NUD Yasuma Tiple, (Martin T28 copy)

Django · Dec 29, 2016

I saw this on Fleamarket Music, and while I was stranded in Detroit's Airport, sleep deprived and bored, this seemed like a good idea, so I contacted the seller. I am now happy for the stranding because this is a wonderful instrument. I received it yesterday, but had to wait a day to open it. The phone picture fails to do the instrument justice with it's nice bear-claw spruce top and rosewood back and sides. I restrung it as an 8 string, G3 G4, C3 C4, E4 E4, A3 A3.

This Tiple is a nice Martin copy made in the 1970s. I had been told that there was a lawsuit by Martin, but I have been informed that this was a myth, thanks Scooter.

It feels like I am being accompanied by a 12 string guitar. The action is low, neck straight and playability is surprisingly easy. This is my first NUD. It is a little hard to contain my excitement.

DownUpDave · Dec 29, 2016

Well let me be the first to congratulate you on your first NUD........and many more to come.

That is a great looking instrument, got that pure old world class look about it. I bet it sounds wonderful, I wouldn't know what to do with all those strings. Enjoy the heck out of it and thanks for sharing, its fits wonderfully in your display case.

Ukulele Eddie · Dec 29, 2016

Very nice purchase. Saw that on FMM and was intrigued.

Camsuke · Dec 30, 2016

Congratulations Django, that's a great find, a real keeper.

hollisdwyer · Dec 30, 2016

Congratulations on a great acquisition. I love instruments with many strings and this one is a real beauty.

ScooterD35 · Dec 30, 2016

Great find! The Yasumas are excellent instruments.

BTW, Martin never sued Yasuma, nor were any Tiples destroyed. Yasuma simply stopped making them when they stopped selling, just as Martin did. Martin never sued Takamine either. They just sent them a letter asking them not to make their logo so similar to Martin's. Martin guitars are the most copied instruments in history, especially the dreadnought.

Scooter

uke4ia · Dec 30, 2016

Congrats! I have a Yasuma that I picked up in a Boston music store around 1990. I'd been seeing it in the store for nearly a year, and it looked so beautiful that I eventually broke down and bought it, although I had no idea what to do with it. It took me nearly a quarter century to start finding a good use for it. The Beach Boys' "Sail On Sailor" in particular sounds good on it. I still have trouble getting it to stay in tune, but I think that's mostly my inexperience with steel strings. I bought a guitar string winder so in the future I can get it strung without leaving enough slack for string slippage.

Ukulele Eddie · Dec 30, 2016

ScooterD35 said:
Great find! The Yasumas are excellent instruments.

BTW, Martin never sued Yasuma, nor were any Tiples destroyed. Yasuma simply stopped making them when they stopped selling, just as Martin did. Martin never sued Takamine either. They just sent them a letter asking them not to make their logo so similar to Martin's. Martin guitars are the most copied instruments in history, especially the dreadnought.

Scooter

And let's not forget the Dreadnaugbt was originally done by Martin only for the Ditson line that it produced for the department store. I think it was 15 years (1931) before Martin made any under their own label.

Nickie · Dec 30, 2016

Congratulations on your new baby!

OhioBelle · Dec 31, 2016

that is really really lovely! congratulations on such a fabulous find! I am very intrigued by the idea of a tiple, but I fear I'd better stick to 4 strings for now. If I practice really hard and get better at the 4, maybe a tiple in the future.

enjoy your new beauty and Happy New Year!

TheCraftedCow · Jan 2, 2017

I really like both my 1923 Martin and my later Yasuma, but I HATE both of them with steel strings. They really hurt my fingers, so both are strung with Aquila whites. It is so much more enjoyable. The Martin is in its original case. Yours is beautiful!!

Django · Jan 2, 2017

I found that as a solo instrument, there were not many songs that sounded good in the standard tiple tuning. It is now a steel string, tenor taropatch, but with a high and low g. I can play anything that I could play on the others, but now it sound like I am being accompanied and playing in a large room. It's not traditional, but it is a lot of fun and now, it is versatile too.

NUD Yasuma Tiple, (Martin T28 copy)

Django

Well-known member

Attachments

DownUpDave

UU VIP

Ukulele Eddie

Well-known member

Camsuke

Well-known member

hollisdwyer

UU VIP

ScooterD35

Well-known member

uke4ia

UU VIP

Ukulele Eddie

Well-known member

Nickie

Well-known member

OhioBelle

Well-known member

TheCraftedCow

Well-known member

Django

Well-known member

Similar threads