Bulletin Board: Martin 5K review

Original Post By: Paul Cundari Date: 12/4/2006 10:20:37 PM Yesterday I received a phone call from a friend, �I�m going out of town on business. Would you like to use my new 5K while I�m gone?� Very clever of him. I had planned to break into his house and steal it while he was away. Now, how can I do that when he knows I have it? Rats! A half hour later I was carefully buckling the two of us up (me and the uke) for the short drive home. In light of all the controversy about this uke on the BB, I thought I�d provide my review. Many have a love hate relationship with the Martin Co. I suppose I�m not excluded from that club. The feelings are difficult to analyze, therefore it is not possible to be objective when reviewing things Martin. Suffice it to say I�ll be as objective as I can be. The case � A hang tag on the case says, �Case Martin 5-ply Hard Shell 505 Cabernet� There is also a Metal tag riveted on the case that says, �Martin & Co. Est. 1833 Manufactured exclusively by TKL�. It�s a nice case that will protect the uke well. I particularly like the excellent quality of the subdued dark burgundy velvet interior. Good padding on all sides. The case fits the uke like a glove. The exterior of the case is black leather grained synthetic. The top of the case is flat. There are two latches. The hinges are thin stamped steel with gold colored metal plating that will soon be tarnished. The hinges scream cheap. I sure they will do their job adequately, but nice solid bronze or brass hinges would do much for esthetics. Unfortunately, today�s economics preclude the use of quality hinges and latches. As a comparison, my wife purchased a case for her Ukebrand soprano at Mandolin Brothers a few years ago for $105. It is very similar to the Martin case, but better looking. It has 4 latches (one on the hinge side) and a crowned top. The Martin interior was nicer, so I�d say it�s a tossup. The Martin case would sell for about $100. Now to the 5K. First I�ll get the negatives out of the way. On the inside of the sound hole, almost all the way around attached to the top is a build up of a dried mud-like substance. It�s observable by looking into the sound hole from an angle. I think it is residue from polishing rouge or filler. An easy fix, wipe it off with a rag, but I�m surprised it wasn�t picked up during final inspection. The koa is nicely flamed on all sides. However, two darker vertical stripes are asymmetrical, giving the uke a somewhat unbalanced look. I would have hoped, at this price range, Martin could have come up with a more symetrical piece of wood. Since both top and back are one piece, and not book matched, perhaps I am being more than a trifle picky. But, I had to find more than one thing to complain about. Overall Appearance � I was immediately struck by a sense of substance. This is no thin walled, lightly built instrument. It�s a tank, but in a good way. It exudes compact strength and rigidity. It�s built to last. The top seems to be thicker than most. Yet, overall, it is not heavy. To me a difference between this and most ukes is that the heavily built areas (like the top) are offset by delicate build elsewhere. For instance kerfing is delicate and there is no extra glue weeping from anywhere. In my opinion many ukes have kerfing that is much too heavy. The workmanship is flawless. It is obvious that the craftsmen knew their trade. The 5K is a joy to handle and admire from every angle. The koa is gorgeous. The gloss finish is spectacular. The inlays are perfectly executed with no filler apparent. Although there is a significant amount of inlay and fancy binding, the overall impression is a subdued elegance with one exception, the stark white binding. Perhaps it will fade over time, but a cream color would have been more harmonious. Having 17 frets on a soprano is nice too. I then proceeded to the ultimate test. I asked my wife what she thought of its looks. You need to understand that she is an artist with two degrees in art, and she does plays the ukulele. She took a quick glance and stated, �Craftsman, not artist.