Baskervils
Well-known member
I finally got a Martin baritone ukulele and I love it, but it was a costly process. I thought that I’d share my story for those people purchasing vintage ukes on eBay or Craigslist in the future. I want to help people so they don’t make the same mistakes I did.
I really wanted a great player baritone that I could record with. I've tried and liked some newer models, but the Martin has a unique vintage guitar warmth that I really enjoy.
I purchased my first Martin Baritone on Craigslist from a very nice seller (who was not a player), for $1000 advertised in flawless condition. Physically, it was in beautiful condition. I've had pretty good luck purchasing other musical gear on line, so I decided to give this a go.
Looks can be very deceiving, unfortunately. After spending $80 to ship with fees and $50 at the luthier, I learned that the neck had a .5 back bow. I could have heat treated the neck, re-fretted and replaced the saddle, may have cost up to $400. There was no guarantee that this was going to make the ukulele 100% playable. I decided it was a little pricey for an already expensive instrument and luckily the guy was nice enough to take it back. Total loss = $200.
A local music store in NYC had one for sale for $1800, which I thought was insanely ungodly expensive, but I decided to go and try theirs out. They hadn't set it up and the neck on this uke didn't appear to be straight either. I sat around while they took it to the back for set up, but 30 minutes later they were still working on it. I split. The thing probably wasn't worth that much even if it was showroom mint, which it wasn’t.
Finally, I found one that was in great shape from the Music Emporium in Mass. Joe, the owner, was super cool and did a very thorough set up. It's a great player Martin baritone.
This was a painful lesson that I hope others will avoid. Perhaps it's common sense to vintage guitar collectors, but I should have asked much more specific questions before I bought my first one. The seller of the ukulele (that had the back bow) said that the music store checked it out and said that it was great, but they clearly did not have a qualified person on staff.
If you purchase an expensive uke on eBay or Craigslist, you should definitely ask if the instrument has been inspected or set up by a luthier (guitar technician) and get documentation on that. Also, see if the seller will accept returns. Luckily the seller I purchased from was honest and my $200 mistake wasn’t a $1200 mistake
I really wanted a great player baritone that I could record with. I've tried and liked some newer models, but the Martin has a unique vintage guitar warmth that I really enjoy.
I purchased my first Martin Baritone on Craigslist from a very nice seller (who was not a player), for $1000 advertised in flawless condition. Physically, it was in beautiful condition. I've had pretty good luck purchasing other musical gear on line, so I decided to give this a go.
Looks can be very deceiving, unfortunately. After spending $80 to ship with fees and $50 at the luthier, I learned that the neck had a .5 back bow. I could have heat treated the neck, re-fretted and replaced the saddle, may have cost up to $400. There was no guarantee that this was going to make the ukulele 100% playable. I decided it was a little pricey for an already expensive instrument and luckily the guy was nice enough to take it back. Total loss = $200.
A local music store in NYC had one for sale for $1800, which I thought was insanely ungodly expensive, but I decided to go and try theirs out. They hadn't set it up and the neck on this uke didn't appear to be straight either. I sat around while they took it to the back for set up, but 30 minutes later they were still working on it. I split. The thing probably wasn't worth that much even if it was showroom mint, which it wasn’t.
Finally, I found one that was in great shape from the Music Emporium in Mass. Joe, the owner, was super cool and did a very thorough set up. It's a great player Martin baritone.
This was a painful lesson that I hope others will avoid. Perhaps it's common sense to vintage guitar collectors, but I should have asked much more specific questions before I bought my first one. The seller of the ukulele (that had the back bow) said that the music store checked it out and said that it was great, but they clearly did not have a qualified person on staff.
If you purchase an expensive uke on eBay or Craigslist, you should definitely ask if the instrument has been inspected or set up by a luthier (guitar technician) and get documentation on that. Also, see if the seller will accept returns. Luckily the seller I purchased from was honest and my $200 mistake wasn’t a $1200 mistake
Last edited: