal were the cheap and cheerful brand of their day (the 20s through to the 1950s) making inexpensive ukuleles often decorated with cartoon characters, cowboys or other scenes. They got themselves a big endorsement when they hooked in Johnny Marvin.

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Daddy Stovepipe lays down some blues on a 30s Regal ukulele.

6 Comments

  1. shannon June 22nd, 2011 8:38 pm

    I just got one of these from an antiquie store for twenty dollars. Score^.^

  2. Liza G. Fly July 23rd, 2011 5:20 pm

    Hey thanks for the site! My boyfriend broght me home a little Regal Uke the other day. Looks like cheap standard machine fare, but sounds great! The one I have has no serial number or date, just a decal logo on the head, red crown and gold lettering on blue backround…’Regal’ and ‘Made in Chicago’. Also some triangles and dots around the sound hole in plain brownso I don’t know how old it is but this site is the first info I have found on it…you rock dude! Thanks!

  3. Christine November 12th, 2012 7:38 pm

    I picked up a ukulele several years ago at an antique store outside of Chicago because I was bored and wanted something to play. The store owner said it was a radio premium. There are no labels or marks that I can see but it does have the words Ukulele Sig painted around the sound hole. It had the box it was originally shipped in. COD due sender was 4.30. The bottom of the mailing label says “UKE MAN…..WJJD”. It plays okay and stays in tune relatively well for having wood tuning pegs. At $15 I paid a bit more than the original COD but it plays well for the price and kept me entertained on a vey rainy stay in Chicago. I just wondered if anyone knew if it might be a Regal and if by chance anyone might know who Ukulele Sig was. Postmark on the box is February 15 1950. Thanks for any insight anyone can provide.

  4. Michael September 2nd, 2013 9:00 pm

    Hi, actually, Regal snatched Wendell Hall’s endorsement. Johnny Marvin was with Harmony and Harmony put out a very cool Johnny Marvin tenor ukulele with an airplane bridge. I love my Regal ukuleles, they may have been cheap in their day, but boy do some models age well. Love this site.

  5. Sharon Porter September 7th, 2013 3:46 am

    So glad to see this discussion! I just was given a Regal soprano and I put some new clear Worth strings on it. It has the sweetest sound and plays like butter! Lucky me!

  6. Jose November 29th, 2015 8:51 pm

    I just picked up a Regal Ukulele at a an antique store. While researching online, I found this page that listed “the Regal decals through the decades”. My Uke has a kelly green label, with a crown on the headstock.

    I inferred that that might connote a 1920’s Regal. Am I correct (or deluded!!)

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