� I�ll leave interpretation of that statement to the reader and continue on with my review. Why Martin insists on using those cheap sounding and feeling strings is beyond me. But I quickly got over that. As expected, intonation was spot-on. After seeing the heavy top, I was expecting subdued tone and volume, but this was not the case. It had plenty of volume and wonderful tone. The fretboard was effortless to play on. My thought was that this uke will continue to improve over time. It�s special. The 5K is warranted for the life of the original owner. I suggest that, when you buy yours, start a Corporation (you, of course, will be President and Chairman) and have the Corporation purchase the instrument. The warranty could then live on in perpetuity. Or, if you�re not interested in entering the corporate world, at the least, register it in the name of the youngest family member. After a few minutes of playing, the price of the uke is forgotten as one slowly sinks into pure enjoyment of the feel, look, and sound emanating from this little bundle of joy. Posted By: Bruce E Date: 12/4/2006 10:44:44 PM Thanks for the review, Paul. I went through the Martin factory about a month ago and saw the 5Ks being built, but haven't had an opportunity to play one. I have one comment about, �Craftsman, not artist.� As a person who considers himself a bit of each one of those in specific areas, I don't see anything derrogatory about the comment. I think I made my sentiments clear about this in the thread about "plain" custom ukes. If you are expecting bling for your bucks, you might be disappointed. I respect your wife's opinion. If you expect an outstanding instrument for creating music, you will be very happy, and I respect your opinion. Posted By: mLKauai Date: 12/4/2006 10:48:35 PM nice review Paul; objective and thorough! your description shows an uke with substance in the right places... sturdy, balanced, with good projection; tone, and playability. I hope you get to review more high end ukes!!! In fact a review column; that would make a nice feature for the site; hope you get your hands on a Jake when one comes around.. are you tenor fluent ? mahalo... if i were a soprano player i might want to trade 2 top of the line customs for it; ... not really. Posted By: poster one Date: 12/4/2006 10:56:34 PM I just got finished playing mine for the last two hours. I've had it for a week now. It is sounding better with each strum. I do a lot of fingerpicking and what strikes me is the clarity of each individual note, no matter how fast they are in relationship to each other. They really "pop". This is without a doubt the finest production ukulele being made today. If you can get one, do so! Posted By: looney tunes Date: 12/4/2006 11:13:29 PM Wonderful job on the "Review", done with a story and characters (friend and wife). Overall gives a reader clearity and reason. The separation over bling and bang is the most important and impressive recall of the reveiw.. Posted By: Paul Cundari Date: 12/4/2006 11:26:49 PM mL, I'd love to get my hands on a Jake. I've been hanging around Central Park for months, but he hasn't returned ;) I play tenor 90 percent of the time (of that, 90 percent reentrant, 10 percent low G). Posted By: NinaC Date: 12/4/2006 11:27:57 PM I'd love to try one of these so I could compare it with my Glyph and Black Bear. I'm honestly skeptical that this would be better than the two of those put together plus another grand, and that would be about the price tag involved. So roughly, say put together my Glyph, the Black bear and the Pineapple Sunday and you have this Martin, give or take a hundred bucks. I am all for wonderful ukes. But I just don't think Martin is the be all and end all these days. And that's from someone who unabashedly loves her '34 Style 0. Posted By: SRC Date: 12/5/2006 4:50:14 AM I'm suprised you haven't got one already Nancy! Posted By: NinaC Date: 12/5/2006 8:02:19 AM A little rich for my blood, Simon. Like I said, for the same $, I have three outstanding custom ukes with three different and distinct voices that I find very useful. I personally can't justify spending more than $3K on a single uke but for those who can, I think this Martin would be a fine instrument to consider. Posted By: Neal Date: 12/5/2006 7:04:35 PM Now...if they maded a tenor.... Posted By: soybean Date: 12/6/2006 3:58:57 PM I just got a chance to play one of the new 5Ks at California Vintage Guitar in Van Nuys. It's gorgeous! They've already sold the first one they had and this one just arrived. Perfect looks and playability. As others have said, it's too bad they insist on using the Martin uke strings, but it's understandable. Posted By: Pete Howlett Date: 12/6/2006 6:01:14 PM Are you surprised they sell out of them? 