Martin/Larrivee Question

I hope that this is the right area of this forum to post this question and my apology if this isn't.
I'm looking at buying a second tenor ukulele and am leaning toward a used Larrivee tenor with spruce top or at least a Larrivee of some wood type. I'm an intermediate player and while I'd use it for some instrumental work a more would be for to accompany my vocals and as part of a small group.
I've never personally played one, and my only reference is Youtube videos. I own a Martin tenor made in Mexico now. Would anyone here have played both and is there a significant difference in playability and sound ? I prefer ukuleles that are more simple in style, less bling, but sound is very important. Thanks for any advice.

Jerry

ukieyukyuk said:

I hope that this is the right area of this forum to post this question and my apology if this isn't.
I'm looking at buying a second tenor ukulele and am leaning toward a used Larrivee tenor with spruce top or at least a Larrivee of some wood type. I'm an intermediate player and while I'd use it for some instrumental work a more would be for to accompany my vocals and as part of a small group.
I've never personally played one, and my only reference is Youtube videos. I own a Martin tenor made in Mexico now. Would anyone here have played both and is there a significant difference in playability and sound ? I prefer ukuleles that are more simple in style, less bling, but sound is very important. Thanks for any advice.
Jerry

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I've played and owned many Larrivee guitars, all excellent, but never a Larrivee uke. I also owned a Martin T1k tenor, made in Mexico. Although I loved the sound of the T1K, the nut width was only about 34.5mm, very skinny, not even the standard 35mm (or 1 3/8") of most cheaper Asian ukes. That really put me off the T1K, since it was very cramped to play, for me. That, coupled with a just average 29mm string spread at the nut, drove me to sell it. I've had many vintage and modern Martin sopranos that had both wider nuts and string spreads than the T1k tenor. In my book, Martin really missed the boat on those specs. If only Martin would offer wider specs there, that T1K would still be here, as the tone and volume were both really nice. In fact, the nut width and string spread on the modern Martin concert C1K ukes are also wider than the tenor T1K, go figure. Some folks don't notice, or care, but these are both important specs for me, YMMV

That said, if wider nuts and string spacing are important to you for playability, I'd check those specs on the Larrivee.

Ukecaster said:

I've played and owned many Larrivee guitars, all excellent, but never a Larrivee uke. I also owned a Martin T1k tenor, made in Mexico. Although I loved the sound of the T1K, the nut width was only about 34.5mm, very skinny, not even the standard 35mm (or 1 3/8") of most cheaper Asian ukes. That really put me off the T1K, since it was very cramped to play, for me. That, coupled with a just average 29mm string spread at the nut, drove me to sell it. I've had many vintage and modern Martin sopranos that had both wider nuts and string spreads than the T1k tenor. In my book, Martin really missed the boat on those specs. If only Martin would offer wider specs there, that T1K would still be here, as the tone and volume were both really nice.

That said, if wider nuts and string spacing are important to you for playability, I'd check those specs on the Larrivee.

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That's a really good point. Never thought of that.