Inherited vintage uke

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jmanzatt

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I'm new to this site and was hoping for some info on a Martin ukulele I inherited. I've done a bunch of research on it, and am pegging down the year to 1933 or 1934 based on the following:

decal on front
bar frets

It's a style 1 in very nice condition with a case I'm assuming is original. Pics follow.

I have a few questions. First off, are my assumptions correct regarding age? Do any later models have bar frets? Secondly, how would I assess its value? I'm thinking about trading it for a camera I've been wanting for a while, but can't afford right now. Thirdly, does the case make it any more valuable? While the ukulele is in excellent condition, the case is a little beat up.

The other side of me feels like I should keep it... I play guitar, and have always considered a uke, but I feel like this is a little out of my league for a first, esp. since it's so hard for me to play, it being a soprano and my hands being rather big.

Your thoughts, anyone?
 

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I inherited a couple of 20's Martins from my long gone grandfather, and they are the reason I play ukulele today. I went out and bought a $60 beater, took some lessons, and Bob's your uncle, as it were.
Sopranos feel really small coming from a guitar, but let me tell you that my guitar feels like a 34 foot motor home now. but c'mon, it's already too late, you've admitted that you've considered it, you've googled up the history lesson, you lovingly took some pictures. Your new camera will be outdated in 5 years, and there are lots more ways to get $$ than to get heirloom Martins. Plus it's not worth THAT much.
If only my Grandfather had hung on to his guitar and his mandolins.
 
You have a treasured family heirloom...while you may not be into ukes now..your martin is worth at least 600-700 dollars... I would keep it and pass it on to your next generation...
I am sure in the future you may have a uker in the family who will appriciate it very much...keep it... a camera only will depriciate and a few years be obsolete...and worth not much
in 5 years... Your martin will continue to go up in value.... Vintage Martins are one of the best and treasured ukes a uker can ask for..... not sure but around 1940 maybe a little earlier...
unable to see the picture good... looks like a style O if there is no binding....
 
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KEEP IT!!!!!! You won't regret keeping it. You might regret selling it. As for the size, I play soprano uke and bass guitar. You'll get used to it! I agree on the early '30s age if it has bar frets.
Stan, it IS a Style 1. Look at the position dots. An 0 would not have the two dots on the 7th fret. They would all have single dots.
 
I would keep it if I were you. You have nothing into it and is a really wonderful instrument. I hear the argument that one can't play a soprano because of big hands, and I think perhaps that is true for some people but mostly it is a matter of getting used to it. Most people don't find it easy to fret a guitar when they start, but they adjust as they practice and get better.

You can't get a much better soprano ukulele, and it comes from family which for me would make it a real treasure. Playing a quality instrument as a beginner to the ukulele will only help you to want to play it more. Put some Martin Flurocarbon strings on that baby and play away!
 
RyanMFT said:
I would keep it if I were you. You have nothing into it and is a really wonderful instrument. I hear the argument that one can't play a soprano because of big hands, and I think perhaps that is true for some people but mostly it is a matter of getting used to it. Most people don't find it easy to fret a guitar when they start, but they adjust as they practice and get better.

You can't get a much better soprano ukulele, and it comes from family which for me would make it a real
treasure. Playing a quality instrument as a beginner to the ukulele will only help you to want to play it more. Put some Martin Flurocarbon strings on that baby and play away!
Click to expand...
Iz played a soprano too and many have big hands..I have stubby fingers too...some can get used to it by practic ing ...even with my stubby fingers I played a sopranino...it was fun too..
 
It's really a nothing instrument. Tell you what, send it to me and I'll give you $10 for it.

OK, now that that lame joke is out of the way, let's get down to it. You said "inherited". that could mean a variety of things. If it came from someone close to you, keep it. If was simply given to you because you are the "music guy" in the family, go ahead and trade it out for cash enough to get the camera you want. It looks to be in decent playing condition and it would be a shame if it spent the rest of its time in a closet.

Many of us here at UU are jaded into thinking that old ukuleles are works of art to be cherished. Maybe so, but to an outside person, it is just another old nice thing that can go just about anywhere with little to no thought. The reality is that a ukulele is just a thing. If it once belonged to a favorite uncle who spent many years in the South Pacific, then your thing has a story to it and the personal value goes way up.

So far as playing a soprano with big hands, welcome to the club (all puns intended). I stand 6'2" and weigh in at 240. I have several ukuleles, including two sopranos. All get regular play. You can figure it out.
 
Thank you all repliers! It'd definitely given me food for thought. As far as where I got it, Harold was right, it fell into my hands because I'm the music guy in the family, so there's no real connection to it other than the fact that it sounds beautiful. My dad also plays and has a couple ukes, so I thought of giving it to him, but he recommended either keeping it myself or selling it, as he already has a nice soprano, plus another one he's more apt to take on trips.

You're all correct about the camera, it will lose value, but in the meantime, I'd get its value and more. I'm a photographer, so this is not only a "want" but a "need," too. Anyhow, I appreciate all your thoughts. It's really cool to find a site like this with people who appreciate good music, fine instruments, and friendly advice. I'm gonna play it for a bit and see how I do.

By the by, I'm curious to know if the two factors I mentioned nail the age down to 1933 or 1932. I understand decals started on the front in '32, and T frets started in '34, which seems to me to pinpoint it, but maybe it's possible later models had bar frets. I wonder if the tuners help narrow the age?
 
jmanzatt said:
Thank you all repliers! It'd definitely given me food for thought. As far as where I got it, Harold was right, it fell into my hands because I'm the music guy in the family, so there's no real connection to it other than the fact that it sounds beautiful. My dad also plays and has a couple ukes, so I thought of giving it to him, but he recommended either keeping it myself or selling it, as he already has a nice soprano, plus another one he's more apt to take on trips.

You're all correct about the camera, it will lose value, but in the meantime, I'd get its value and more. I'm a photographer, so this is not only a "want" but a "need," too. Anyhow, I appreciate all your thoughts. It's really cool to find a site like this with people who appreciate good music, fine instruments, and friendly advice. I'm gonna play it for a bit and see how I do.

By the by, I'm curious to know if the two factors I mentioned nail the age down to 1933 or 1932. I understand decals started on the front in '32, and T frets started in '34, which seems to me to pinpoint it, but maybe it's possible later models had bar frets. I wonder if the tuners help narrow the age?
Click to expand...

I am not a HUGE expert by any means, but I do own two Martins from the late '20s or very early '30s, so I've looked at a lot of dating guides. I do agree that the decal and bar frets narrow it down to approximately '32-'34. And those tuners LOOK like '30s tuners. They're not the same as my two old Martins (which aren't the same as each other, for that matter), but they just look right. I'm sure they are original, and put it squarely in the time range we're talking about.
 
Okay, I've been noodling around with this thing for a bit, and am getting nowhere. I then played my friend's tenor, and I like it infinitely better. Which means I'm going to end up selling this one. What's protocol for selling it here?
 
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