Martin Centennial Ukuleles, very limited

Watching that video almost gave me a UAS attack in Koa. Already have the mahogany covered. If your now dreaming in Mahogany, PM me if you would like one too.
Vintage all the way. Dave

I've been kinda processing this since the announcement (thanks Django). The 3 looks amazing and the price seems fair, sitting comfortably under the 5.

I'm puzzled by the limited run of the 1. Seems like they could and should put them into production. A limited 3 makes sense but a Mexican 1? They don't want it to compete with the S1?

The 1 has the paper inside the body calling it a Centennial. I assume the 3 will just be stamped Martin inside. So the only way to distinguish it is by its construction like the kite headstock. I'm guessing.

I mean comparatively I have to give the nod to Kamaka. Every uke got the special headstock logo.

Has anyone asked any retailers about preorders?

I'm a mahogany guy but koa or cherry would have filled a hole in my collection. I don't feel the 1 would give me something different enough from what I already have. So if I try to get one, it will be the 3. It is expensive though. At this point, I'm not sure.

But hey, happy anniversary Martin!!

I really wish they did a 12 fret style 1 like the original style 1's , then it wouldn't look like an S1.
They should also have put fret markers like the original style 1.
Why do they call it a " 1 " when it doesnt have any of the styling points of the style 1 ?
Happy Anniversary to Martin and thanks for the great instruments.

actadh said:

They are on the Martin website.
Style 1 Centennial:
https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/ukulele/style-1-centennial/

Style 3 Centennial:
https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/ukulele/style-3-centennial-uke/

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Thanks.

I don't think the Style 1 will be that far removed from a normal S1 apart from markings, bridge and saddle etc. Nice to have but a tough sell to one who owns an S1. Possibly the same for the style 3.

When I was making my earlier post, I somehow completely forgot that I owned a Martin S1 for a while. I thought it was a great uke. I really can't remember anything I disliked about it, other than the friction tuners that I replaced with geared tuners.. I just sold it to get something else...either that or I was getting out of uke for a while and focusing on guitar. I can't remember.

Also, I mentioned I wasn't fond of the OXK I tried.....but did say maybe I wasn't in the right mood..... Now I think I remember what happened. I hadn't played a soprano in a while, so it felt really foreign to me at the time. Once I do play more soprano it seems normal to me.....so much so that I'm about to go from being uke-less for a while to having an OX.

Back more on topic here, I don't find that Style 1 any more appealing than the S1. I thought the S1 was top notch already in every way. It was one that really stood out to me.

I appreciate Bill1's opinion and just for the record, I have a recent 5K, 3K and Cherry 3, and I think that I was the one that said the short run was a shame. I also have a Centennial 3 on hold at a very good price, (never pay retail). I have been playing Martin Guitars for 30+ years and even though they make some strange variants these days, for the most part I still love their timeless style, history, build quality, consistence and playability. They are still the authentic and real thing. I know that it is not a popular opinion, but as a fingerstyle guitarist, I like the voice and playability of the recent ukuleles better than that of the vintage instruments. Tone is subjective, but build quality is not, and for that, I don't think anyone beats Martin. They also go to great pains regarding environmental controls and their woods are still carefully aged and if you buy new, you get an actual lifetime warranty.

I have heard a lot of negative comments regarding the recent Martin solid wood ukuleles. I have no preconceived idea of what a ukulele should sound like. I do know that my 5K has a beautiful ring and sounds great all the way up the neck. It is very balanced and expressive and beautiful to look at. One of the things that makes the newer Martins heavier, especially toward the head it that the fingerboard is thicker than the older ones and it is Ebony, (very dense and heavy as wood goes) and also the head itself is thicker. That doesn't concern me because I use a Uke Leash (and play with my thumb on the back of the neck rather than over the top). I also like the thicker fingerboard because it gives me more room above the body and will probably help to keep the top from becoming worn.

The Ukuleles in the "Golden Era" had gut strings and were often tuned A,D,F# and B. I doubt that anyone living could tell you what a 1927 Martin 3K sounded like when new and with gut strings. I feel that if you enjoy something and it helps you to enjoy playing more, you shouldn't care what the connoisseurs think. What works for one may not work for another, and it may be debated until the end of time, but you cannot dictate taste, and for me, the Martin 3 and 5 appeal to me in a way that others do not.

