Turturro turnover

[jdchapman]

Speaking of weirdo wonders we can thank Elderly for bringing into our lives:
https://www.elderly.com/n-turturro-turnover-1920-s.htm

[Marty Jacobson]

$1000? John is not impressed.

[HonketyHank]

Wow. I have never seen anything more like that in my life. I'll bet it sounds that way, too.

[Nathan Kellstadt]

Wow. I have never seen anything more like that in my life. I'll bet it sounds that way, too.

I really couldn't have said it any better.

[Charles E.]

I bought one of those at the local flea market many years ago ( 15?) and it came with the original case and hand typed "drinking songs" included. I paid a hundred bucks for it and after a couple of minor repairs it played fine. The ukulele half sounded pretty good.

I no longer have it, it went to a trade for a mandolin, that went to a trade for a mandolin and so on.

[Bertram Henze]

Nicely demonstrates what my signature line is all about.

[G7MOF]

Looks a little like a Sweet Pea!

[Tobin]

How the heck do you play it with there being strings on the back side of the neck? I can't imagine that it would be comfortable at all to grip that neck and do any serious playing.

The 1920s were an odd time for musical instruments. Lots of new things were tried. Some made it, some didn't. But as I recall from trying to search for a patent, there were a whole lot of interesting and even bizarre patents in that era. Everything from bits and bobs and gadgets to add on to existing instruments, all the way to new instrument designs. And remember, this is the decade that Lloyd Loar developed all his new designs as well. Everybody was competing for the newest greatest thing. I'll bet it was a fun time to be in the business.

[allenhopkins]

Played one once, at Vintage Fret Shop in Ashland NH. It's a bear to play, since while you pick one set of strings, the other is resting against your hand; talk about a "non-speed neck!" And it sounds small and plinky, and the ukulele pegs are wood friction, not "patent" with metal shafts or geared. So: not a serious performance instrument...

And yet, I came this close (thank you, Maxwell Smart) to buying one from Top Shelf Music in Buffalo, maybe 15 years ago. Think he wanted $400 for it, but I thought, "What a cool addition to my accumulation!" At the last minute, one of Nicola Turturro's descendants contacted Top Shelf and wanted to buy it as an ancestral heirloom, so it went to him. I was sorry to miss out, but my regrets haven't endured. I sure wouldn't drop $1K on one.

Here's an interesting Mugwumps article on the Turturro Turnover.

[Jim Garber]

I know it is hard to imagine (tho I know Allen and Mick would not be surprised) but I owned one of those one time. They are fun at parties and I was able to pick up many attractive woman playing it. I had to sell it tho, since I settled down and started playing instruments that actually sounded good.

I have a feeling that Elderly needed to buy it so they could show off their new web feature of click and rage to turn around 3D.