D'Mini Les Paule
This was a firm that existed in the first half of the 1980's making small scale hommages to some of the most famous of the solid body electric Guitars and Basses of the time. Exact information on them is scarce, I have read they were made in California or Japan and my best guess is they were made in Japan for a California firm? They were always 6 string, (apart from the Basses), and I have read that the scale was 425mm (16¾ in) or 490mm (19¼ in and I don't know what the Bass scale was?), possibly both? Finally I'm not 100% on the tuning though I have read they were tuned to A which if this is the case, (and the name Phased Systems suggests to me they would be tuned up from the normal E), with the 425mm scale puts them firmly into what is now considered a Guitalele. The Instruments themselves were branded as D'Mini and had a model called a Strate (looking like a Fender Stratocaster but putting the e on the end of the model name), a Les Paule (again with the e) plus models that looked like a Gibson Flying V and a Gibson Explorer, (plus the Bass looking like a Fender Precision Bass) but I don't know what these models ere called. They must have been pretty good though as Guitarists like Frank Zappa, Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen all played them.
This is a bit of a mystery brand? I have read it is the own brand of Williams Guitars and Ukuleles, a Los Angeles Shop in the 1950's that doesn't appear to exist to day, and this dating is the only one you see floating around the Internet. The Ukuleles themselves have Williams on the headstock and Williams Los Angeles stamped inside. Most of the ones I have seen have a distinctive moustache bridge and a red nut and saddle; I would say clearly from the same maker but I'm not sure who the maker is? or if they are US made or not? (the 50's is a little early for Japanese). There are some that looks like they come from a different maker but has the same Williams logo on the headstock. These do look like they were made in Japan and are later. Then there are the Banjoleles is also interesting because the drum is made of clear lucite plastic as was the original bridge and the scale length is 17 inches, the same as a Tenor Ukulele? I have no idea who or where these were made either?
Once again not a great deal of information, I know they were a distributor with an office on Broadway and a ceo called Carl Davidoff. I know they started before 1948 and were still in business in 1978 (but not it appears today?) When they were in business they had an own brand they distributed called Sekova and this range included a Baritone Ukulele, (probably manufactured by Hoshino) They may have had other brands too and this is a separate branding to Segova but they are often confused when looking for information on either.
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