Buying An Original Martin Company Ukulele
1,842 views · Published 18 June 2017 · 2:53 · Indexed 29 October 2026
Channel: Life The Basic Manual · 2017 · Education
In this short film, as part of his playlist on the mighty ukulele, Nick Cody shares with us the story of how he came to buy an original Martin Guitar Company ukulele. This instrument was probably produced in 1919/1920. Nick demonstrates the exceptionally sweet tone it produces. Nick remains reticent on the actual number of ukuleles he has amassed, but it’s clear from this clip, that if he meets the right uke, he has to have it. And the ukulele in this piece is just that uke. The Martin Guitar Company have a fascinating and lengthy history of producing high-quality, hand-built guitars, and have been in business for a century and a half. When they decided to ride the wave of the ukulele’s popularity in the US in the 1920’s, their initial models were not well-received, but they swiftly changed their specifications and came up with the kind of instrument that Nick shows us here. He describes how when he walked into one of his favourite shops, Matt Umanov Guitars, on Bleecker St in Greenwich Village, New York, Zeke, one of the assistants in the store, told him he had to see a special uke. When Nick opened its case, he found to his delight that there was an original Martin ukulele in there. Nick noted a few signs that pointed to its provenance and tried it out. Love, at first strum - again. Nick cautions us that being old is not the same as being good, and there are poorly-designed or damaged ukuleles that may have a fascinating history but don’t produce a good sound. But the Martin ukulele in this clip does and will be featured on the upcoming releases from Nick’s band, The Small Change Diaries. If you want to find out more about Nick, his band, or the website he pioneered to showcase original ukulele songs, please see: http://:www.originalukulelesongs.com http://:www.thesmallchangediaries.com http://www.gotaukulele.com is also an invaluable resource for information on what to look for with practical advice and resources. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS https://www.youtube.com/c/lifethebasicmanual?sub_confirmation=1 FIND LIFE THE BASIC MANUAL HERE http://lifethebasicmanual.com http://www.facebook.com/lifethebasicmanual http://instagram.com/lifethebasicmanual http://twitter.com/BasicManual
