8-string Show and tell - Martin taropatches

[BenV]

Id love to see some pics of old Martin taropatches! Such cool instruments!

 

[UkeStuff]

I would love to see a new Taropatch based on the C1K.

I should go e-mail them.

 

[keenonuke]

I can show you my Ohana "fakowitz" 8 string concert?

 

[hendulele]

I can show you my Ohana "fakowitz" 8 string concert?

I got one, too …

 

[keenonuke]

I would love to see a new Taropatch based on the C1K.

I should go e-mail them.

Or even higher end made in PA

 

[Wiggy]

Oddly just this morning I was looking up the taro plant and how it is prepared, then ran across this:
(Please disregard the historical "social" comments.)

Great Ukes: The 8-string Martin Taropatch Paved the Way for Larger Ukes | Ukulele Magazine

From the Summer 2017 issue of Ukulele | Words and Images by SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY An early ukulele cousin is the taropatch, an instrument with eight strings set in four courses of two strings each,…

ukulelemagazine.com

 

[UkeStuff]

Or even higher end made in PA

I’d be happy with a C1K.

I’ve owned the Ohana and I think the neck is just too thick. I missed out on the fire sale of the Pono Taropatches a few years ago, but if I didn’t like my Ohana taropatch, I was probably going to be disappointed with the Pono (again, neck).

I’m not sure of any other taropatch options, but I would think the Mexican factory could easily CNC a neck, add it to a C1K body, and sell it for around $550. It isn’t cheap, but it also wouldn’t be $1000 or more. I’d also happily take a Mahogany version which might be able to be sold for $500.

Maybe they wouldn’t sell a ton of them, but I would buy one.

 

[rb4player]

Martin taropatch.

 

[TimWilson]

You've shown....now tell! Starting with, are all four sets in unison? Vintage? Anything else?

(I'm being relatively gentle, but the fact is that I'm about to bust with all the questions I have! Help a brother out!)

 

[TimWilson]

Martin taropatch.View attachment 158998View attachment 158999View attachment 159000View attachment 159001View attachment 159002

You've shown....now tell! Starting with, are all four sets in unison? Vintage? Anything else?

(I'm being relatively gentle, but the fact is that I'm about to bust with all the questions I have! Help a brother out!)

 

[necessaryrooster]

What's the difference between a taropatch and an 8-string?

 

[rb4player]

You've shown....now tell! Starting with, are all four sets in unison? Vintage? Anything else?

(I'm being relatively gentle, but the fact is that I'm about to bust with all the questions I have! Help a brother out!)

This is a vintage Martin with bar frets that go nearly through the fingerboard. Body appears to have very light construction but action is very good. The G string has an added low octave (the only wound string), the C string has an added high octave, the E and A strings are unison pairs. The spacing of the tuner posts is such that the "next-to outside" strings are deflected slightly around the posts of the outside strings on their path to the nut. The others do not interfere. Total weight is 444 grams.