New Martin 5K?

beeejums

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Messages
1,919
Reaction score
7
Location
Hagerstown, MD
So... I look at this in the Elderly instruments catalogue, and I wonder, "Why?"

5KUKE_mtn1.jpg


http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/5KUKE.htm

Is it a collector's item? Limited run? Aged in an oak barrel for 30 years? Regarded as art over instrument? Or just overrated? Brand-name recognition? Arrogance? I can't find much information about it, or why it's so expensive (including a forum search here, because this thread has probably happened before).

My guess is that it's too expensive to be treated as a product that would be paid for and the consumer then be either satisfied or not satisfied with it, so there are no reviews (per se) or really anything at all.

I could contact a luthier and have something equally ornate custom built for less (I think). Am I wrong?
 
It's definitely a collector's item. An original one is worth five figures easily, so $4200 for a reissue must be a bargain, right? ;)

Martin's obviously not targeting uke players like the ones found on UU with this one. Their ideal buyer is the retired, "money is no object" type who might have sentimental reasons for wanting a vintage Martin ukulele.

I played one of these at the Sam Ash (formerly Manny's) in NYC, and was not impressed. It's built cleanly (it better be for that much money), and has a classic look with nice koa and inlays. But it's a brick. It's much heavier than most other sopranos, and to me it was really lacking in projection. It sounded like it was wrapped in tape. Maybe being in a glass case for so long hasn't gotten it enough playing time to "open up," but when ukes going for 1/20th of the price sound sweeter and clearer right out of the box, you know the builder isn't trying to compete for your ear. If money were no object, I'd still probably take a stock Hawaiian K-brand, Kiwaya, or even a Mainland over it.

Is it a bad choice for everyone? Nope. I can totally understand someone buying this if they have fond memories of their father/grandfather playing one like it, or if they have to have anything with the C.F. Martin name on it, or if they genuinely think that it is the greatest ukulele they have ever played. But for a punk kid like me, it's a joke. Nearly any custom builder can and will build you something to your own specs (not someone else's from 80+ years ago), with (probably) a better sound and (definitely) nicer wood and more upscale cosmetics, for much less money. Martin isn't trying to compete with Chuck Moore or Pete Howlett or Dave Means. People will buy a 5K because it's a Martin, and that's good enough for the Martin company.

Note: I'm not trying to bash Martin, or its fans, or anyone who actually likes this uke. I actually hope there's someone out there who likes this uke enough to buy it; otherwise it'd be a waste! There's gotta be someone on the forums who has one and is willing to share their opinion on it. Maybe even a comparison?
 
Last edited:
I guess if you want an investment grade uke, there you go. Not to say others aren't good investments, but a quick search of eBay shows me Martins keep or gain value. Other ukes don't seem to do this, likely for two reasons. 1. They don't have the brand recognition that Martin does universally. 2. They haven't been around long enough to have "vintage" instruments.

I love KoAloha, personally, and would love some of their earlier instruments. But "vintage" is circa 1998! My Martin is circa 1950s (and it's considered young by Martin standards). Martin has proven that it withstands the test of time, though some argue the newer ones don't/won't.

All that said, for that kind of cash on one uke... I'd go for a custom something. Probably a Moore Bettah with some cool inlay work.
 
Remember there are people with money, more than you think. If you work retail never forget that. I once waited on a lady who spent that much on two pairs of eyeglasses because she wanted something with a blue tint. The ones we had that were already tinted happened to be solid gold. She just reached in her bag and pulled out a wad of cash that would choke an elephant.

If someone thinks that uke is pretty, especially if it's a present, price could be the last consideration. What do you think Warren Buffet's wife is going to get him for Christmas?
 
It's pretty and all and nice to see that model "reinvented."
But I played one of these and didn't care for the sound.
You're really just paying for the retro model and martin name.
My spruce cutaway laminate Kala sounds better IMO.
You can definitely do a lot better for a lower price with a custom builder (cough cough Chuck Moore ; 0 P )
 
The Martin 5k is Gods Gift !!!!!!! I just rec. a month ago and Love it!!!! Heavy ???? NO WAY !! But I do take my Patek Phillipe off when I play it. But I do highly recommend supporting my HAWAIIAN BRADDAS !!! And my next will be a Kamaka. The new IZ Martin which I also just purchased will take your breath away!!! What a comfortable tenor and gorgeous sounding !!!!! Next uke you buy blindfold yourself and buy the best sounding! dont be scared of the price. Life is short enjoy the wave!!!
 
Maybe this one is for the person that doesn't want to spend $16,000 on a vintage 5K?
 
For 4000.00 I prefer a Chuck Moore Anyday....playing would be better, investment just as good, and look much nicer....but that is jus me..
 
