Why So Little Interest in the Martin Iz Uke

There are very few reviews on the web, and very little discussion in this forum about the Martin IZ uke. As far I can tell one person on UU has one.

Is it because a Style 2 is available for less money? Is it because you can buy a Collings Mahogany for the same price? Is it because there is limited enthusiasm for modern American made Martins? Is it because you can get a custom for the same price? Is it because you can get a good Vintage Style 1 for the same price? Is it because the use of IZs name so many years after his death seems kind of craven? On this forum is it because Pete Forrest doesn't care for his style 2 Mahogany that much?

I find that I am somewhat intrigued by the IZ tenor. My opinion of the modern Martins is very mixed. I have a Collings Mahogany, and it is probably a better value for the money. But I wish there were more reviews of the IZ tenor. I wish I could try one locally.

katysax said:

There are very few reviews on the web, and very little discussion in this forum about the Martin IZ uke. As far I can tell one person on UU has one.

Is it because a Style 2 is available for less money? Is it because you can buy a Collings Mahogany for the same price? Is it because there is limited enthusiasm for modern American made Martins? Is it because you can get a custom for the same price? Is it because you can get a good Vintage Style 1 for the same price? Is it because the use of IZs name so many years after his death seems kind of craven? On this forum is it because Pete Forrest doesn't care for his style 2 Mahogany that much?

I find that I am somewhat intrigued by the IZ tenor. My opinion of the modern Martins is very mixed. I have a Collings Mahogany, and it is probably a better value for the money. But I wish there were more reviews of the IZ tenor. I wish I could try one locally.

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i want one but its just very expensive but believe me i have a big interest in it.
Honestly i have no idea why theres no reviews or anything on it you'd think they would be.
But i do feel a lot of players are interested in owning one.

katysax said:

There are very few reviews on the web, and very little discussion in this forum about the Martin IZ uke. As far I can tell one person on UU has one.

Is it because a Style 2 is available for less money? Is it because you can buy a Collings Mahogany for the same price? Is it because there is limited enthusiasm for modern American made Martins? Is it because you can get a custom for the same price? Is it because you can get a good Vintage Style 1 for the same price? Is it because the use of IZs name so many years after his death seems kind of craven? On this forum is it because Pete Forrest doesn't care for his style 2 Mahogany that much?

I find that I am somewhat intrigued by the IZ tenor. My opinion of the modern Martins is very mixed. I have a Collings Mahogany, and it is probably a better value for the money. But I wish there were more reviews of the IZ tenor. I wish I could try one locally.

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btw i had a modern martin soprano and its still the best instrument i ever owned.

It's probably because it is only a "tribute" uke, rather than a signature/replica uke. Meaning anyone could take a standard Martin tenor and glue a picture of a flower to it for a lot less than the factory version costs.

Add to that, three well known, but rarely voiced facts:

Iz wasn't a "ukulele player", he was a singer that accompanied himself on a uke.

If you take every album he produced, and discarded the junk that isn't even good enough to play in an elevator, the remaining tracks that are worth listening to might just fill a single CD.

There really is one born every minute, so why wouldn't Martin decide to cash in on it, albeit 17 years late? If they really gave a s** about Iz, you'd have thought they'd have gotten around to it sooner. Maybe they were just waiting for the right market conditions.

I agree with about 50% of what you have to say about IZ, the thing about this uke I find least interesting is that it is an IZ tribute. That's my point about why the IZ tribute is a bit craven.

However, what I find interesting about the uke is that it appears to be a good quality handmade mahogany uke from a legendary manufacturer, made in America, with Pegheds. The fact that it is a tribute edition might, possibly, contribute to its long-term (not short-term) resale value. It kind of looks to me like a style 2 with pegheds and an inlay. That's probably why I think a lot of people who look at the IZ end up buying the style 2.

I believe that Cigarfan owns one, so he could probably give you an honest assessment.

I was also very interested in one, but for the cash outlay, I'd definitely want to try it first. I think the only Martin dealer around here is Guitar Center, and they want no part of getting one unless you're willing to give up your credit card first.

