Log in
Log in

or
Create an account

or
< All Martin & Co S-O Uke reviews
Add this product to
  • My former gear
  • My current gear
  • My wishlist
Martin & Co S-O Uke
Images
1/37
Martin & Co S-O Uke
Price engine
Classified Ads
Forums
Gaspard Blate Gaspard Blate

«  Very disappointing »

Published on 08/30/10 at 13:59
Value For Money : Poor
Model purchased in 2007 that I kept only 6-7 months and have recently tried the current model (similar), I do not regret at all having sold!
Made in Mexico, soprano ukulele standard (12 frets)
Top, Back, Sides: Solid sapele (a lot like mahogany but it is a distant cousin African wood denser and cheap that does not heat the mahogany) neck is a light wood that I could never identify, the key is "morado" according to the data sheet. Mechanical friction, ordinary soprano on this format.
The assembly is correct, it's done properly and the frets are well trimmed. The action is too high, but the instrument is accurate.
Note that the cover supplied with the instrument was too big, too broad a clear bag for mandolin!

UTILIZATION

The handle is nice, it is the only highlight of the ukulele. Like any solid wood soprano is light as a feather, so it is difficult to talk about usability ...
Access to acute is irrelevant on this type of instrument: past the seventh fret it becomes very difficult to play correctly unless you have fingers seamstress :-)
The sound is not worthy of the brand Martin!

SOUNDS

With the strings of origin (of GHS if I remember correctly), the sound was slender. Once fitted with Aquila strings Nylgut was already better, but still showing good response sound very shrill on rhythm ... Brief nothing to do with the legendary Martin ukuleles the 50's ... it is not but from sapele mahogany and it feels great on an instrument so small!

OVERALL OPINION

I used it about 4-5 months and then I ended up selling it.
Unfortunately I had tried any other model before buying this uke, too trusting to mark Martin: I was wrong!
The +: the shape of the handle very nice (for my left hand at least)
The -: almost everything else
The price / quality ratio I think is the worst that is now (I bought a few months later to 100 € Brüko soprano that sounded better).
With experience, I would do so not at all what choice ... for 300 € it is very good at Ohana soprano ukulele or Kala.
This Martin S-0 without being inherently "evil" is far too expensive for what it is: an instrument designed to begin after all the ukulele, neither more nor less.