'cmon - it's obvious! Posted By: Clark Date: 12/8/2006 1:43:37 PM FYI, they've got a second one in stock now at California Vintage. Posted By: uke jackson Date: 12/8/2006 2:40:04 PM Comparing Black Bears and Glyphs to Martin is silly. One is a bench crafted by the finest fretted instrument maker in history. A 5K will appreciate in value. If history is an indicator, and it usually is, that won't happen with either Glyph or Black Bear. 50 years from now they will be referred to by dealers as "home made", if at all. That's not too detract from their playability. But they are not and will not ever be in the same league as a Martin in terms of retaining value. Posted By: uke jackson Date: 12/8/2006 2:41:16 PM Great review, Paul. The 5K is on my wish list. Posted By: NinaC Date: 12/8/2006 3:02:22 PM "Comparing Black Bears and Glyphs to Martin is silly." Since I posted the comment about Black Bears and Glyphs, I thought I'd respond to this, Uke. i"m sorry you find my opinion "silly," but let me explain something. Not everyone buying instruments today is concerned about resale value 40+ years from now. Many are concerned about value, construction and playability now, and what they can get for their money today. I'm one of those people. It's my opinion that the luthier-made instruments I own are a better value for me. I can get three outstanding instruments with three separate and useful voices that I can use for different kinds of music, as opposed to one. So it makes better sense for me to not buy a 5K Martin. Personally, I think it's a lot sillier to buy a ukulele based on what's going to happen 40 years in the future when I'm no longer around, but I can respect that some people care about those things. Posted By: uke jackson Date: 12/8/2006 3:12:27 PM I'm not sure anyone is buying the 5K based on its value in the future. Seems like people are playing them, loaning them out to Paul, etc. Whatever is silly or not, comparing a uke you own to one you've never played is just sounding off. So, I sounded off, too. Posted By: Neal Date: 12/8/2006 4:50:25 PM Oh, UJ, you can be sure some are buying for the future. I didn't see Nancy comparing a Martin to any of her ukes. Just questioning the intelligence of spending that kind of money, given her situation. Aso, it's a subjective comment that Martin is "the" finest fretted instrument manufacturer in history. Many will agree, many will not. Let's just say 'One' of the finest fretted instrument manufacturers in history. All can agree with that. Posted By: northern uke Date: 12/8/2006 5:26:26 PM I think of Glyphs and Black Bears as the Stradavarius' of modern times. He didn't produce them in a full production mode, he made them in his workshop with care and precision as do Duane and Dave. So UJ, I think your value appreciation hypothesis is a little hasty. I doubt any of these makers ever make an average uke, but I know Martin has and does. Thats the difference between factory and workshop. The price Martin charges is outrageous. Any pragmatic person wanting to chose between the two is going to chose the more affordable, unless they're interested in headstock prestige or appreciation. Posted By: honukani Date: 12/8/2006 5:30:23 PM Hi Uke Jackson, Out of curiosity, how about a KoAloha? Would a KoAloha retain or appreciate in value or be in the same league as Martin someday? Or even a Kamaka? Thanks. Posted By: honukani Date: 12/8/2006 5:31:35 PM BTW...Great review. Posted By: Pete Howlett Date: 12/8/2006 6:17:28 PM I think we luthiers might have a different view to the rest of you... Posted By: Neal Date: 12/8/2006 7:06:59 PM I think Pete may be right, in the speculation market, the big boys always rule. The Martin 5K's of today will most likely sell for a lot more than a Glyph, Black Bear, Howlett, Talsma in 50 years. Just the market. Posted By: NinaC Date: 12/8/2006 8:30:38 PM Neal's got it right, Uke, here's what I said above: "I personally can't justify spending more than $3K on a single uke but for those who can, I think this Martin would be a fine instrument to consider." I didn't make any speculative comments about its sound. I'm sure it sounds great, as great or