The History of Martin Ukuleles...Part II
The Standard or Soprano Martin uke is the most common size and the Style 0 is by far the most common style. Market prices shown are for vintage instruments in excellent condition. Dates may not be exact, but are based on several sources I have read, including magazine articles and actual Martin instrument catalogues.
Total Body Body Scale
Style Length Length Width Length
Soprano 21" 9 7/16" 6 3/8" 13 5/8"
Concert 23 1/4" 11" 7 5/8" 14 3/4"
Tenor 26 1/4" 12 1/16" 8 15/16" 17"
Baritone 30 11/16" 14" 10" 20 1/8"
Style 0 specifications:
- First produced in 1916.
- Mahogany body.
- No binding around body, small ring around soundhole.
- Mahogany nut 1916-1923.
- Ebony nut 1924.
- 12 fret rosewood fingerboard with 3 small dots.
- Small dot inlays.
- Wood friction pegs 1922-1926.
- Patent pegs: 1927
- Last produced in 1977 (except by special order)
- Catalog Price in 1922: $10, 1977: $500
- From the 1934 catalog: "Mahogany body and neck, finished natural color. Black and white ring inlaid around soundhole. Rosewood fingerboard. Ebony nut and bridge saddle. nickel plated patent pegs. Plain, neat and serviceable. Price: $10.00"
- Today's approximate market price: Style 0: $350-$550
Style 1 specifications:
- First produced in 1916.
- Mahogany body.
- Rosewood outer body binding 1918-1937.
- Dark plastic binding: 1938.
- 12 fret rosewood fingerboard with 3 small dots.
- Wood friction pegs 1916-1926.
- Patent pegs: 1927.
- Style 1 last produced: 1965.
- Koa wood 1K available: 1920.
- Style 1K last produced: 1942.
- Catalog price in 1918: $10, 1965: $47.50
- Koa model catalog price in 1920: $14, 1942: $14
- From the 1934 catalog: "Mahogany body and neck, finished dark color. Body bound with rosewood, top bordered with black and white wood. Inlaid soundhole ring. Rosewood fingerboard. Ebony nut and bridge saddle. nickel plated patent pegs. Price: $12.50. Style 1k: Same model and design, but body of Hawaiian koawood, finished natural color. Price: $14.00"
- Today's approximate market price: Style 1: $700, Style 1K (shown in picture): $1200
Style 2 specifications:
- First produced in 1916.
- Mahogany body.
- Triple bound top binding (black-white-black) with ivorioid outer binding.
- Single bound back.
- 12 fret rosewood fingerboard with 3 small dot inlays.
- Wood friction pegs 1916-1922.
- Patent pegs: 1923.
- Koa wood 2K available: 1920.
- Style 2K last produced: 1933.
- Style 2 last produced: 1965.
- Catalog price in 1918: $15, 1965: $55
- Koa model catalog price in 1916: $17, 1933: $17.50
- From the 1934 catalog: "Mahogany body and neck, finished dark color. Edges bound with ivory-celluloid. Top bordered and inlaid with black and white celluloid. Rosewood fingerboard, ebony nut and bridge saddle. Nickel plated patent pegs with ivory-celluloid buttons. Price: $15.00. Style 2K Koa: $17.50"
- Today's approximate market price: Style 2: $1000, Style 2K: $1800
Style 3 specifications:
- First produced in 1918.
- Mahogany body.
- 7 layer top binding, alternating stripes of white celluloid and ebonized maple.
- 3 layer back binding of same material.
- 5 layer soundhole ring of same material.
- Celluloid ornament on top, behind bridge (known as the "parend" or "shield").
- 17 fret ebony fingerboard to soundhole.
- Diamond-shaped paired inlays at fret 5, 7, 9 (small dots inlays late 40s).
- 3 lines inlaid down center of fretboard on early models.
- Friction pegs 1918-1922.
- Patent pegs: 1923.
- Koa wood 3K available: 1920.
- Style 3K last produced: 1938.
- Style 3 last produced: 1977 (except by special order).
- Catalog price in 1918: $25, 1977: $650
- Koa model catalog price in 1927: $10, 1938: $27.50
- From the 1934 catalog: "Mahogany body and neck, finished dark color. Body bound and neatly inlaid with ivory-celluloid. Ebony fingerboard, seventeen frets, pearl position marks, white side dots, ivory nut and bridge sadle, best patent pegs. Price: $25.00 3K Koa: $27.50."
- Today's approximate market price: Style 3: $1700, Style 3K: $3500
Style 5k specifications:
- First produced in 1922.