I only own one "signature model" (Ace Frehley Les Paul - not a uke). It's actually a version made which uses the original as a template as opposed to a current model which has been simply "tarted up."

Matt

gtomatt said:

I only own one "signature model" (Ace Frehley Les Paul - not a uke). It's actually a version made which uses the original as a template as opposed to a current model which has been simply "tarted up."

Matt

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Was that the 3 pickup Budokan LP? Superb guitar if it was/is.

A friend who has one confided to me his mahogany Kala is every bit as good if not better. FWIW.

The Big Kahuna said:

Was that the 3 pickup Budokan LP? Superb guitar if it was/is.

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Hi Big K,

Yes it's the Budokan LP. Complete with case candy, including signed certificate of authenticity from Ace...

Sounds killer through either my Supro Corsica or Sunn tube amps

Matt

You got the Cherry Sunburst or sparkly blue? Those are the only 2 colours I remember from back in the day.

"Tribute" instruments are both pointless and cynical moneymaking exercises.

True "signature" models, such as those instruments from Gibson, Fender, PRS and Ibanez, are designed with considerable input from the artist, down to details such as unvarnished necks, different fretwire and many other easy to miss details.

Slapping someone's name on a factory instrument, 17 years after their death, is cynical in the extreme. Getting his widow to sign a bit of paper is both tasteless and valueless. They didn't even have the decency to wait until one of the commonly accepted "commemorative anniversaries" such as 20 or 25 years.

If the Iz model was any better than the standard mahogany, I might be tempted. The pic of Iz would be covered over with a pic of Sophie Madeleine, but that's another story...LOL!

The people I play uke in front of have no idea who Iz was, and after hearing "Who's that in the pic?" a zillion times, I'd have to smash the instrument to bits. They'd have done better with a Tiny Tim model, but everyone under the age of 50 would ask, "Why is Russell Brand's pic inside your ukulele?"

Was Iz really cremated with his 1950's Martin tenor? I wonder why Martin waited so long to come out with an Iz ukulele.

katysax said:

Is it because....

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Probably a bit of all of the above.

Myself, I just have no interest in "signature" instruments of any sort. What I've said many times about guitars applies equally well to ukes: "if I'm going to pay a premium for having somebody's name on my uke, it's going to be my name!"

I remember looking at a limited edition G&L electric guitar in a local store years ago. It was like 50% more than the regular model because it was a limited edition run signed by George or Leo (don't recall which, anymore). I liked the way the guitar felt and everything, but it wasn't that great and I wasn't going to pay for a signature. They didn't have the equivalent regular model in stock. The owner kept going on and on about how wonderful it was that it was signed (I'd bought enough stuff in there that he should have known me better). Anyway, when I tried to negotiate on price he just kept saying, "but it's signed by..." I finally looked at him and said something like, "fine, scrape the (*&(^ signature off and knock $500 off the price and I'll give you the cash right now). He was not amused. LOL

Frankly, I think most signature models are aimed at collectors more than they are at musicians. I've never known a professional musician (as in, actually makes a living, or even a noticeable part of a living) who was much interested in having an instrument with someone else's name on it.

John

OldePhart said:

Myself, I just have no interest in "signature" instruments of any sort. What I've said many times about guitars applies equally well to ukes: "if I'm going to pay a premium for having somebody's name on my uke, it's going to be my name!"

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Replace the word "uke" with the word "butt" and there you have what I've always said about designer jeans!

My views on this uke are pretty much in line with my views on all things that are branded and licensed - it would never cross my mind to spend extra just because it's a BMW or a Rolex or endorsed by (insert celebrity name here) or inspired by (likewise). I've never once purchased anything as an investment - when I spend money, I want it to be put to good use right here, right now.

The thing that most has me interested in the IZ uke is that it is a Martin with Peghed tuners. I'm starting to disfavor the side tuning pegs on any uke. It's just silly and superficial, but there you have it. My feelings about modern Martins are very mixed, and that includes some very strong bad impressions as well as some favorable ones. Also I think I prefer my tenors to have a radius fretboard. When I switch back to a flat fretboard it feels scooped instead of flat. So I really don't know why I've gotten an interest in the IZ uke. It seems kind of pricey for what it is. There are some really great ukes available at that price or cheaper.

