Martin Tenor Uke Unhappy

I’ve had a T1k for a couple of years and I love it. Easy to fret, great sustain, nice chimey sound and mine has very attractive koa. In fairness, I haven’t tried a C1k but have heard very good things about it. My only other Ike is a Pono taro patch that has a great sound but more difficult to play and keep in tune (not a fan of straight friction tuners though I love the look of them)
 
I am surprised that there is such difference between c1k and t1k. If the sound is weak and anemic that points more to a need for higher tension. Have you thought about upgrading to the new Martin premium strings or Aquila reds?
Yes! Aquila Reds get my vote, I have them on my recently purchased T1k and faithful Kala solid cedar top tenor. While the Aquila Reds seem to take a few days to a week to settle down and loose most of the squeaking (common for Aquila Reds) the sustain / resonance just gets better. I find ukulele strings what ever brand is used seem to take a bit of time to settle down, buying half a dozen different sets of strings and spending an afternoon trialing them all won’t give a true indication of their full potential. As for the Martin 625’s, I find they are somewhat duller than the Aquila Reds. I like brightness. All very subjective.
 
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