Martin Centennial Ukuleles, very limited

uku0729 said:
If you pull the trigger, make sure you know how to check for a neck reset. I bought a new Mexican made Martin T1K from Musician's Friend and assumed it was well made because it was a Martin. After the return period expired, someone with more experience pointed out that the neck was "warped". I took it to a local Martin-certified luther who told me that it needed a neck reset. Martin does not cover repair of neck resets (they consider that a "setup"). Forewarned is forearmed.
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That is completely unacceptable. I'm sorry you had to experience this. Thanks for the warning. Makes me cherish the KoAloha "Better Than Weather" warranty.
 
PeteyHoudini said:
Congrats on your purchase! I, maybe one of the few around here who actually has a new Martin style 3 mahogany that I bought about 3-4 years back. I never did a review of it but it looks a lot like the #3 Centennial. Seems like the same beast except for the headstock changes. Check my photo from tonight.

View attachment 99488

BTW: I have a 3 cherry but no 3k.

Petey, hi! I distinctly recall your manufacturer's build fretboard issue with, I think, this Martin 3, and the fight you had to endure (aided by a Martin dealer willing to challenge "corporate" in Nazareth on your behalf, thank God). I have had a rather different attitude about modern Martin ukuleles and guitars since your debacle (and stories like uku0729). Superb Martin warranty should be unchallenged for a new, registered instrument given the nosebleed prices. I learned from your experience, Petey.

We need more original compositions and video from Mr. Houdini!
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coolkayaker1 said:
Yes on all counts, Peter. Agree with your every line. I smell a soon-100k views video review of the Martin bamboo jobbie coming from the most thorough and funniest Martin reviewer on the interwebs.

I wish we lived closer...man, I'd love to pick your brain.

Steve.
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@Steve: I went out for my usual Saturday lunch at my fav. Indian restaurant around noon and dropped by a nearby music store afterwards... "Steve's Music" (no joke - they have three stores: Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto) and I went to the uke section. I usually look at the uke books and other sheet music that are in the same section. I found and bought a Mel Bay "20 Caribbean Pieces for Ukulele" book and then I noticed a Bamboo uke (normal wood colour and not lime) hanging above! I was so tempted to buy it on the spot but I want the lime green one. I will meditate on it. It was $470 Cdn. That's about 25% in USA dollar so about $350 US. That's not bad, but I had my heart set on lime greet.

Yeah, I have to get to Chicago one day and hang around, and record my 10 best songs in Michigan!

@jfalconc: thanx for the great photos and comparison shot! There are fret markers after all. But no side dots. I like before but it looks great.

PeteyHoudini
 
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coolkayaker1 said:
PeteyHoudini said:
We need more original compositions and video from Mr. Houdini!
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@steve: wow, you kept the 3C after all this time. My story with that model goes way back. I returned the first one I got. It sounded dead. I wait for the second one and it was a killer uke with my voice, but killers are often cracked, and I don't think the cherry wood is suited for dry winters. Yes, that Martin dealer luthier went to bat for me and I was there on the phone as he convinced them to honour my warranty with a small crack in their fretboard on the body. They caved on this one, but I literally don't know what worth that warranty has for actual repairs. He also fixed it perfectly and no mark remains. I plan on going to see him again about making my T1K into a leftie, installation of a pickup, as a birthday present to a long-time musician friend of mine. Though, my 3C is cracking on the body a bit from the soundhole towards the bridge. I will get that repaired this time but not under warranty. I think that this cherry wood is very, very delicate and Canadian winters are too rough on it. Still, I have no qualms about repairing that uke. It is the best for me.

I don't get offended by people not liking the new Martin ukes. I have all the ukes I need now to be UKU-HAPPY except maybe for that elusive lime green Bambou that haunts me like a UAS drug of the past. lol

Steve, thanks for your encouragement. I hope to get 5-10 uke videos done before the end of the summer. I cancelled my Paris Uke fest May trip this year because I got sick. I've completely rallied now and ready to get back to my work on the uke with Beethoven, etc..

@renaud: mon 3C est au top de son game maintenant lorsque je joue n'importe quoi! Youppi!

@ukuleleden: 2017 will be the year of the return of magic with PeteyHoudini and his uke! Professor Snape of the Uke will be back! hehe

@Django: you have a great collection of ukes. Too bad you deleted your SoundCloud clip. I wanted to know if it sounds like my Martin style 3. I will await your YT clip.

Petey
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Thank you PeteyHoudiny, the Style 1 does have side dots, same as S1. Keep your great videos, I'm one of your fans!!!
 
=PeteyHoudini;

@jfalconc thanx for the great photos and comparison shot! There are fret markers after all. But no side dots. I like before but it looks great.

PeteyHoudini
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Took delivery of a Style 1 Centennial yesterday and it has both fret markers and side dots. It's quite nice actually. The build is very clean. Nice dry, jangly, barking tone although not *quite* as much as my 1919 style 1. I'm impressed with both the tone and quality.
 