I'm not that put off by signature models. As long as a signature uke/guitar/banjo/whatever compares well to other instruments in the same price range, a signature model is as good an instrument to consider as any other. If, for a particular uke shopper that can afford an expensive uke, Martin's Iz model compares favorably to, say, a Mya Moe or a Collings uke, then that Iz uke might be the one for that shopper.

Heck, I'm not even cynical about Martin's use of Iz's name and likeness---which were both carefully discussed with Iz's family. Without Iz's music, there likely wouldn't be any Martin ukes in production today, so the Iz signature uke feels more like a tribute than a cash-in, at least to me.

katysax said:

There are very few reviews on the web, and very little discussion in this forum about the Martin IZ uke. As far I can tell one person on UU has one. On this forum is it because Pete Forrest doesn't care for his style 2 Mahogany that much? I find that I am somewhat intrigued by the IZ tenor. My opinion of the modern Martins is very mixed. I have a Collings Mahogany, and it is probably a better value for the money. But I wish there were more reviews of the IZ tenor. I wish I could try one locally.

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I’ve already bought up my quota of the new Martin ukes for a lifetime and I felt that IZ tenor might be too much like the style 2 that I found too booming for my tastes. It was not a good fit for my style of playing. The instrument was very well made, no defects, great intonation, etc, but the timbre of the sound was different than I was expecting for my own compositions. If I had the IZ tenor in my hands, I would be able to tell you how different it is from a style 2 in a few minutes. I've never seen one locally where I live. I would certainly try it out if it was in a nearby store.

Coincidentally, I’ve been playing the new 2k tenor in preparation for my Martin 3 tenors review coming up shortly. It will focus mostly on the 2k tenor but it will bring in the style 2 and T1K in similar playing examples spliced together in the same song. The 2k is a real keeper. Not just because it’s a uke made of koa wood. The kind of wood or name on the uke convinces me of nothing if it’s going to be good. My style 2 soprano in mahogany is better than my 2k koa soprano (to my ears). But the 2k tenor is better than the style 2 tenor. That’s ironic but I like that type of irony. I certainly never expected I would be the one doing many review of the new Martin ukes. I just got fed up not seeing any reviews so I did some myself.

I don’t know why no one has done a review of one or how many they’ve sold. Maybe only “collectors” have bought them so they would not be making review videos since only a ukulele player would want to do that.
Cheers!

Petey

Reminds me of the Eddie Bauer Ford Bronco I thought I wanted a thousand years ago. There's a lot of love and lamenting what could have been associated with the memory of IZ; I'm not sure that Eddie Bauer was a real person, but the point is that, other than the names and a certain amount of outdoorsy stitching on the bucket seats, both the Bronco and the uke are not substantially different from the versions with nobody's name plastered on them.

I considered buying a Martin IZ for an hour or so. The truth is that I found myself in a space of wanting to help out his widow and daughter. Then, I started to do the math and figured that a nearly old 20 year loss isn't the same as reading about a family who has just had their livelihood pulled out from under them. Then I started looking at the instrument and realized that it was a regular Martin tenor with a bit of tuck and roll upholstery and the moment simply passed.

Ukejenny said:

Was Iz really cremated with his 1950's Martin tenor? I wonder why Martin waited so long to come out with an Iz ukulele.

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Market got hot, Martin said "We can make more money on another opportunity", IZ is hot around the uke world with everyone wanting to play Wonderful World (I personally love many of the lyrics of the songs from many of the Makaha Sons....many don't realize it was not just IZ but IZ and the others in the band), and clearly anyone with a signature instrument is trying to capitalize on a name (Think Jeff Beck strat). That's just good old American capitalism and folks trying to make some money. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. It's too bad they didn't do something out of the ballpark, special hand selected wood that was a limited quantity and did it in a limited edition and then never to be made again. That gets me more interested than a name/photo on an instrument and definitely creates value if the whole package is done right. Funny enough it was the only one left out at NAMM 2014 booth when I was there. I asked them where the IZ tenor was at as I saw the 5k and others on the wall and they said they didn't have one there which was surprising to me.