Martin C1K or T1K?

Hello,

I try to decide which of the aforementioned ukuleles to buy.

Sadly I have no chance to try them for myself.

I am a sopran and tenor player, so the answer to my question should be obvious.
But I have found mixed reviews about the T1K and only praise for the C1K, and on the videos I watched, I definately liked the sound of the C1K way more.

Probably it is time for me, to buy my first concert uke.

What are in your opinion the pros and cons of each model?


Cheers,
kju:

It's so hard to say because with these Mexican models it is something of a gamble. There seems to be huge variability. I have both the tenor and the concert. The tenor that I have is a reasonable uke for the price. The Koa that it is made from is clearly a lower grade, not only is it lacking in any curl or pretty grain, but it looks like it was made from a piece of cheap lumber from a lumber yard. The neck is a bit rough. The action is a bit high. It plays pretty well and the sound is good, but it is a decent $500 uke no more no less. The C1K that I have is really great. The Koa looks really nice - it has quite a bit of curl. The action is lower and it plays really well. The tone is excellent. Everything is better finished. It plays and sounds like a much more expensive uke.

However, this is totally random. I'm pretty sure with the luck of the draw any given Concert or any given Tenor, among the Mexican Martins, will be just OK or could be great. I have played a number of them, and generally the concerts have been better - don't know why.

I started out a skeptic on the Mexican Martins because I have played a number of the sopranos, including one that I own, and don't find the S1 to be anything special. But I have played a number of the concerts and tenors in various music stores and been impressed. Thanks to Ebay sellers I now have a concert and a tenor. I'm actually a bit of a fan. My guess is that 20 years from now, when Martin stops making them in Mexico, people on forums like this will exchange loving emails about the Mexican Martins and get excited when they score a bargain on one. Like the old Martin Sigma guitars which were considered junk when they were made but are now sought by collectors and bargain hunters.