greater than the also way-too-pricey (in my opinion) Jake ltd. edition Kamaka. I just personally have a hard time believing they'd sound or play 3x better than some of the finer contemporary luthier-built instruments. But I'm anxious to compare! I'd love to try one and see. I tend to be pragmatic and conservative in purchases. I'm not impressed by brand names for their own sake. I don't drive a fancy car or wear monogrammed clothing. I wear one smallish vintage diamond ring and that's it. I love good quality and buy it when I can afford it. In this case, the quality I can afford is what I'm spending my $ on, and the benefit is that for the price of one of these new high end Martins, I can have three fabulous and very different ukes. At this stage in my life, that counts for something. I even think that if I could afford it and justify it, I probably would not buy it anyway. I think a style 3 is probably the blingiest I'd want to get in the Martin line. Posted By: NinaC Date: 12/8/2006 8:32:17 PM I would also like to chime in and say I enjoyed Paul's review a lot. I forgot to mention that earlier. Posted By: DougD Date: 12/8/2006 8:43:19 PM Me too. Most of the rest of you could have stood in bed, as far as I'm concerned! Posted By: honukani Date: 12/8/2006 10:49:04 PM Marketers have learned to use different strategies such as brand names, company reputation, perceived future value, special edition, celebrities, experience, bling, bling, etc. as enticers or stimulators to substantiate the selling price to prevent consumer dissonance. After a purchase is made, a consumer tries to make themselves feel better through valid reasoning to justify the cost of the product. So, is Martin and other uke factory manufacturers want to prevent consumer dissonance and retain or gain market share? Sure, they do. It's very profitable and limited editions are a great example. As for luthiers who make customized ukes, I applaud them for they build each uke as if it was their own. I enjoyed reading the different viewpoints and I still think Paul wrote a great review. Posted By: poster one Date: 12/8/2006 11:29:23 PM Like I said before: I got my 5K, it's incredible, I'm in awe of the workmanship and I ain't lettin' it go. So there!! Posted By: uke jackson Date: 12/9/2006 1:01:13 AM honukani, Certainly Kamaka ukes appreciate pretty much the same as Martins, if ebay or vintage dealer prices are accurate indicators. Will KoAloha "retain or appreciate"? I sure hope they do. They're wonderful ukes and the Okami family is quite generous to the 'ukulele community and beyond. We'll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, they're meant to be played. Sorry I introduced the notion of buying for investment. Much Aloha and happy holidaze! Posted By: honukani Date: 12/9/2006 1:54:42 PM Uke Jackson: Thanks for responding and I agree about what you are saying. To me, there is a difference between a collector and a player. Both have two different objectives. What I have observed is the Martins seem to last longer. Some comments that I hear about the Hawaiian-made ukes is time will tell how long they will last vs. a Martin. I'm guessing that's why vintage Martins are valuable. I have the same feelings with KoAloha...they do care about the uke community. Here's my question...in the uke world...besides supply and demand...what drives an uke whether customized or production to be highly desirable? It doesn't seem to follow the art world...where an artist passes away and their artwork becomes valuable. I would think a luthier's uke would be more valuable because of limited supply, the customization aspects that he employs and the skill is not normally passed on to another family member. Why would I care? Well, it's really cool to play an uke. But, also it's very nice to know that I paid for a quality uke that will last and appreciate in value. Happy Holidays too! Posted By: duane Date: 12/9/2006 7:14:29 PM I don't think anybody knows what trends will favor what ukes in the future. The finest made and best sounding ukes today are made by luthiers all over the planet. For folks not interested in those, a Martin is good enough! Posted By: Neal Date: 12/9/2006 7:17:50 PM Hooo! where's the high-hat?!?! That was good Mr. Bear. Posted By: Uncle Dave Date: 12/9/2006 8:14:45 PM My 2 pennies worth. Why people will pay $4.9K