Martin Mahogany?

kkimura

kkimura

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I just read Ukecasters post about a Ko'olau tenor made with Cuban mahogany, grown in Hawaii.

That got me wondering about what kind of mahogany goes into modern Martin ukuleles and where their wood is sourced.
 
kkimura said:
I just read Ukecasters post about a Ko'olau tenor made with Cuban mahogany, grown in Hawaii.

That got me wondering about what kind of mahogany goes into modern Martin ukuleles and where their wood is sourced.
Click to expand...

Only their high end guitars are made of (Honduran) mahogany. The lower end ones are made of African Mahogany-like woods. Given that the ukes are made in Mexico it is likely they are made of Sipo or Sapele. Usually if it has stripes it's not even a close relative.
 
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merlin666 said:
Only their high end guitsrd are made of (Honduran) mahogany. The lower end ones are made of African Mahogany-like woods. Given that the ukes are made in Mexico it is likely they are made of Sipo or Sapele. Usually if it has stripes it's not even a close relative.
Click to expand...

For the Mexican-made ukes, the fingerboard and bridge are made of Sipo (which to me is a travesty) but they do claim to use mahogany for the body, and I have no reason to doubt that. I owned a Martin S1 and the body certainly looked like mahogany, no stripes or anything on it. Although, when they say "mahogany" they probably mean African mahogany and I don't know if it actually is mahogany so...
 
Or does what kind of mahogany grows in Mexico? Or sipo or sapele? (I also have a S1)

I suppose the same question could be asked of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. (For the higher end Martin ukuleles)
 
I don't think that matters really. I'd think these companies are able to source their wood from farther away than where they're physically located.
 
It may be inaccurate or misleading to refer to Sapele as "Mahogany", taxonomically speaking, but that doesn't mean it is inferior to mahogany for instrument making.

John Colter
 
ukantor said:
It may be inaccurate or misleading to refer to Sapele as "Mahogany", taxonomically speaking, but that doesn't mean it is inferior to mahogany for instrument making.

John Colter
Click to expand...

The various woods used all have their qualities that's why they are used. But they should be called by their name and not be marketed as something that they are not. I certainly would more likely buy a uke from a brand that is able to describe their product more honestly instead of trying to use words they think people want to read.
 
merlin666 said:
The various woods used all have their qualities that's why they are used. But they should be called by their name and not be marketed as something that they are not. I certainly would more likely buy a uke from a brand that is able to describe their product more honestly instead of trying to use words they think people want to read.
Click to expand...

I agree. instrument makers should be up front about what materials are used to make their instruments. As many luthiers that post here have said, the skill going into making a ukulele is at least if not more important than the materials used.

Martin isn't shy about telling us that they use sipo fret boards. Wish they would say what kind of mahogany is used.
 
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If you want to go down the Martin mahogany rabbit whole, go over to the acoustic guitar forum and do a search. A couple years ago I bought a custom Martin 0-15 guitar. It is mahogany top sipo sides. It is a superb instrument. I got stuck in that rabbit hole. It is deep! Took days to find my way back to daylight. Try it/enjoy!
 
dwh said:
If you want to go down the Martin mahogany rabbit whole, go over to the acoustic guitar forum and do a search. A couple years ago I bought a custom Martin 0-15 guitar. It is mahogany top sipo sides. It is a superb instrument. I got stuck in that rabbit hole. It is deep! Took days to find my way back to daylight. Try it/enjoy!
Click to expand...

I think I know what you're saying. I once had a Martin OXK that sounded great even though I never found out where the HPL it was made out of was sourced.
 
Yes, Martin has a full line of HPL guitars, why not ukuleles too? I'd go for a HPL baritone. It would be easy for them to design and build.
 
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