Custom 1950's C.F. Martin Style 1 Tenor Ukulele Uke Vintage Mahogany w/ Original Case

Up for sale, a 1950's Martin Style 1 Tenor Ukulele in excellent condition. This uke hails from the last full decade of vintage Martin ukulele production, and the quality, craftsmanship and tone of this solid mahogany uke is truly superb. Resonant, warm and clear, this tenor ukulele has a great voice, with a clarity and roundness to single note lines that is classic Martin. Setup and strung with fresh strings, this Martin frets easily and sounds great!

The neck has a comfortable and slender D profile down at the nut, which increases noticeably in depth as you move up the fretboard, growing into a nice, medium C. The Brazilian rosewood fretboard boasts original fretwire which shows virtually no wear, has its full original height and well rounded crowns. On the headstock, the Martin logo is intact and the tuners all turn very smoothly with just the right amount of resistance to feel tight and reliable.

On the body, the plastic tortoise binding is a great, subtle accent to the dark tight grain of the mahogany, and the Brazilian rosewood bridge has a prominent stripey grain with original bridge pins. Inside the soundhole, the "C. F. Martin" stamp is clearly visible stamped along the center seam brace. The internal bracing is tidy and untouched as well, and the instrument is structurally sound and resonant!

This uke retains its original nitro lacquer finish and two cracks have been very cleanly and professionally repaired with no overspray or touchup. Best captured in the included closeup photos, the larger repaired crack runs along the treble side of the body from just beyond the neck heel almost to the seam that connects the two sides. The second, much more slight crack is on the bass side lower bout edge of the top. Both cracks have been expertly addressed, and the larger crack has been cleated as well. This uke is structurally sound and the repairs disappear into the dark grain of the mahogany. Other minor cosmetic wear includes some light scuffs on the back bass side upper bout edge and a few scattered tiny nicks from honest use over the decades.

The original chipboard case is included.

Product Specs

Condition:Excellent Make:Martin Model:Style 1 Tenor Ukulele Finish:Natural Categories:Ukuleles Year:1950's Made In:United States