for a Martin 5K retrofit is beyond me. And why someone would expect anyone would pay $18,000 for the original "Holy Grail" on eBay is way beyond me. These are the same kind of people who pay $20K plus for a hotwheels VW beach bomb rear loader. We had tons of those Martins 5K in ny youth (of course they were only about 50 bucks back then). And my mom gave them all away in the 1940s and 50s to visitors from the mainland after kanikapila sessions. It's the Hawaiian custom to makana, give and not expect anything in return. Do a blind test like they do with wines. Line up all the ukuleles, all the brands with same scale and fine dressed frets. Put a blind fold on ten players. See if the Martin 5K, or Bear, or Ko'olau 500, or Glyph or Kamaka Jake can stand out with the rest of the wannabes. Remember when Gallo Hearty Burgundy beat out all the French imports? I have done this blind test many times and I always pick out the seasoned mahogany more often than not regardless of make. The sound is in the wood and the way it is nurtured into an instrument to bring out the sound, not the brand name. Go and read about great luthiers like Andrea Amati and Antonio Stradivari. Antonio's secret is freely shared. Go and ask Liona at Maui Creations in Maui Mall about the blind musician from Oahu who came into her shop to try out all the ukuleles. He said one was the best sounding of all and he purchased it. He had no idea what brand it was. If Martin 5k is all that great see how it stands up against Glyph, Bear, Ko'olau 500, Kamaka Jake. etc in a blind test. Like Byron Masui says in his workshops, buy a uke based on sound--not looks and certainly not price. Joyeux noel Posted By: Mrdi2003 Date: 12/9/2006 8:59:34 PM alall this No pic Posted By: J Rick Date: 12/10/2006 12:12:43 AM I can speak from personal experience on some real world comparisons. I am lucky enough to own both a Glyph koa soprano and a Black Bear mahogany concert. I can tell you that the Martin 5K I played at the Martin factory this spring was not as good as my Glyph in terms of sound, playability and finish. Dont get me wrong, the 5K is a very impressive instrument, but I wouldn't trade my Glyph for one. OK, I would, but then I'd sell the 5K, slip Dave $500 to move to the front of his waiting list (like THAT would work!!), spec out a new $1500 koa Glyph and put the leftover $1000 towards another trip to Hawaii. I owned a really nice Martin 30's vintage 1M concert. Then I won a Black Bear mahogany concert on eBay 2 years ago(#201 on Duane's page). Plain and simple - the Black Bear blew away the Martin in the same 3 categories mentioned above. I sold it shortly thereafter. I am still a big fan of vintage Martin ukes because of their sound, workmanship and genuine mojo - and still have 2 really nice ones that I value and enjoy playing, but my Glyph and Black Bear are my favorite players and I see them as both becoming family heirlooms for decades ahead. Posted By: foolish jac Date: 12/10/2006 3:34:41 AM Paul, �Craftsman, not artist.� brilliant. Posted By: mLKauai Date: 12/10/2006 3:41:18 AM Martin concert is an intriguing piece... i had one with bar frets and wooden pegs a year ago; just to see what those were like.. this one altho well kept, was loud and bright.. i am a tenor player mostly, so more appealing than the soprano. all the 5 or 6 tenors i had bought/sold, were kind'a dud sounding.. the concert at least sounded great; as do the sopranos imo. unfortunately the neck was tweaked, action kinda too high; and the bar frets too thin for me. I would be very interested in a new one, were my ship to come in; about as likely as them making one... a 5K or 5M concert would be the "holy grail" for me. I wonder if any were made. 2,3,5 or even any koa's. Posted By: Worboys Date: 12/10/2006 8:39:19 AM mLKauai- here's a picture of a 5k concert. Look at the rest of Dave Pasant's collection. It's well worth it http://ultimateukulelecollection.com/uke2629-30.html Posted By: William King Date: 12/10/2006 12:12:58 PM JRick, good to hear from someone can make a hands on comparison. As a luthier, i am interested in understanding how players assess the relative merits of instruments. Can you be more specific about the wayyour your Glyph and Black Bear are better than a Martin 5K in 'sound, playability and finish', perhaps by providing specific examples ? For