NUD - Martin C1K!!! It all begins when I found a new "old" Uke store in Philly...

hikaru

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NUD - Martin C1K!!! It all begins when I found a new "old" Uke store in Philly...

I've been looking for an upgrade in a solid uke for a while. There is this fancy modern place that I usually go to check the ukes, but it only carries one brand, the Kala. Though I love my Kala long neck soprano a lot, I'm dying to explore more options, especially the K brands (to see what everyone is talking about)!

Before I try to pull the trigger and buy a 2nd hand K brand from Ebay, I googled and googled, and I discovered a new vintage ukulele store in my area! The website seems old, but it shows it carries Imua, Martin, Kala, Kiwaya, and even some Eastman, Kumu and Big Island ones! Yeah!!!

So I went there, tried to strum and pick each and every one of them with my poor beginner skills, and there's the one: the Martin C1K! The solid-koa Mexican-made concert!

It feels really sturdy, well balanced. And the sound! When I strum it for the first time, it was way deeper than I imagined. It sounds much better than the Martin sound samples available here in the forum! I'm not sure the right way to put it, but for me, there was another dimension of the sound that makes you feel it in the vibrations, through the instrument and the air around it. Totally out of my imagination. Please allow me to compare the Martin uke sound to the taste of a Gumbo: it has layers of feelings, and you will never know until you tried it!

Long story short, I found the Martin C1K sound suits me well than any other concerts in the store, then I pulled the trigger and brought it home.

One thing I realized after a whole night of playing is that the Martin is definitely high maintenance! I guess because it has a bigger sound and transfers every single note so clearly, it also amplifies my errors too. Now even the buzz sounds louder! :( I didn't realize this before with my Kala. Guess I was just going easy with my mistakes... Now the goal is to play the notes and the chords cleaner and better to my new Martin.:music:
 

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I assume you're talking about Vintage Instruments. Not only is it not new, it's been around for decades. The owner, Fred Oster, is very well-known as a vintage instrument expert and has appeared on Antiques Roadshow. The place is a wonderland of vintage instruments-- what they have on their website is perhaps half of what they have in the store. Glad you found the right uke for you!
 
I assume you're talking about Vintage Instruments. Not only is it not new, it's been around for decades. The owner, Fred Oster, is very well-known as a vintage instrument expert and has appeared on Antiques Roadshow. The place is a wonderland of vintage instruments-- what they have on their website is perhaps half of what they have in the store. Glad you found the right uke for you!

Exactly! I can't believe I never heard it until today...

And they are all brand new instruments, ukuleles at least. They have huge collection of guitars, violins, mandolins as well. When I was checking the uke today there was someone else playing the mandolin, thankfully hiding my buzz-full playing :)
 
Congratulations! Sounds like you are thrilled with your C1K. I've been enjoying my Martin T1K for several years now. They are great instruments. Have a good time!
 
Congrats! Now you have me :drool: again!
 
Luv your C1K story. Will comment tomorrow.

PeteyHoudini
 
Congrats on your find. I drive by Vintage Instruments all the time but have never gone inside (yet). It's nice to hear good reviews. Honestly the only reason I haven't stopped in there is that I don't trust that I'll "behave". :)
I must admit though that now you have me even more curious to see what they have.
 
Thanks, everyone! Yes, I'm thrilled with this new beauty!

According to their website, they have no less than 11 vintage Martins, including TWO Style 3Ms!

Well, the ukes in the display room are all new. And there were only three Martins when I visited yesterday: a SO soprano, a Style 2 tenor, and my C1k concert. They all sound so great! Maybe the vintage ones should be booked in advance somehow(?), and I was already overwhelmed by the 30+ ukes lying in front of me, so I didn't think of asking. Also, according to their staff, the website hasn't been updated for a while, so this could be a reason too.


Congrats on your find. I drive by Vintage Instruments all the time but have never gone inside (yet). It's nice to hear good reviews. Honestly the only reason I haven't stopped in there is that I don't trust that I'll "behave". :)
I must admit though that now you have me even more curious to see what they have.

It's a little gem! They have those ancient indian ukuleles hanging all over the wall. Feels more like a museum to me than a store... The staff are also very helpful and welcoming too. Definitely worth checking out :)
 
That's a good upgrade. I also have a C1K. My local store (Union Music in Worcester, MA) had both the C1K and T1K and I got to play them both in multiple occasions. Although I liked better the construction and size of the tenor, the sound of the concert was heavenly. I ended up buying the C1K, too.

I do have two small complaints about it: its body size is smaller than other concerts I have (or tried) and that gives me some trouble holding it without struggling (without strap). Also, the gig bag that's included is pitiful, I wish they didn't include anything, a hard case would be nice :) I had to buy a case, now have this empty flimpy Martin bag.

Enjoy it

Eugenio
 
Congrat's on the C1K, those are very underrated! I had one and only sold it because I wanted Hawaiian made. The Martin sounds just as good as any K brand IMHO.

BTW, the "flimpy" gig bag is not flimpy at all and although I had a hard case for mine, the nice bag is very handy for going to Festivals, etc.

Used to see one for sale in the Marketplace occasionally, but haven't seen one in a while!
 
Nice Martin! And I am jealous of your nice local uke store.
 
I wanted to add that I have a Martin 2k concert and I brought it a local uke jam and a guy came up to me with his C1K. He wanted to try my 2k concert. He concluded happily they sounded almost the same to his ears and he was very happy. The C1K is a great instrument.

You're right about Martins making playing errors sound out. It's brutal on my 2k Martin tenor that I really have to play more carefully. But it sounds beautiful when played.

Petey
 
So happy for you! :D I know just what you mean about the sound and deeper dimensions, feeling it in the vibrations and the air. Exactly. For me, it's like I am inside the sound. <3 Congratulations, enjoy! Yes mistakes will be more noticeable for a while, but you will play better as a result, if you take the time to correct them.
 
Congrats and welcome to the Martin C1K club! I'll be redundant by saying it again here that the C1K has remained my #1 player since I acquired it. While I have had the desire to buy other more expensive concert Ukes, and it may happen one day, so far the C1K keeps them at bay...
 
Thanks again, everyone!

I've been playing it the whole day and can't put it down! It just keeps amazing me. The martin neck at nut seems a little wider than the Kala one. Not mush though, just about 1mm. But my fingers already feel much roomier. 1mm can surely make a difference! Also, unlike the Kala long neck, it has a very smooth satin finish, and I really like it: it makes sliding and moving up the neck so easy!


I do have two small complaints about it: its body size is smaller than other concerts I have (or tried) and that gives me some trouble holding it without struggling (without strap). Also, the gig bag that's included is pitiful, I wish they didn't include anything, a hard case would be nice :) I had to buy a case, now have this empty flimpy Martin bag.

Enjoy it

Eugenio

I store it in the hardcase I bought for my longneck soprano. I was not sure about how the longneck fits in, so I bought a concert one for that. Finally the hollow space in the case is filled and the Martin gig bag goes to the longneck instead!


Nice Martin! And I am jealous of your nice local uke store.

Thanks! I'm sure there are plenty of vintage instrument stores hidden here and there waiting for us to find out!


I wanted to add that I have a Martin 2k concert and I brought it a local uke jam and a guy came up to me with his C1K. He wanted to try my 2k concert. He concluded happily they sounded almost the same to his ears and he was very happy. The C1K is a great instrument.

You're right about Martins making playing errors sound out. It's brutal on my 2k Martin tenor that I really have to play more carefully. But it sounds beautiful when played.

Petey

Lucky me! I will work on my skills and try to be a good player for my beauty!
 
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