Modern Martin-Replica Builders?

If I had access to Martins at that price, I would have one, however being the other side of the pond, carriage, import duty and the dreaded VAT at 20% on all of the costs, means it's a little too much to get past the distaff side.
So I'm currently saving my pennies for a Ken |Timms.
h
 
If I had access to Martins at that price, I would have one, however being the other side of the pond, carriage, import duty and the dreaded VAT at 20% on all of the costs, means it's a little too much to get past the distaff side.
So I'm currently saving my pennies for a Ken |Timms.
h

I have a vintage Martin soprano, but if I had to "settle" for a Timms, :music: I wouldn't be very upset. Elegant, classy ukes.
 
I love vintage Martins, but I also think some of the modern luthiers building in the Martin style are doing fabulous work. There is room for both. I am having Dave Talsma build me a Style 3K concert, something that I don't think exists in the vintage world (and if it did, the price would be astronomical), so there's that, too.
 
...........

I guess I touched a nerve. Lol. Hey Steve, since you're such a genius in all things ukulele, please do let me know what a vintage Martin 3K kite/bow tie would cost me. I paid 2k for mine, and it was made by one of the world's premier ukulele makers. It's brand spanking new, too- no issues, none- awaiting decades of glorious play by my ham-handed stylings.

I did a lot of research on Laughlin prior to the purchase. By all accounts of ukulele players and luthiers alike, he's one of the best in the business. In fact, I know of at least one long standing member of both this forum and FMM who sold his vintage Martin 3K in favor of his Laughlin 3K. They're that good. Hey, I'm over the moon with THAT particular purchase. I'm fairly certain I could get back a sizable portion of what I paid for it. Now, if I'd chosen instead to go for one of Elderly's vintage Martin 3Ks for 4 thousand bucks? One of the ones that have been sitting up there for at least over a year? Sans the custom inlays? Riddled with cracks, holes drilled through the headstock, etc.? Would I get that back on resale? No way.

So, maybe for a Martin O your argument about saving money and whatnot would hold water, but as a whole it's just another opinion, and we all know what opinions are like...

-- Matt
 
I recently acquired a Laughlin 3-M. It is, as Matt (soupking) says, impeccably built. I've owned some nice instruments, and this one is right there with the best. I paid significantly less than a good condition vintage style 3 Martin would cost, and mine is absolute mint condition. Sounds amazing, perfect intonation, just an overall beauty. The craftsmanship on Tim Laughlin's ukes will blow you away.

I do agree that if you are going for sound alone, an old Martin style 0 is an excellent choice. They are still generally affordable. Martins will hold their value well, but as Matt suggests, it's difficult to find a style 3 on the retail market that isn't priced to the moon. Just look at Elderly, Gryphon, Music Emporium, etc. They all want top dollar. And when you do find one, you are taking a chance that it has good intonation and no serious problems. Personally, I very much appreciate antiques and vintage things, but by choosing the Laughlin, I knew I was minimizing the risk of acquiring an instrument with problems, and I was supporting a very talented independent luthier.

To each their own, of course. The Laughlin was right for me today, but some day down the road I do hope to have a vintage Martin (and maybe a new Martin too!)

-Steve
 
I do agree that if you are going for sound alone, an old Martin style 0 is an excellent choice. They are still generally affordable. Martins will hold their value well, but as Matt suggests, it's difficult to find a style 3 on the retail market that isn't priced to the moon. Just look at Elderly, Gryphon, Music Emporium, etc. They all want top dollar. And when you do find one, you are taking a chance that it has good intonation and no serious problems.

Bernunzio had a very clean 3M on special for $1950 last week. It was verrrrry tempting...
 
I love vintage Martins, but I also think some of the modern luthiers building in the Martin style are doing fabulous work. There is room for both. I am having Dave Talsma build me a Style 3K concert, something that I don't think exists in the vintage world (and if it did, the price would be astronomical), so there's that, too.

There was a vintage Martin 3K concert at Gryphon about a year ago. Appeared to be nearly mint. It didn't last long even though the price was about $9k as I recall.
 
This is not the case ;)
I found this place in Tokyo "Ukulele Mania" Selling one of my soprano's second hand for twice the price that I sold it for....when i converted Yen into £'s I found they were asking £795 http://blog.livedoor.jp/ukulelelady/archives/65825763.html

In years of collecting musical instruments, I have found that Ken's experience is not uncommon, and has become more common in the internet age. Small builders often toiled in relative anonymity, making excellent instruments but having no practical way to promote what they were building. So they built for a small community that had heard of them or they met at festivals. In today's internet world, it's much easier for a small builder to become known, and folks like Ken with a high quality product can build quite a following.

I took a chance several years ago on a budding luthier named Brian Dean and bought one of his beautiful mandolins. When I opted to sell it several years later, Brian had become quite well-known and his mandolins were selling for far more than I had paid; somebody gratefully offered me much more than I had paid new for mine and felt like he'd gotten the deal of the century.

Similarly, when Saga Musical Instruments licensed John Monteleone's Grand Artist mandolin design to create the Kentucky KM-DAWG model, the building was done by a relatively unknown Japanese luthier named Sumi. The KM-DAWG gained a reputation as an exceptional mandolin, and the limited run is nearly impossible to find on the secondary market-- and when they do come up for sale, they sell for many, many multiples of the original (very reasonable) price. Sumi has gone on to become a highly respected independent luthier, so prices will likely stay high.

I'm sure when instrument repairman Steve Gilchrist first started building mandolins, he sold them for pocket money. Today Gilchrist is perhaps the most renowned mandolin builder in the world, selling his instruments for $25K and up.

Does this happen to everybody? Of course not. But to suggest that a small builder instrument will never eclipse the value of a respected production instrument just isn't true.
 
I have a vintage Martin soprano, but if I had to "settle" for a Timms, :music: I wouldn't be very upset. Elegant, classy ukes.

Well I now have my Timms.
Looks beautiful. Plays superbly.
I love the plain looks, not a bit of bling in sight.
I believe it's a future classic, and will only appreciate over time. However I did not buy it as an investment!
h
 
I guess I touched a nerve. Lol. Hey Steve, since you're such a genius in all things ukulele, please do let me know what a vintage Martin 3K kite/bow tie would cost me. I paid 2k for mine, and it was made by one of the world's premier ukulele makers. It's brand spanking new, too- no issues, none- awaiting decades of glorious play by my ham-handed stylings.

I did a lot of research on Laughlin prior to the purchase. By all accounts of ukulele players and luthiers alike, he's one of the best in the business. In fact, I know of at least one long standing member of both this forum and FMM who sold his vintage Martin 3K in favor of his Laughlin 3K. They're that good. Hey, I'm over the moon with THAT particular purchase. I'm fairly certain I could get back a sizable portion of what I paid for it. Now, if I'd chosen instead to go for one of Elderly's vintage Martin 3Ks for 4 thousand bucks? One of the ones that have been sitting up there for at least over a year? Sans the custom inlays? Riddled with cracks, holes drilled through the headstock, etc.? Would I get that back on resale? No way.

So, maybe for a Martin O your argument about saving money and whatnot would hold water, but as a whole it's just another opinion, and we all know what opinions are like...

-- Matt

I have a Laughlin 3K and absolutely love it. I'm sure these will become highly collectable one day.
 
I'm sure you're thinking of Ken Timms. But as another member suggested, it would be a good idea to contact Dave Talsma as well. I've played the one pictured earlier in this thread. It is a fantastic instrument.
 
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