For 4000.00 I prefer a Chuck Moore Anyday....playing would be better, investment just as good, and look much nicer....but that is jus me..

I agree with you, but it's not really a fair comparison. One can actually buy this Martin without being on a waitlist that has been closed for years or winning the lottery on the rare occasion one comes up for sale on Chuck's website. Not that I would buy the Martin for that price, but to compare it to a Moore Bettah is like saying you'd rather have a custom-built car than a similarly priced production model. Apples to oranges.
 
Remember there are people with money, more than you think. If you work retail never forget that.

You are so right about that. Michael Dell just ordered a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (220million), for his personal Jet. Someone like that could order Martin's entire production of 5k's and give them out as Christmas gifts, if he wanted to.
 
Last edited:
For 4000.00 I prefer a Chuck Moore Anyday....playing would be better, investment just as good, and look much nicer....but that is jus me..

Hey Stan...there you go again, talking like a guy that already has a MBU or 2...only you can get one when you want....Lol

I played the new Martin 5K with Stan at a Waikiki uke shop...I thought the neck was kind of wide...but it sounded ok....
fyi they were selling it for 6K

so looks like Elderly has a better price...
 
In the summer of 2013, I received an unexpected $5000 and I could have bought one of these new 5K to do a review and add to my new Martin uke collection. In Canada, "it only" costs $3825 + tax. LOL However, spending $4000 to do a review for a uke I might not like would be sheer lunacy. As people have commented here, it seems its for those sentimental people or for those with cash to throw around.

Petey
 
i bet they sell every one they make and still have people waiting. how else could patek phillipe sell watches?
 
My body will be buried cinders in an urn by the time that brand new 2013 5K Martin soprano gains value as a vintage.
 
Well, live and let live. If you wanna spend those kind of clams on a newly made blinged up Martin, who am I to say you can't?

I"m enjoying the modern Martin 2M I bought for almost 1k smackers, and enjoying it a lot. Some will say I overspent and should have bought a Kiwaya. Maybe they're right. But know what? I like my new Martin.

So, like Bill said, if you make 5x what I make in a year, then spending 5x or so on what I spent on my 2M is doable for you. So go for it, and enjoy it and post a sound link so we can enjoy it too :)

EDITED TO CONFESS that I have been thinking about their modern 3 cherry and 2k, and have not completely ruled out the possibility that I'll someday bite.
 
Last edited:
I have owned vintage motorcycles from the 40s, 60s and 70s. They have character and style, but they are a lot of work and they are a never ending labor of love. I have also owned vintage banjos, mandolins and guitars, and like the vintage bikes, they are a labor of love and somewhat of a responsibility as was my wooden Beetle Cat sailboat. I would rather look at my old triumph or Indian than a newer bike, but I would much rather take the new one down a twisty road.

I am not wealthy and I don't have debt, but I do have one of the new Martin 5-K ukuleles and to me it is a work of art. Less hand work and more precise than the old ones. Maybe a little less personal and I will have to make my own history. The abalone inlays fit the curves better, the fret work is more precise and the finish is as near perfect as it can get. The Koa has a warm, amber glow and the Abalone sparkles. The tone is bright and resonant, and bound to improve with age. Maybe it has less character, but I will be patient as it opens up and becomes the instrument of its potential. It is still a thing of beauty and has the look and heritage that makes it every bit a Martin 5-K, and the value is that I appreciate it for exactly what it is, a 1922 design built to extremely high standards with a pedigree. I cannot justify the price, upkeep and responsibility of a vintage 5-K, but I got this one at a deep discount, (new for $3,060.00, still a lot of money to me), and I don't regret it. Value is not always measured in dollars. To me, sometimes it is worth it to have something this fine, and I feel that it is truly fine. I will never have to look for a better instrument and I am content, as I should be.
 
I will probably never own a 5K Martin, but I won't rule it out. Until a couple months ago, I played guitar exclusively. My first two guitars were inexpensive, but by the third one, nothing but a Martin would do. In 1963 I bought a 000-18, and over the next 50 years, I owned dozens of Martins. I did it on a tight budget, but never regretted buying any of them. Usually, I would sell what I had to finance the next one. By the end of this cycle, some of the values were higher than I ever imagined I could afford. The funny thing, is that it was painless getting to that point. I felt then, and still do, that some instruments have more soul than others, and that some display superior hand made craftsmanship and beauty. I see the same thing in a Kamaka ukulele, or a Moore Beddah. It matters to me that Kamaka is a family business, and that someone cared when they made the instrument. I never lost money on a Martin, and I imagine it will be the same when I get a Kamaka. The key is to love what you are getting, and then keep it for a long time, because you chose wisely. Instruments can be art in more ways than one, and those are the ones I am attracted to.
 
Top Bottom