Martin uke?

[jaybones]

Saw a gal playing a uke on TV today, and the headstock looked square like a Martin. Couldn't see for sure what the name on the HS was, but it looked like it could have been C F Martin & Co.

Did Martin ever make ukuleles?

[Trillian]

They sure did, and I think still do. I've played one, very nice of course!

[syrynx]

Originally Posted by jaybones

Did Martin ever make ukuleles?

Yes, starting in 1907.

The History of Martin Ukuleles

The History of Martin Ukuleles...Part II

Current Martin ukuleles

Originally Posted by jaybones

Saw a gal playing a uke on TV today, and the headstock looked square like a Martin.

It probably was not a Martin. AFAIK, Martin never made ukuleles with squared headstocks.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by jaybones

Saw a gal playing a uke on TV today, and the headstock looked square like a Martin. Couldn't see for sure what the name on the HS was, but it looked like it could have been C F Martin & Co.

Did Martin ever make ukuleles?

I have one that was built in 1925. Best sounding soprano ukulele I have heard yet.

Tony

[Br1ck]

The new Martin ukes are made in their Mexican plant and are quite nice, but Pono has them beat IMHO.

The vintage Martins are very, very nice.

[syrynx]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

I have one that was built in 1925.

Tony, how were you able to date yours? My Style 1 has rosewood friction pegs, which were replaced by metal patent pegs in 1927. Martin never used serial numbers, and I've read that the only way to date a 1916 - 1926 Martin uke is by external evidence such as a receipt.

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Best sounding soprano ukulele I have heard yet.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I say the same thing of mine.

Originally Posted by Br1ck

The new Martin ukes are made in their Mexican plant and are quite nice, but Pono has them beat IMHO.

Some of the new Martins are made in Mexico; some are made in Pennsylvania.

Originally Posted by Br1ck

The vintage Martins are very, very nice.

Obviously I agree.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by syrynx

Tony, how were you able to date yours? My Style 1 has rosewood friction pegs, which were replaced by metal patent pegs in 1927. Martin never used serial numbers, and I've read that the only way to date a 1916 - 1926 Martin uke is by external evidence such as a receipt.

I bought my ukulele at Wille's American Guitars. These guys have been around a long time and have a trustworthy reputation. They specialize in vintage instruments - electric guitars and amps, acoustic guitars, and ukuleles. From what the owner said (and this one came from his private collection), he talked about a number of aspects of the ukulele rather than a serial number tied to a date as is done with Martin guitars. Apparently it takes experience with these instruments to recognize specific details and nail it down. For more info, I was directed to a book about vintage Martin ukuleles, though I probably won't get it because I don't consider myself a collector. I just wanted one of each of a tenor, concert, and soprano. This Martin happened to be the soprano whose sound I liked.

Edit: My old Martin ukulele is the only "vintage" Martin ukulele I have ever seen, so it is only a sample of one. I have now seen a couple of older Kamakas. To me, the Martin is far superior build quality than the older Kamakas. I have a Kamaka Ohta-San that was new when I bought it less than a year ago. I would say that, in my opinion, the best Kamakas are probably being made today, and they are quite good from seeing both the one I own and several other new models. When I bought my Martin, there were several new Martins there, and one or two of the same model (model 2, mine is a 2K). To me, the new models seem heavier than mine, though I can't say that one build is necessarily better than the other. As for sound, I could easily attribute the sound of mine to being well aged. My Martin ukulele is in excellent condition, so it was well cared for.

Tony

[ohiopicker]

Check out the deal on the one on Atlanta's Craigslist! I know this guy does PayPal and ships.