example, are they louder, sweeter, brighter, better sustain, better attention to inlay detail, nicer wood, etc, etc ? Thanks ! Posted By: J Rick Date: 12/10/2006 10:18:35 PM William: I didn't have my Glyph for a head to head comparison with the 5K, but when I played the 5K it sounded thinner than my Glyph which has a sweet, round sound with lots of sustain. The 5K had that typical Martin "bark" and projected nicely - about the same as the Glyph. The crappy Martin strings didn't help and I would think some Nylguts would make a positive difference on that uke. In playability, I had Dave make me a slightly wider neck and a radiussed fingerboard - it plays like butter and is much more suitable to me than the 5k. Workmanship (inlays etc) was equal except for the amazing French polish on the Glyph which Dave takes great pride in - it's lustrous. Finally, I didn't order the extra fancy koa from Dave but what I got compares very favorably to the 5K koa which I would have expected to be quite fancy. The koa on the vintage 5K's I've seen has always been stunning. As for my Black Bear concert, the sound was much fuller and more balanced than the Martin concert I had which was very bright and punchy. That's a personal thing with me - I prefer a sweeter, rounder sound because I play a very mixed bag of music. The BB really sustains and rings and it's only 2 years old. I do love the Martin "bark" on the old tin pan alley songs - it's the sound that Ian Whitcomb gets on his 3M. I have an old 3M that projects like crazy. Again the BB fingerboard is radiussed and Duane's necks are extremely comfortable to play - flatter than a Martin. Duane had some nice aged mahogany with a bit of flame that he used on this uke which was more attractive than the Martin's which was very nice, tight grained mahogany. Hope that helps. One final thought on future value. I think a Glyph will more likely become a family heirloom than an open market collectable. Why? Because each customer of Dave's designs his own Glyph, often using names, initials and graphics that are personal - check Dave's web-site for examples. Dave's unique gift is his ability to take a players vision and bring it to fruition in an amazing instrument. On the other hand, Duane builds whatever his muse dictates. He has built everything from very traditional to very avant gard. These ukes may become more collectable in the future because each uke is uniquely Duane and will be considered a unique work of folk art. Having said all that, remember...it's just one man's opinion! Jack Posted By: William King Date: 12/10/2006 11:20:37 PM thanks Jack Posted By: honukani Date: 12/11/2006 12:34:26 PM Thanks for all the responses. Is it appropriate to say that 'uniqueness' drives the value and desirability of an uke? Posted By: J Rick Date: 12/13/2006 12:14:00 PM Is it appropriate to say that 'uniqueness' drives the value and desirability of an uke?" I think uniqueness is part of a very subjective equation that includes reputation, playability, rareity and appearance/aesthetics. What the pro's are playing at any given time may also influence desirability. Jack Posted By: Fretted Date: 12/13/2006 1:20:31 PM One of the deadest sopranos I ever played was a old Martin Style 1K at the Great American Guitar Show in Fort Washington PA a few years ago. Sounded like it was stuffed with wool. One of the best, if not the best (subjective of course) sopranos I ever played was another old Martin Style 1K that was for sale at Mandolin Bros a few years ago as well. The sound that came out of that little box was miraculous. They both were in "fair" condition and each was going for the identical price of about 1500 smackers. Posted By: Pete Howlett Date: 12/13/2006 3:33:16 PM And there you have it - if you are going to produce a gazillion of these things some are gonna be good (the survivors!) and some are going to be bad (the dumpsters!) Posted By: northern uke Date: 12/13/2006 6:11:08 PM But to hear some people talk Martin is the Holy grail. I have had the same experience with Martins as well, some good some average. Just like any other production uke, you gotta check it out before you buy. So why buy? For the prices they command it's just not worth it. Order a Glyph or a KP and do it right once and for all! Martin Schmartin!

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