On these Style 1 Centennials, I notice that every official, or stock dealer photo (see below) shows a deep dark colored fingerboard and bridge, as black as the darkest ebony you'd ever see, even though the fingerboard is morado wood . Yet jfalconc's picture of his shows it looking like a light-medium rosewood shade, nothing like the stock Martin photos. I guess this can be attributed to creative photography? Looks like the same uke in the pics all the dealers use, pics probably provided by Martin. I haven't seen a dealer yet that shows the actual instrument, only stock photos, although I admit I haven't seen every ad, but have seen many. Probably because the dealers don't have them yet, and they are already sold in advance, so all they have to go with is the Martin photo?

Has anyone else seen other Style 1 Centennials in person, do the fingerboard/bridge look anything as dark as the stock Martin pics? The last pic was at NAMM, that one's fingerboard is much lighter, big difference from Pic 1, where the Style 1 & Style 3 boards both look very dark. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get one, seems there's only about 3 left on the web, but might be somewhat disappointed if it came with a very light colored fretboard.

Another thought, I saw the inside label on these. If there's only 100 being made, I wonder why, in addition to the serial number, they didn't do something like "1 of 100", "65 of 100", etc?

Centennial 2.JPGCentennial 3.JPGCentennial 4.JPG
 

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@Ukecaster: I like that expression of yours... "creative photography." On that very front, when I go to the main Martin ukulele page, I see a beautiful dark reddish ukulele on the left.
https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/ukulele/

That beautiful colour puzzles me... since I have both the new 3 cherry Martin and the style 3 Martin sopranos. It looks like a 3 cherry uke, very close to mine, but with colour enhancement. hehe

Don't get me wrong.... my 3 cherry is my best uke of all time and it's the sound and playability that matter the most and not colours. Though, it's like it went to a makeover uke show in that photo. hehe

PeteyHoudini
 
PeteyHoudini said:
@Ukecaster.........Don't get me wrong.... my 3 cherry is my best uke of all time and it's the sound and playability that matter the most and not colours. Though, it's like it went to a makeover uke show in that photo. hehe PeteyHoudini
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No, not a makeover uke show....maybe it went to a shop....Uke Photoshop ;)
 
Peter, that I you for your replies in posts #84 and 85. My memory is about right on your Martin repair experience. What great sadness. Frankly, I do not love Martin as a company...there, I said it. Lol. I do adore their old ukes. Looking forward to your Formica bamboo review.

What will become of Martin now that Dick Boak and Duane Ponzio have had enough of their guff and are bailing on the company this year? Only time will tell. I think, with all their $5000 custom ukes and such, they're milking the dying cow. Young people don't play guitar nearly as they once did, and they are the future of Martin.

Come to Chicago, come to Chicago, and yes, road trip to the secret recording studio in Michigan, where even the studio owner himself doesn't know you'll be recording there yet. (There's gotta be a good album name in there somewhere...lol). Cheers, friend. Steve.
 
uku0729 said:
If you pull the trigger, make sure you know how to check for a neck reset. I bought a new Mexican made Martin T1K from Musician's Friend and assumed it was well made because it was a Martin. After the return period expired, someone with more experience pointed out that the neck was "warped". I took it to a local Martin-certified luther who told me that it needed a neck reset. Martin does not cover repair of neck resets (they consider that a "setup"). Forewarned is forearmed.
Click to expand...

What's the best way to check this on a new uke?
 
coolkayaker1 said:
Peter, that I you for your replies in posts #84 and 85. My memory is about right on your Martin repair experience. What great sadness. Frankly, I do not love Martin as a company...there, I said it. Lol. I do adore their old ukes. Looking forward to your Formica bamboo review.

What will become of Martin now that Dick Boak and Duane Ponzio have had enough of their guff and are bailing on the company this year? Only time will tell. I think, with all their $5000 custom ukes and such, they're milking the dying cow. Young people don't play guitar nearly as they once did, and they are the future of Martin.

Come to Chicago, come to Chicago, and yes, road trip to the secret recording studio in Michigan, where even the studio owner himself doesn't know you'll be recording there yet. (There's gotta be a good album name in there somewhere...lol). Cheers, friend. Steve.
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Hi Steve,

I have neutral feelings about the Martin Co (aka guitar machine sans uke), but at least they've given me the best ukes I could have ever asked for and I can create my original music with. That is an amazing gift for me, musically, since I grew up with crappy acoustic and electric guitars that wasted my time. These new Martin ukes have restored stringed music in my life (after piano). hehe

The new Bamboo is great so far. It actually sounds like the "3 cherry" so that is giving me ideas. I'm just working out the jokes for the review. lol

As for this Martin thread... sorry, if it has gone a bit off, but all new Martins in 2017 are connected.

Cheeri- 0X, (cheerio!) lol

PeteyHoudini
 
A few more of these seem to be popping up online, as it seems some dealers expected to receive these in early May, so here we are. This one is at Chicago Music Exchange. Martin must be shipping a bunch of ukes, since these guys also got in a flock of Bamboos. Not sure if these are their own pics, but seems different than the stock photos I've seen, showing the fingerboard more realistically than the ebony black Martin photos.

https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/collections/just-arrived/products/martin-style-1-centennial-uke

Centennial-Chicago Music Exchange.JPG
 
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