OK, grabbed this one, so it's a New Uke Day! Buying vintage Martins online is always a crapshoot, sometimes you get a diamond, sometimes you get a rock. So far, this one seems real nice.
The details: Made in USA stamped inside, with Waverly hexnut tuners, so it seems to be an early 60's Style 2. BTW, the original Waverly tuners are surprisingly decent, smooth and hold well, much better than Kluson tulips I've had on other vintage Martins. Nice action, 2mm at 12th fret, plenty of saddle showing. Sure, it has 3 back cracks thru the wood, and a few finish cracks there too. Repairs were apparently attempted on the 3 cracks, looks like CA, with no cleats inside. Intonation spot-on at 12th fret, C string a tiny bit sharp. Strings seemed old, with some type of wound C, with a huge knot, so I was thinking the slot might be blown out, but it seemed ok, when I installed a set of Martin M600.
Tone is classic vintage Martin sop; rich, sweet and loud, slightly richer and less plinky than my 40s Style 0. So far, loving this one, only concern is those back cracks, which are part of the journey with many old Martins. I'll humidify well, and keep an eye on the cracks, to see if they may need more attention, or maybe they are stable, we'll see.
