UED - Martin C1K and friction tuners

D

deschutestrout

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Uke Enhancement Day! Last month I picked up a used Martin C1K. Absolutely love this uke! I really like the look and functionality of quality friction tuners on soprano and concerts, so I picked up a set of gold with MOP buttons from Mike at Mainland. Half hour and $20 later, my uke was transformed. I'm pleased with the result!

martin1.jpg
martin2.jpg
 
I own this uke as well and I really think it is a great ukulele. love my friction tuners but i didnt do the hack you mentioned. what i love is that the uke is the perfect size for me to get the range i need for the way I play (arranging songs and playing instrumentally), fits my small hands, naturally pretty wo any fancy embellishments, and does not feel bulky or crude in any way. i just want to hug it all the time! great uke for the price! i find jason arimoto's phd strings works best as it is a bit of a bright sounding uke and the mellowness of jasons strings is a great balance (and really soft on your fingers - you just dont get that with aquila or worth strings on this particular uke). 2nd runner up strings are the martin strings. havent tried any other type of strings. try that out. hope you enjoy the uke as much as i do. it is definitely my staple go to uke.
 
deschutestrout said:
Thanks! Yes, the C1K is a very nice uke for reasonable $
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No doubt Desch. I've read so much good things about these guys.

I recently purchased a T1K and it sounds fantastic. I just wished, where the top of fretboard meets the body, has the same design as the C1K's and the sapranos. It deserves a better look.
 
friction tuners

deschutestrout said:
Huh? What hack did I mention?
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unless i am mistaken, i thought you meant you changed the friction tuners from sticking out the sides to sticking out the back. maybe "hack" was not the right word. my bad. but haven't you ever heard of a hack like ikea hack - as it applies to furniture bought at ikea. its doing cool things to inprove the object to your taste. i meant no offense. like i said, maybe "hack" was the wrong word to use. :) what you did was very cool - i love the pearliness of your tuners.
 
I have a martin 2K concert that I wanted to do the same thing to, but didn't know which tuners would fit the existing holes. Was it tough to get the old grommets out? The new grommets just popped into the existing holes and were snug? I also prefer the look of the friction tuners over the geared ones.
 
looks cool, so how do they work?! don't think I would do that to mine, I like the functionality of the Grovers myself. I wonder if those tuners would be a "drop in" for my vintage style 0?

hack seems to be a new buzzword, which I'm hoping doesn't last long...;-D
 
UkerDanno said:
looks cool, so how do they work?! don't think I would do that to mine, I like the functionality of the Grovers myself. I wonder if those tuners would be a "drop in" for my vintage style 0?

hack seems to be a new buzzword, which I'm hoping doesn't last long...;-D
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They work great! I'm getting the tension tweeked just right ... almost there, waiting for the strings to settle a bit. My Grovers worked just fine ... I just so enjoy the look (and feel) of friction tuners...so I figured what the "hack" :drool: Otherwise, I was afraid every time I'd grab that uke (which is OFTEN!) I'd say "I'd bet you'd look awesome with friction tuners". Are the holes in your style 0 tapered or just a straight shot? if they're straight drilled, I bet they'd drop right in...possibly even if they're tapered as these drop in from the top, and are secured by the bottom, pulling all components snug. I love the look! And for $20 and 30 minutes...what the hack.
 
Tuners are settling in nicely as the strings settle down. Tightening them a smidge at a time. Filled the vacant holes with toothpicks, then dabbed a brown sharpie on them. Blend in nicely...hardly notice there were once screw holes there :D. Great "hack" if I say so myself.
 
deschutestrout said:
I just so enjoy the look (and feel) of friction tuners...so I figured what the "hack" :drool: Otherwise, I was afraid every time I'd grab that uke (which is OFTEN!) I'd say "I'd bet you'd look awesome with friction tuners".
Click to expand...

:shaka: and now you have a custom C1K! ;-D
 
rappsy said:
Beautiful job. Nice Uke. Where'd ya get it?
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:shaka: Oh, got it from a buddy of mine.

Filled the vacant screw holes by inserting toothpicks in the holes and breaking them off flush ... a dab of brown sharpie marker and you can only see them if you're looking for them. And will be simple to screw the old tuners back in if I ever decide to swap them back ... which is unlikely as I'm loving the look and function of the friction tuners. Best $20 mod I've done to one of my ukes.
 
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