The first things I see, is one missing tension bolt under the armrest.
Not to worry, i have another from a Kingston leftover
And.......an upside down tension hoop, possibly done to get the last two cents worth from the now broken skin head.

The original Planets are dried out badly, and are jerky in the movement, so I will cannibalize my Ludwig Cort for a set of them, and since Keith also needs the armrest and tailpiece for an Ambassador restoration,

the Cort will be relegated to "Non original", but "Useful" status

Typical "Checking" of the one coat of varnish used on production Ludwig finishes. :)
 

Original tension wrench, "Planet tuner wrench, and a piece from the case

Needs a heel cap, everyone I have worked on had it missing

Sidewall veneer in good condition

Case pocket broken, I will mend it up best I can, to make it function

As I will the case latch that is broken/ missing

The Kingston bolt, shown in foreground

Inside is all good, hardware is original.

The "Ludwig" stamp, emblazoned on the original now defunct head.
 

Not many parts in a Ludwig, a I say, "Simple, but Effective"
Now off to the platers, and the wood goes into "Queue with my ongoing work.

Stripped, ready to stain and seal

Sealed, and first coat of clear

3rd coat

Ready to buff

Plating has returned, so it is time to reskin this thing.

I have 3 premium vellums in stock to choose from, that I have saved for important projects.
These came from the U.K. back when you could still get hides there at a reasonable cost.
now, with the "Mad cow" scare, they have gone up even higher.
Yes, it even affected the banjo world!
 

First, cut it to "Uke" size

Then soak it in........a plastic head :)

What a nice plating job.................

I'll fix that!
All wet and sloppy now!

The hardest part is getting your crown correct.
Skin shrinks when it dries, so you must do all of your compensating for this while it is wet.
Many years of experience has taught me what to do on each type of banjo, and crown it needs to have.
These Ludwig's are critical, they do not have much room at all, so a low crown is necessary.
Here I am gauging the flesh ring height.
 
 

See the tension hoop riding high?
It must stay there for the initial phase, even when adding bolts.

First bolt in, only 2 or 3 threads, to hold the hoop.
Then you pull slack lightly, moving forward.

Adding another bolt, again, only enough thread to hold the hoop in place

All the bolts are in, and now I am pulling the slack out with my Bernard pliers.
This makes for a smooth area around the fleshring, and ensures a proper head setting.
My hoop is still high, as I want it to be.

All snugged down, but not tightened.
The skin will need to dry, this will pull it taut considerably, and then I can pull down, and still have correct crown height.

But before it dries, i always trim it flush.
Use a new razor, you do not want it dragging,

Circumcision complete!
PAINLESS TOO :)

Now it will set under the lights for a day, and then begin to get an adjustment.

Final buffing of the woodwork

reassembly time

Choice of strings will be Aquila "Nylgut", made for banjo uke specifically

This is an extremely powerful banjo uke, and it will surely do well in the hands of a professional player.
The tone is so clear and bright, it cancels out anything in the room playing with it.
As usual, i have enjoyed working on another Ludwig uke, they are always fun, and turn out some sound.
Now it is back home to its owner, to make some music!
Thanks for watching,
Vinnie

MORE TO COME

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