Martin S1 Soprano - Natural Mahogany Review

Our Third Martin Uke

We previously purchased the Martin Tenor and Concert ukuleles from Sweetwater because of Martin's reputation (I have a 50 yr. old D-35 guitar!) and we weren't disappointed. So we decided to add the Soprano to the family and are very pleased. These are not flashy instruments, just very high quality and solid construction. They are a pleasure to play, they hold their pitches, and… read more have great tone. I was surprised at how resonant the Soprano was in fact.

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Great Gift / Great Service

Overall a great experience from start to finish. Was referred to Sweetwater by a friend....and what a great transaction! Can't recommend enough

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You can pay more for Bling, but not what matters....Tone and Intonation which these Mexican Martins have in spades.

I don"t have the extra cash laying around to spend on exotic woods and Bling. With that said, I find these Martins to be beautiful looking in their own way....and are as powerful as they come with the way they project their voice. I love them and have the tenor version as well. Most of the major uke reviewers give them high marks. Let"s face it, a uke could sound like pure Bliss… read more but if it doesn"t start with an H and wasn"t made in Hawaii, it"s just ok. I"m not saying H"s aren"t wonderful because they are. But we are also talking about instruments that cost twice to four times as much

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Martin S-1Soprano ukulele

This is an absolutely excellent instrument for beginner, professional, or any discerning ukuleleist. It has pure simplistic beauty that is honest and rich. Sure, you can have an instrument with a lot of decoration, but the decoration only adds to the cost and not the tone. This instrument exhibits flawless workmanship. The playing action is excellent, the tone is warm,focused,… read more clear, and and allows the musician to phrase the music. From loud to soft this instrument projects! If you want an instrument that can become an heirloom, this is it. The price is approachable but reasonable enough for most people to own. This can be a starting instrument because of its price, but it can also be a very nice professional instrument one will have all of ones life . It's that good. Don't let comments like its a good beginning instrument cause you from not taking it seriously. It is a great instrument at any price. Pick one up and see for yourself. Needless to say I love mine! I also have a Koaloha soprano that I love as well and is in the same class as this one. The tone of the Koaloha is a little box like and I love it's timbre but no better than the Martin.I got the Martin because of its extended range 17 frets instead of 12 . This would be better to experiment with playing Bach. Anyway, check a Martin S-1 out for yourself and I think you will be glad you did.

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Spectacular Sounding Soprano Uke, Great Craftsmanship!

Honestly, this is as good as it gets if you want an all-solid Mahogany Soprano Ukulele without any fancy inlays or binding . If you want fancy binding, inlays and designs, sure you can spend more, but not get any better tone really without changing wood type. And honestly, the pure basic look of this is just clean and classy unto itself. Mine came new in the box with the reliable… read more Sweetwater check over to ensure everything was as it is supposed to be from the the factory. A quick tune up after stretching out the strings some more and this wwas ready to play from the start. Oh does the S1 sing sweetly! I later sampled several different brand Strings including D'Addario and Aquila, but I went back to the Martin Fluorocarbon strings that come standard as they sounded the best to my ears. If you're looking for a new Soprano without breaking the bank, and want something that can be an heirloom too, this is it!

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