Thinking about an older Martin soprano--what to look for?

I have a Martin 3 style soprano and it's made by John Claughton and it is rather good! Maybe another path to go down? Get a luthier built copy? Just my two pennies worth..or is it two cents? But...it will never be two euros!! Hahaha (this is a brexit joke!) ��
 
Congrats on the wise purchase and look forward to hearing your thoughts. Good way to step into it without jumping off the high dive. ;-)
 
Congrats on the wise purchase and look forward to hearing your thoughts. Good way to step into it without jumping off the high dive. ;-)

Just read about luthier for a cause..fascinating! I'm in the wood game myself and am interested in tone woods..but luthier tapping wood to hear the resonance is a mysterious art..how is that learned? I'm guessing experience? And making a uke out of antique reclaimed wood, does it make it sound better or is it the skill of the maker? I have a all pine uke and it sounds bright and 'woody' little surprised not more ukes are made entirely from pine? ( my uke has rosewood fretboard and bridge with ebony nut and saddle) it's my uke for gigs..it gets covered in beer etc..lol quick wipe down and good as new!
 
When looking at the various vintage instruments out there it can be dizzying to try to make sense of it all. It is hard to know what to seek and what to avoid. I sometimes see instruments listed for sale or auction that seem like good deals, but don't seem to have been snapped up or bid on. It then makes me wonder if there are issues I am unaware of or if it is just a case that it has not found the right buyer.
 
Beware of buying vintage Martins on eBay. I once drove an hour to follow up on a Martin listed on Craigslist only to find that the neck had be snapped off and terribly glued back on. The angles the guy photographed the ukulele and the fuzziness of the photos hid this major trauma. A month later I saw the same Martin (same photos) listed on eBay.
 
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