- Curly koa body.
- Ivoroid bound top and back with abalone trim.
- Abalone pearl and black/white wood around soundhole.
- Ivoroid bound ebony fingerboard.
- 17 fret ebony fretboard to soundhole.
- Snowflake, diamond, and cat's eye pearl inlays on fingerboard.
- Pearl-inlaid flowerpot on peghead.
- Nut and saddle were ivory.
- Patent pegs.
- Style 5K discontinued 1940.
- Catalog price in 1922: $50, 1940: $50
- From the 1934 catalog: "Figured Hawaiian koawood body and top, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard bound with ivory-celluloid, koa bridge, figured koa head veneerinlaid with pearl scroll, ivory saddle and nut. Fine patent pegs. Fine inlay around soundhole and along front and back edges of body. Elaborte pearl position marks, black side dots. Satin finish. An instrument combining tone and handsome appearance for professional use. Price: $50.00"
- Today's approximate market price: Style 5K $10,000
- Note: a mahoganey Style 5 was available in 1941 & 1942.
Concert 1-C specifications:
- First produced in 1925.
- Mahogany body.
- Rosewood outer body binding 1925-1937.
- Dark plastic binding: 1938.
- 12 fret rosewood fretboard.
- Small dot inlays.
- Patent pegs.
- Concert model discontinued in 1966.
- Catalog price in 1925: $18, 1965: $60
- From the 1934 catalog: "Mahogany body and neck with rosewood fingerboard, ornamented and finished the same as a Style 1 Ukulele. The body is larger than the regular ukulele and the strings are longer, increasing the volume of tone. Price: $15.00".
- Today's approximate market price: $1000
Tenor 1-T specifications:
- First produced in 1928.
- Mahogany body.
- Rosewood outer body binding 1928-1937.
- Dark plastic binding: 1938.
- 12 fret rosewood fretboard (to body, 17 to soundhole).
Note: At some point not recorded, the 12 fret neck was changed to a 14 fret neck.
- Small dot inlays.
- Patent pegs.
- Tenor model discontinued in 1977 (except special order).
- Catalog price in 1928: $25, 1977: $650
- From the 1934 catalog: "Mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge. White position marks and side dots, ebony nut, ivory bridge saddle. Body bound with rosewood, bordered and inlaid with black and white wood. Lacquer finish, dark mahogany color. Patent pegs, nickel plated, with black buttons. The body is 8 7/8 inches wide at the bridge, with a string length of 17 inches. With heavy gut strings, it can be tuned like a guitar, a fifth lower than a ukulele; with lighter strings, regular ukulele tuning can be used. Price: $20.00"
- Today's approximate market price: $1100
The concert and tenor size ukuleles were sometimes made in Style 2, 3 and 5, and occasionally in Hawaiian koa wood. These were special orders and today are extremely rare and collectible.
Baritone specifications:
- First produced in 1960.
- Mahogany body.
- 21 fret rosewood fretboard to soundhole.
- Small dot inlays.
- Patent pegs.
- Dark plastic binding.
- Baritone model discontinued in 1977 (except special order).
- Catalog price in 1960: $75, 1965: $700
- Today's approximate market price: $900
In 1918, two years after Martin made it's first ukulele, they made the taropatch, a descendant of a Portuguese instrument that was very popular in Hawaii. Legend has it that the taropatch was very popular with Hawaiian farm workers, who mostly worked in the taro fields. This instrument, slightly larger then the ukulele, had eight strings in four courses and was tuned like an ukulele. The first recorded sale of a Martin taropatch was August 9, 1916 and it first appeared in the Martin catalogue in 1918. It proved to be less popular then the ukulele, as it was harder to play. By 1925, Martin had brought out the 1-C concert ukulele, which was the same size as the taropatch, but had four strings. It proved to be much more popular then the taropatch, which was discontinued by Martin in 1932.
Taropatch specifications:
- First produced in 1918.
- Larger then an ukulele and had 8 strings.
- 4 sting taropatches were made by special order (later became the 1-C concert ukulele).
- Style 0 mahogany body.
- Styles 1, 1K, 2, 2K, 3, and 3K were also produced.
- 12 fret rosewood fretboard.
- Small dot inlays.
- Wood friction pegs 1918-1926.
- Patent pegs 1927.
- Last produced 1931.
- Today's approximate market price: $1200 for the Style 1 model (shown in picture).
The History of Martin Ukuleles, Part I here.
From the 1930 Martin catalogue.
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