Martin is, in the end, a business and has to make business decisions. In some ways I am glad for the short runs. When Harley had their Centennial, all 2003 Harleys were Centennial Models and I think that Kamaka did the same. That makes these 200 instruments a bit more special. Martin only produced 100 Daisy Ukuleles, and you rarely see one for sale. For that matter, I rarely see a used Martin 3 or 5 Ukulele for sale. Someone must be happy with their purchase.

Bill1 said:

How many $3000 ukes are going to sell in 2017? Many UU members would never buy a $3000 instrument. A run of 100 should set up some nice advertising for Martin (like this thread) and will satisfy the predicted demand.
The $600 model will set up some marketing and will be a nice little thank you to throw into a deal for a $30,000 guitar. Again if you go back through UU posts, despite the comments in this thread many UU members are rarely supportive of current Martin solid wood products. I think a run of 100 will be plenty.
Those who would like to see the Martin Guitar company make more ukuleles need to start voting with their wallets. Supply will follow demand. It is no use complaining about a lack lustre Centenary range when you have not bought any of the wood models and have just complained about the company for the last ten years.

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Yep. What Bill1 wrote.

Bill1 said:

Again if you go back through UU posts, despite the comments in this thread many UU members are rarely supportive of current Martin solid wood products. I think a run of 100 will be plenty. Those who would like to see the Martin Guitar company make more ukuleles need to start voting with their wallets. Supply will follow demand. It is no use complaining about a lack lustre Centenary range when you have not bought any of the wood models and have just complained about the company for the last ten years.

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Well, I have an opposing view on this.

The reason why I don't have a Martin ukulele is because their modern offerings aren't attractive enough to me even though the interest has generally been there. An anniversary model for $600 might have tipped the scale a little, as the aspect of it being a potential collectible is an added plus. It would be something slightly more special, something that, say, an otherwise equal or better, and less expensive, modern Kiwaya doesn't offer.

I don't agree at all with the view that people should buy products that they don't feel are worth the asking price just so that the maker may or may not eventually offer something that the customers do want to buy. With the wide range of options and choices available today, a company isn't doing me a favor by putting out a product that I am happy to buy; it's the company in a tight market that should seize and welcome opportunities to offer something that customers want to spend their money on, instead.

Bill1 said:

Well done Django, you are a good Martin customer, the Martin Sales and Marketing Department should value your opinion and in this day and age they should be able to track a person who has spent around $10k on their products and offer some higher level of service. I think a good customer like you should actually get a email from Martin offering a chance to secure a centenary uke.

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For the record, I get and ask for no special treatment from Martin. I live in a small New Hampshire town and Martin is in Pennsylvania, (they don't know that I exist). I sing their praises because I love their instruments and because their history cannot be duplicated. To me, it is like a Harley Davidson, the history is still part of the final product. There has always been something special about a Martin to me and I had to wait a long time before I could have my first. Like Kamaka, they are the real thing. I buy from dealers, the same as anyone else. I get the same Martin emails as any customer or interested person would receive. I do negotiate good prices, but it has nothing to do with being a long time customer. There is retail, MAP and what you can really get them for. I go for the third, or I keep looking. I secured my Martin Centennial 3 from a Martin Custom Shop dealer the day that Martin announced that they would produce them. I had already planned for this last year in case they made a Centennial model.

I have owned 9 Martin Guitars through the years, (I still have one), 7 purchased new. Of my Martin ukuleles, 4, including the one that is on hold, were purchased new. Martin knows how to age wood properly. They have almost laboratory temperature and humidity controls throughout their process. That and an American workforce does not come cheap. When it comes to acoustic stringed instruments, I think that they are the one that is copied the most and for good reason.

Mivo said:

.
I don't agree at all with the view that people should buy products that they don't feel are worth the asking price just so that the maker may or may not eventually offer something that the customers do want to buy. With the wide range of options and choices available today, a company isn't doing me a favor by putting out a product that I am happy to buy; it's the company in a tight market that should seize and welcome opportunities to offer something that customers want to spend their money on, instead.

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^ Yes, this. I agree with you.
I was going to make similar comments, but you said it better than I would've probably.

jer said:

^ Yes, this. I agree with you.
I was going to make similar comments, but you said it better than I would've probably.

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I agree with Mivo and jer. You buy something because you like it, not because you want a company to build something later that you might like. It's too bad that this thread has strayed as far as it has.

So, big news. Martin will be making limited edition Centennial Ukuleles. I hope that this is good news to more than just myself.

