I'm pretty excited. It's been a long wait. There's been a lot of discussion about this tribute ukulele, pro and con. Many think it should have been an exact replica of IZ's uke. Being a tenor man I am very happy they decided to go with this size. It is awesome!
Martin has done an immaculate job on the build and the sonic properties are exactly what you would expect from a Martin. I am very proud to own this uke. I will try to get a soundclip recorded over the holidays.
The hype from the website:
A tribute to one of the most revered musicians in Hawaiian history, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, aka IZ, Martin's IT IZ Tenor Ukulele features a beautiful solid quilted mahogany body with an East Indian rosewood headplate adorned with "IZ" inlaid in Hawaiian koa and a hibiscus flower inlaid in pink awabi pearl. As beautiful as the music he made, this uke impresses with its looks as well as its sound.
Features:
Model: 1T IZ Tenor Uke
Construction: Mahogany Blocks/ Applied Dovetail Neck Joint
Body Size: Tenor Ukulele
Top: Solid Quilted Mahogany
Rosette: Single Ring - Multiple Black/White Fiber
Top Bracing Pattern: Tenor Ukelele
Top Braces: Non Scalloped
Back Material: Solid Quilted Mahogany
Side Material: Solid Quilted Mahogany
Endpiece: Black Fiber
Binding: Tortoise - Brown
Top Inlay Style: Black/White Fiber
Neck Material: Select Hardwood
Neck Shape: Tenor Uke
Nut Material: Black Tusq
Headstock: Solid/Traditional Martin Ukulele Design
Headplate: Solid East Indian Rosewood/Hibiscus Flower - IZ (Koa) Inlay
Fingerboard Material: Solid East Indian Rosewood
Scale Length: 17'' Uke Pattern
Number Of Frets Clear: 14
Number Of Frets Total: 20
Fingerboard Width At Nut: 1-11/32''
Fingerboard Width At 12th Fret: 1-23/32''
Fingerboard Position Inlays: One @5th,7th,10th,Two @ 12th,One @ 15th, M.O.P.
Finish Back & Sides: Satin
Finish Top: Satin
Finish Neck: Satin
Bridge Material: Solid East Indian Rosewood
Bridge Style: Tenor Uke Style
Bridge String Spacing: 1-5/8''
Saddle: Compensated Black Tusq
Tuning Machines: Pegheds, 7543A
Recommended Strings: Martin Ukulele (M620)
Case: Nex Gen ZG Case
Interior Label: 2 Paper Labels - 1 signed by widow of Israel & numbered in sequence w/o total - 1 with photo of IZ
Pics:
Martin has done an immaculate job on the build and the sonic properties are exactly what you would expect from a Martin. I am very proud to own this uke. I will try to get a soundclip recorded over the holidays.
The hype from the website:
A tribute to one of the most revered musicians in Hawaiian history, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, aka IZ, Martin's IT IZ Tenor Ukulele features a beautiful solid quilted mahogany body with an East Indian rosewood headplate adorned with "IZ" inlaid in Hawaiian koa and a hibiscus flower inlaid in pink awabi pearl. As beautiful as the music he made, this uke impresses with its looks as well as its sound.
Features:
Model: 1T IZ Tenor Uke
Construction: Mahogany Blocks/ Applied Dovetail Neck Joint
Body Size: Tenor Ukulele
Top: Solid Quilted Mahogany
Rosette: Single Ring - Multiple Black/White Fiber
Top Bracing Pattern: Tenor Ukelele
Top Braces: Non Scalloped
Back Material: Solid Quilted Mahogany
Side Material: Solid Quilted Mahogany
Endpiece: Black Fiber
Binding: Tortoise - Brown
Top Inlay Style: Black/White Fiber
Neck Material: Select Hardwood
Neck Shape: Tenor Uke
Nut Material: Black Tusq
Headstock: Solid/Traditional Martin Ukulele Design
Headplate: Solid East Indian Rosewood/Hibiscus Flower - IZ (Koa) Inlay
Fingerboard Material: Solid East Indian Rosewood
Scale Length: 17'' Uke Pattern
Number Of Frets Clear: 14
Number Of Frets Total: 20
Fingerboard Width At Nut: 1-11/32''
Fingerboard Width At 12th Fret: 1-23/32''
Fingerboard Position Inlays: One @5th,7th,10th,Two @ 12th,One @ 15th, M.O.P.
Finish Back & Sides: Satin
Finish Top: Satin
Finish Neck: Satin
Bridge Material: Solid East Indian Rosewood
Bridge Style: Tenor Uke Style
Bridge String Spacing: 1-5/8''
Saddle: Compensated Black Tusq
Tuning Machines: Pegheds, 7543A
Recommended Strings: Martin Ukulele (M620)
Case: Nex Gen ZG Case
Interior Label: 2 Paper Labels - 1 signed by widow of Israel & numbered in sequence w/o total - 1 with photo of IZ
Pics: