Martin T1 Streetmaster Tenor

bazmaz

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Supply issues mean that despite this being announced in January 2021, they are only now appearing in UK shops.

A long wait..

 
And the new T1 Uke FSC tenor (all solid sapele wood body), announced at 2022 NAMM in May, is apparently not available until March 2023. Some online dealers on Reverb, and Sweetwater, are taking pre-orders now. Talk about overhanging the market!

Martin T1 Tenor FSC Ukulele Sapele Natural Pre-Order https://reverb.com/item/55855973-ma...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=55855973
That's crazy... I mean I can understand the pandemic impacting - but other brands are largely back to normal now.

If only they put that bridge and fingerboard on the Streetmaster..
 
If anyone is interested in the new T1 FSC tenor, this one is available now. Everywhere else, they seem to be pre-order only. I wrote to this dealer, he said he has only 1 in stock. I asked if those pics were the actual instrument or stock Martin photos. He said they were stock photos, and they don't open the boxes. Hmmm..
Edit: just got an offer on Reverb from the seller...$413.00 including shipping 😮

Martin T1 Tenor Ukulele FSC Natural w/bag https://reverb.com/item/58048375-ma...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=58048375
You know you want it!
 
I really love my Streetmaster - loud, resonant, good sustain, sounds like a Martin. I wish instead of two tone "road wear" they would have picked one of the colors and used it on the whole body. It would be cheaper and look better. The gold Martin logo on the headstock looks cheap and I had one of the letters fall off. I was able to glue it back on. I like the tuners but they are a bit prone to stripping out if you put too much tension on a string (like accidentally putting the wrong string on, uh oh). Replacement Tune-a-Lele tuners are easily purchased online. I like that I don't have to worry much about the finish - it already looks sort of weird and worn so no worries taking the uke places. Intonation is spot on, action is great, tone is really nice. When I have an unplugged uke band practice I often grab the Streetmaster because I know I will hear myself. It's ugly enough that nobody will be trying to steal it, though the looks are growing on me. I'm happy to take it places I wouldn't take my Iz model or my vintage Martin.
 
I really love my Streetmaster - loud, resonant, good sustain, sounds like a Martin. I wish instead of two tone "road wear" they would have picked one of the colors and used it on the whole body. It would be cheaper and look better. The gold Martin logo on the headstock looks cheap and I had one of the letters fall off. I was able to glue it back on. I like the tuners but they are a bit prone to stripping out if you put too much tension on a string (like accidentally putting the wrong string on, uh oh). Replacement Tune-a-Lele tuners are easily purchased online. I like that I don't have to worry much about the finish - it already looks sort of weird and worn so no worries taking the uke places. Intonation is spot on, action is great, tone is really nice. When I have an unplugged uke band practice I often grab the Streetmaster because I know I will hear myself. It's ugly enough that nobody will be trying to steal it, though the looks are growing on me. I'm happy to take it places I wouldn't take my Iz model or my vintage Martin.
How would you compare the three Martins? Is the Streetmaster made in Mexico?
 
How would you compare the three Martins? Is the Streetmaster made in Mexico?
I'm not so good at describing sound differences so at some point I may make a video of the three but would need to have same strings on all of them for a fair comparison. I have the vintage and the Iz strung with D'Addario clear nylon, but one is high G and one low G. The Streetmaster has Worth Browns. The Streetmaster is the loudest of the three, more highs and mids in the sound. The vintage and the Iz are close in sound, but I'd say the vintage has a deeper, smoother sound, the Iz more mids and "plink" that I really like. Yes, the Streetmaster is made in Mexico.
 
Oh sure, I didn’t think about that. You did a good job of describing, they all sound good.
 
Great review! The street master design is not for everyone.
I almost bought the Martin Street master GPC-15ME back in 2020 but ended up with the Taylor D224Ce-KDLX instead. I was curious about the look of the street master but realized it’s not what I wanted.

My wife surprised me with a T1 FSC for Christmas this year 😁
 
I’ve been looking at the Mexican tenor Martins. I prefer the look of the FSC, but I detest the ratios, and dislike peg style tuners in general. How close is the mounting screw spacing of the ratio tuners to a set of Grover geared tuners? Would be nice if they could directly interchange. I don’t mind making changes, but I’d rather they can be returned to stock.
 
Here's a video (in Japanese) comparing the newer sapele T1 Uke FSC, a koa T1K, and a Streetmaster. To me, the T1 Uke FSC sounds warmer, the koa T1k sounds brighter.


At first blush, I kind of liked the sound (brief comparison 1:28-1:54) of the Streetmaster.

Do they really all look the same?
(Looking at Mims there is some variation, but it is all the same pattern/area. I do thank her for the actual photos.)

I pretty much never touch below the bridge. Around the soundhole? Yes.
 
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I’ve been looking at the Mexican tenor Martins. I prefer the look of the FSC, but I detest the ratios, and dislike peg style tuners in general. How close is the mounting screw spacing of the ratio tuners to a set of Grover geared tuners? Would be nice if they could directly interchange. I don’t mind making changes, but I’d rather they can be returned to stock.
The Ratio/Grover 9 measurements are close, but not exact. I prefer rear facing tuners, and like the Ratios. To go from Ratios (which are planetary geared, rear facing tuners) to Grover 9 geared side facing tuners, I've found that one screw hole will work ok, but the 2nd will be slightly off, requiring a redill, and even then, the tuner posts may not be centered exactly in the center of the holes. Best would be to fill the Ratio holes, then redrill for the Grovers, no biggie IME. In the past, I've tried going the other way, from Grover 9 to Ratio, trying to use 1 hole, and redrilling the other, and the results have been lousy, with the tuner posts sometimes rubbing against the sides of the holes, totally defeating the whole purpose of the swap. Bottom line, they are close, but no cigar, and you're better off filling the existing holes, ensuring the Grover posts are well centered in the holes, and then redrilling both screw holes as necessary to ensure proper centering. The difference is very small, and usually not visible once completed, no matter which ones are being replaced. Sorry for the long post.
 
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Thank you @Ukecaster that’s exactly what I feared/assumed. Strike for the Martin FSC. The extraneous holes also make an upgrade to Gotoh planetary tuners less than perfect. Unfortunately these are among the better pieces in this price range (that aren’t made in china).

I’d be more interested in the T1K if they put a darker and actual hard hardwood on the fingerboard; eucalyptus, Macassar ebony, rosewood, etc. I also would seriously consider altering the headstock to more closely match the vintage Martins. The crown on these is a bit exaggerated.

But if they sound great… I need to let go of aesthetics and use my ears.
 
Older review that I missed or skimmed over. Baz's comments worth noting. He gave it scores that are good but wasn't one he would like for himself. I would be in the same camp. Might be nice for some, easy pass for others. Pass column for me.

Always enjoy the reviews by Barry. Pluses, minuses and he tells you his personal opinions too and is clear when it is his subjective take or feeling sprinkled in to give a wider picture of any particular Uke. Best reviews out there. (y)
 
I was very interested when I first saw the FSC and Streetmaster come out, and I expect they both sound good, but they both have the skinny 34mm nut width, which is even less than the usual 35mm imports from China. That's always been a headscratcher for me, since even their soprano nut widths are 35-36mm.

This is another point that I’m mulling. My daughter’s Ohana has a 1-3/8” / 34.9mm nut and 11/32” string spacing… my Taylor Grand Pacific has 5/16” string spacing (center to center, on a Stanley tape measure). So there is more space for fingers on the Ohana than my full size guitar. I think a 36-38mm nut would feel fine but I don’t think that 1mm thinner nut would really feel too narrow to me? What is the string spacing on the 34mm tenor Martins?
 
This is another point that I’m mulling. My daughter’s Ohana has a 1-3/8” / 34.9mm nut and 11/32” string spacing… my Taylor Grand Pacific has 5/16” string spacing (center to center, on a Stanley tape measure). So there is more space for fingers on the Ohana than my full size guitar. I think a 36-38mm nut would feel fine but I don’t think that 1mm thinner nut would really feel too narrow to me? What is the string spacing on the 34mm tenor Martins?
The T1K I had was 29mm string spread at the nut, with the nut being only 34mm. That is a pretty wide string spacing, and was playable for me, but combining those 2 specs results in outer strings very close to the edges. Some folks dislike that, complaining of rolloff (fingers slipping off the edges), but it wasn't an issue for me. Pretty sure most import Martin tenors (TIK, T1 FSC and Streetmaster) have the 34mm nut. Not sure on string spread, as I've only tried that single T1K.
 
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This Streetmaster is 34mm, 27mm G to A
This is another point that I’m mulling. My daughter’s Ohana has a 1-3/8” / 34.9mm nut and 11/32” string spacing… my Taylor Grand Pacific has 5/16” string spacing (center to center, on a Stanley tape measure). So there is more space for fingers on the Ohana than my full size guitar. I think a 36-38mm nut would feel fine but I don’t think that 1mm thinner nut would really feel too narrow to me? What is the string spacing on the 34mm tenor Martins?
 
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