Booli said:

Apologies if my posts here have caused or added to thread drift. :music:

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Not at all. I appreciate what you said. I was just trying to bring it back to the news regarding the Centennial Ukuleles. Just for a little break, I think that I will back away too.

I also didn't feel there was negativity stirring. People have different views, all equally valid, and that adds spice and flavor. Always felt that this forum is very civil with everyone respecting one another. One of the best online communities I know.

But anyway, back on topic! I'd definitely like a centennial style 1 Martin, and would buy one if they were more widely available, and at $600. It would be a symbolic thing for me, because Martin contributed so much to the instrument's wild success on the mainland, and since I like sopranos, having a "special" one would be awesome. I think eventually I'll get a vintage one, if I find a risk-free way of doing that in Europe (i.e. not on ebay). It's good that Martin do something for the anniversary, only wishing it was more of an equal opportunity kind of thing like Kamaka did.

Django said:

To me, it is like a Harley Davidson, the history is still part of the final product.

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Interesting that you wrote this. While I haven't ridden much as my kids are growing up and I need to be at home for a while (I used to put on 20,000 miles a year, now lucky to put on $1000).

Anyway...the manufacturer of my motorcycle, a 2000 Victory V92C, announced that it is dropping the entire brand. My personal dealer went out of business a few years ago, and that felt like losing a friend (truly, the shop was incredible), and now it feels like another friend is gone.

That's a little off-topic, but related.

I wasn't in the financial condition to buy a 100th anniversary Harley. And I wouldn't want a used one now, because those bikes are 14 years old. But had I been able to afford a $25K Harley in 2003, I would have bought one and ridden the stuffing out of it, just as I have my Victory (which has 68K on it, or so). Some people buy to collect, sure...for others, it is just another reason to go ahead with something that you were going to do anyway.

All that said, it seems shocking that there is no "100" or "Martin" designation on the headstock! I like that Kamaka put that on every ukulele sold last year (and through the early part of this year for the backorders). Maybe Martin already sells every ukulele that it makes, but if not, putting a tasteful "100" somewhere on every ukulele made this year would be a nice "bonus" to new buyers this year.

It's very sad finding out that the Victory motorcycle will be discontinued. They are very fine motorbikes. While they aren't as plentiful here as H-D, there are quite a few here. I rode one years ago, my boyfriend had one, we rode across the Sunshne Skyway bridge, what a bike!

Choirguy said:

...it seems shocking that there is no "100" or "Martin" designation on the headstock! I like that Kamaka put that on every ukulele sold last year (and through the early part of this year for the backorders). Maybe Martin already sells every ukulele that it makes, but if not, putting a tasteful "100" somewhere on every ukulele made this year would be a nice "bonus" to new buyers this year.

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:agree: wholeheartedly...

That kite is really too large. I would have preferred if they really had done something special instead of a half-baked reproduction.

When Some Like It Hot will turn 60 years in two years time, why not issue an all-white Sugar Kane/Marylin Monroe-model?

ukulelekarcsi said:

When Some Like It Hot will turn 60 years in two years time, why not issue an all-white Sugar Kane/Marylin Monroe-model?

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Fun movie and fun idea!

If you read through this thread it might make you wonder why Martin made the 100. It makes me wonder.

A short run like this can't be profitable or worthwhile to the bottom line. They make plenty of guitars, so like Collings, they don't need to cater to us, but they still do. This release gets them a little press, but they can get that without the grief. I want to thank Martin for developing most of what became the standards for Guitars and Ukuleles for the last 184 years and for most of the best innovations in Guitars and Ukuleles. Also for making Ukuleles that some of us love and enjoy and thanks for the production in this century that made it possible for the public to have the option of owning new, high end Martin Ukuleles.

Happy 100th year of the Martin Ukulele.

Just my two cents... but the style 3 Centennial seems awfully like my new style 3 mahogany uke (without the kite headstock) that I purchased at a much lower price years back.

I prefer the S1 with fretboard dots to the style 1 Centennial.

0X Bamboo in lime green would be my preferred next Martin purchase actually!

I own and have owned the new Martins: sopranos: S-O, S1, style 2, 2k, 3 cherry and style 3. concerts: 2k and style 2. tenors: T1K, style 2 and 2k.

It was never about the Martin name for me. It was about the jangly sound and playability that mixed well with my singing voice. Still haven't found that elsewhere in a uke.

Petey