Restoring a 1930s Martin

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frianm

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Restoring a 1930s Martin Soprano

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I realize that for some this might be quasi heresy but I bought a player a couple of years ago that had multiple cracks that had been repaired but really showed on top, back and sides. So I brought it to a friend here in Lima, Peru who restored the body. I had not asked him to match the tone on the neck so it came out looking new! I am not dismayed as I only bought it as a player, had installed Gotoh planetary tuners and have traveled with it often.
I am delighted, maybe it will darken with age but by then I shall be pushing up the daisies. So here it is!
 
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One Man And His Uke said:
Looks great to me. Bet it sounds great too. Heresy? Nah. It's your Uke, your rules :D
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Thanks - I have a love affair with Martin instruments. I find beat up ones and take it from there. The sound is always great, as is the playability. Now to find a tenor that I can afford.
 
The older Martins had a dark walnut filler and sometimes a bit of color to the lacquer to make it dark. Too bad the refin doesn't have that.

frianm said:
Thanks - I have a love affair with Martin instruments. I find beat up ones and take it from there. The sound is always great, as is the playability. Now to find a tenor that I can afford.
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BlackBearUkes said:
The older Martins had a dark walnut filler and sometimes a bit of color to the lacquer to make it dark. Too bad the refin doesn't have that.
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:agree:

I've been back and forth from restoring my old Martin and leaving it alone, so far I've left it alone and probably always will.
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It's not pretty, but plays and sounds awesome! If I had to go to just one ukulele, this would be the one...
 
The lightness of the restored finish suprised me. I've refinished 8 prewar Martins none of them came out anywhere close to that lightness.
I probably didn't remove the filler when doing so. Looking inside the ones in the rescue area, the wood appears very dark.
Very curious.
 
Heresy or no heresy, it sure is nice looking.
 
Quasi heretic here, I just replaced the fiddly tuners on my Martin tenor with Gotohs. Now tuning is a pleasure instead of a chore, especially while waiting for the Oasis strings to settle, which seems like forever.
 
No talk of heresy here, ha ha! Those old Martins have beautiful music left in them, and I love it that you all are bringing them to life, and making them playable for you.

Enjoy them the way you want to enjoy them. :music:
 
OhioBelle said:
Enjoy them the way you want to enjoy them. :music:
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:agree:

I even bought some Gotoh planetarys to put on my Martin, but was agonizing over drilling it. (I can't even drill a hole in it for a strap button) The stock tuners were slipping even though they were as tight as I could get them. I took them apart and nipped just 1/16" off the end of the screws, filed smooth and reinstalled, now they work great!
 
UkerDanno said:
:agree:

I even bought some Gotoh planetarys to put on my Martin, but was agonizing over drilling it. (I can't even drill a hole in it for a strap button) The stock tuners were slipping even though they were as tight as I could get them. I took them apart and nipped just 1/16" off the end of the screws, filed smooth and reinstalled, now they work great!
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good for you. I even replaced the fiber washers and they were still fiddly. I used a step bit and reamed by hand, that way you can go slow and don't have to worry about a drill bit grabbing and ripping. they were an easy install.
 
strumsilly said:
Quasi heretic here, I just replaced the fiddly tuners on my Martin tenor with Gotohs. Now tuning is a pleasure instead of a chore, especially while waiting for the Oasis strings to settle, which seems like forever.
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I briefly, very briefly, considered having done that with UPTs for my Lyon&Healy soprano from the 1920s when I sent it to a luthier for a bridge repair, but couldn't bring myself to replacing the original tuners. Luckily, though, it has very good friction tuners that hold the tune very stably and surprisingly long. But if yours weren't very good, it's definitely understandable.
 
strumsilly said:
Quasi heretic here, I just replaced the fiddly tuners on my Martin tenor with Gotohs. Now tuning is a pleasure instead of a chore, especially while waiting for the Oasis strings to settle, which seems like forever.
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I love these planetary Gotohs for Ukuleles - they are a joy to tune with and IMHO, great looking. I have a set on my Maybell banjo uke.
 
frianm said:
I love these planetary Gotohs for Ukuleles - they are a joy to tune with and IMHO, great looking. I have a set on my Maybell banjo uke.
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Two of my ukes have them (a Black Bear soprano and the aNueNue Moon Bird concert), and I totally agree with you, they are very wonderful. Super functional and aesthetically pleasing. Best tuners for me.
 
In 75 years someone will probably re-restore it back to the darker finish. Till then, play away!
 
If the re-finish improved the look and did not harm the tone, then I see nothing wrong with refinishing an instrument that is in poor cosmetic condition and is not an historic instrument. It will affect the collectable value, but it probably increased personal value to the owner. I hope that a traditional finish was used and applied well. Instruments were built to be played and enjoyed, not simply collected or kept as an investment. A good finish helps to preserve the wood as well as keeping the instrument looking good, and good tuning machines improve function. Some instruments are players and others are investments. Some are both.

Nice to see a neighbor on the forum. Chester is a beautiful town.
 
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Django said:
If the re-finish improved the look and did not harm the tone, then I see nothing wrong with refinishing an instrument that is in poor cosmetic condition and is not an historic instrument. It will affect the collectable value, but it probably increased personal value to the owner. I hope that a traditional finish was used and applied well. Instruments were built to be played and enjoyed, not simply collected or kept as an investment. A good finish helps to preserve the wood as well as keeping the instrument looking good, and good tuning machines improve function. Some instruments are players and others are investments. Some are both.


Nice to see a neighbor on the forum. Chester is a beautiful town.
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This is not an investment but a player - for me - and I have delighted over the years in taking abused instruments (guitars, banjos and now ukes) and making them playable so that they can be enjoyed. Best wishes to the Granite State - I was over there today in Keene.
 
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