New Martin ukes

[Griole]

An HPL Martin that ostensibly looks like Koa? I'll pass, thanks. I have a Bonanza HPL that has a pattern that looks like a bunch of coffee beans, and I love it. But I just can't get excited about their HPL "Koa" uke. And shouldn't Martin be pushing an HPL "Mahogany" uke instead? After all, mahogany ukes are what put them on the map. Oh, well - this is a sure sign that the ukulele is alive and well. I wonder what other surprises are in store for us from other ukulele manufacturers?

[Blank Williams]

Ukecaster, I think they vary slightly. I’m basing this entirely on the oxk sopranos though, so I could very well be wrong. I’ve also been interested in their new hpl mahogany print guitars and those seem to vary just slightly depending on the particular specimen.

[McCall]

I expect that the more expensive one is handmade in Pennsylvania, while the cheaper one is made on an assembly line in Mexico. In my experience, the Pennsylvania Martins do sound and handle significantly better. Whether they are worth the price is up to your budget, of course.

This was my experience. I had a (new) S1 that I liked very much, but when I got a (newish) S2 it was even much better than that, particularly with fingerpicking.

[rafter]

It doesn't look like Martin is putting holes, rips tears dings or any kind of wood trauma into their new Tenor Uke. They are simply applying a thin layer of stain, instead of multiple layers, and it looks like it is older than it is.

I think that’s correct. But they do have premium guitars that they literally distress by putting actual wear on the wood to “age” them, which seems a little crazy to me, but maybe they sell well.

I wonder if the koa/flame patterns on the HPL top/back will be exactly the same on on each one, per the picture, or vary slightly? The stock Martin photos look good, but I've been fooled before Don't get fooled again!

Martin’s wood grain graphics on their other HPL instruments have varied, especially their koa patterns. So I would expect that to be the case with these new concerts. Now I’m wondering how many koa variants they have.

[Mattyukaholic]

I wish they’d just come up with a painted/printed headstock logo on their Mexican ukes. The foil gold logos just look so cheap and often flake away eventually.

[rafter]

I wish they’d just come up with a painted/printed headstock logo on their Mexican ukes. The foil gold logos just look so cheap and often flake away eventually.

Agreed. 78910

[ghostrdr]

Is the street master solid mahogany or laminate? Seems a bit too low a price for solid mahogany

[Mike $]

Is the street master solid mahogany or laminate? Seems a bit too low a price for solid mahogany

It's solid. I think the cost is so low (for a Martin) because it is made in Mexico. Their T1K is only $499 for a Koa tenor...also pretty inexpensive for solid Koa, but also made in Mexico. Viva Mexico!!!

[glennerd]

Hopefully they vary the wood grain pattern. The OXK I bought a few years back had a pattern that was offensively fake to my eyes. Even if it had the sound I was looking for, I probably would have still returned it on looks alone and checked out the bamboo pattern.

As a comparison, I bought an Enya HPL and I was okay with the print although I returned it for other reasons. Maybe it's best that I stay away from HPL since I don't have a need for a sturdy ukulele.

[ukeinfused]

Is the street master solid mahogany or laminate? Seems a bit too low a price for solid mahogany

I'm kinda excited about an affordable mahogany Martin tenor. There's a reason Martin is a standard bearer.
Looks to be solid, assuming it's from the Mexico factory.
I'd like to know if it's sapele mahogany or what type?
I'm getting picky in my old age, but I can't imagine they are using solid Honduran hog.
And that light fretboard... yuck, sigh.

The T1K I had was quite an astonishing player for the money. Hard to imagine the USA edition sounds 4x as good for the money. The thing I hated most was that damn tacky headstock sticker, LOL.

The koa on the T1K ranges dramatically between ukes however. Some have a nice straight Koa grain and even some attractive figuring. But some are literally spotted, and some are down right ugly IMO.
I can't imagine ordering from a big box store not knowing what the instrument looks like.

And the OXK concert must weigh a ton! I thought the soprano LOUD and played well, but oh so heavy!