Maccaferri Islander
Sparkle Plenty Ukette

Sound Sample - D'Addario strings;
Tuned a~D~F#~B

The Ukette is small even for a Mini with a scale length of 24½cm, (9.75 in), and a total body length of 38cm, (15 in). Maccaferri made a number of Ukette Models but this one was produced in 1950 as a "special" to go with the Dick Tracy cartoon and is probably the most famous of them. Sparkle Plenty was a little girl who appeared in the cartoons and though this Ukette was aimed at small children a point was made in the advertising that "this is a real Ukulele in every detail just like the professional Maccaferri Islander" and not a toy.

As the advert says, the Ukulele itself is just a smaller version of the Maccaferri Islander with a white top and a marbled faux wood back and sides. It is difficult, but not impossible to play and due to its size it isn't very loud. You can tune it g~C~E~A but it happily takes a D tuning and can go higher, (but its hard enough to play without trying to remember a whole new set of transpositions!)