Coldcomfort
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If you have owned or tried Laughlin Martin's reproduction 3K or 3M. Please share your thought and experience here. Thank you!
I've had one for a short time but it had an issue with the fretboard inlay. For some reason it had an inlay at the ninth fret instead of the tenth so I sent it back. Sound wise it was very nice (for what it's worth) and was very well built.
Thanks for your input specialk13. I'm considering to get laughlin ukulele either 3m or 3k(still couldn't decide anybody out there have tried his 3M?)
From my research, Tim Laughlin is highly respected luthier who specialize in martin 3k reproduction.
However, I just wanna hear from laughlin owner.
I have inspected and played the Laughlin 3M at Elderly Instruments. Like others have said, the build is impeccable, but it better be for $1750.00. However, I was quite shocked at how bad the intonation was. I carried a strobe tuner with me and was testing intonation on several ukes. Out of all the Kiwaya's, New and vintage Martins, the Laughlin had the worst intonation. It could have been, and probably was a bad set of strings, since everything else seemed flawless.
Won't do any good to flame me, since that was my observation. Take or leave it.
I just purchased a used Laughlin 3K. It is hard to put down. Very responsive and loud without being harsh. Mine is one of the two that were styled after the 1918-1920 3Ks with the kite, WBW nut and bow tie at the 7th fret, (diamonds at the 5th and 9th, just like the vintage Martin). The workmanship is first class. Playability and intonation are near perfect. It even has bar frets. Even the finish is old school, semi-gloss. It could pass for a near mint Martin if it weren't for the Laughlin stamps. I am very happy to have it. The very early 3Ks, (bow tie), are very hard to find, even in rough condition. My feeling is that if for you it has to be a vintage Martin, then be prepared to spend a lot and live with some quirks, (vintage instruments come with some responsibility, fragility and often the sins of less than perfect but well intended repairs). If you want to experience a nearly identical instrument without the vintage issues, I don't think that you could do better than a Laughlin Ukulele.