Detail 01
Solid koa top, back, and sides
Solid wood throughout, not laminate. It responds more to playing and changes over years, but it also reacts to humidity swings.
Product detailSKU #1327552780272
MartinC1K Concert Ukulele Natural
brightarticulatecomfortablefolkhawaiianrock
1/4
Independent shopping perspective
The Korena take
All-solid Hawaiian koa concert ukulele from Martin at $549.99. For a player who wants traditional uke wood and size, built simply with no electronics.
Strong match
Who this is for
- Players who want koa without stepping up to tenor scale
- Fingerpicking and chord melody where note separation matters
- Someone replacing a laminate uke with solid wood
Consider the trade-offs
When to look elsewhere
- Guitarists wanting maximum fret spacing — go tenor
- Players needing to plug into a PA out of the box
- Anyone who won't manage humidity around a solid-wood instrument
What matters in use
The specifications, translated
Catalog numbers tell only part of the story. These are the details most likely to change how this product feels, sounds, or fits into a setup.
Detail 02
15" scale, concert size
Between soprano and tenor. More room and volume than a soprano, still compact, with lower string tension than a tenor.
Detail 03
Satin finish, no binding or pickguard
Thin finish over bare wood with no trim. Less material damping the top, and it shows scratches more readily than gloss.
Detail 04
Solid Sitka spruce top braces
Spruce is stiff for its weight, so the top can be braced light. That's a volume-and-response choice, not a cosmetic one.
Detail 05
Tusq nut and saddle
Synthetic and consistent from unit to unit. It won't wear like plastic, and it's easy for a tech to swap or recut.
Detail 06
1-13/32" nut width, 1-41/64" at the bridge
Fairly standard uke spacing — comfortable for chords, snug for anyone with wide fingertips doing fingerstyle.
Detail 07
Applied dovetail neck joint
A glued traditional joint rather than a bolt-on. A luthier can reset it decades later if the neck angle shifts.
Final check
Know before you order
- 01Keep it in a case with a humidifier — solid wood cracks in dry air
- 02No pickup onboard; a clip-on mic or aftermarket pickup handles amplification
- 03Martin M600 strings are the recommended set for it
Product questions
Before you decide
Straight answers to the questions shoppers most often ask about this product.
01Concert or tenor — which should I get?
Concert if you want the compact, classic uke feel and lighter string tension. Tenor if you have large hands or want a deeper, louder voice. Same koa either way.
02Does solid koa actually sound different from laminate?
Yes. Solid tops vibrate more freely, so you get more volume and more variation between soft and hard playing. Laminate is more stable but flatter in response.
03How many frets can I actually reach?
Seventeen total, fourteen clear of the body. Past the fourteenth you're reaching over the upper bout, which gets awkward on a body this small.
04Does the satin finish wear out?
It scuffs and picks up a sheen where your arm and hand rest. That's normal and cosmetic. Gloss hides wear better but adds finish over the top.
Reference
Full specifications
The complete catalog record, organized around the decisions musicians make when comparing gear.
10 detailsPlayability
- Nut Material
- White Tusq
- Number of Frets Clear
- 14
- Number of Frets Total
- 17
- Recommended Strings
- Martin Ukulele (M600)
- Fingerboard Width At 12th Fret
- 1-13/16''
- Number of Strings
- Martin Ukulele (M600)
- Bridge String Spacing
- 1-41/64''
- Fingerboard Width At Nut
- 1-13/32''
- Scale Length
- 15
- Neck Shape
- Concert Uke
28 detailsBody & build
- Color
- Natural
- Side Inlay
- none
- Bridge Material
- Solid Morado
- Finish Back Amp Sides
- Satin
- Binding
- none
- Finish Top
- Satin
- Side Material
- Solid Hawaiian Koa
- Body Size
- Concert Uke
- Back Purfling
- none
- Top
- Solid Hawaiian Koa
- Top Bracing Pattern
- Concert Ukelele
- Construction
- Mahogany Blocks/Applied Dovetail Neck Joint
- Neck Wood
- Select Hardwood
- Top Braces
- Solid Sitka Spruce
- Finish Neck
- Satin
- Fingerboard Material
- Solid Sipo
- Pickguard
- none
- Back Material
- Solid Hawaiian Koa
- Body Style
- Concert Uke
- Fingerboard Position Inlays
- One @ 5th, Two @ 7th, One @ 10th - Whte ABS
- Bridge Style
- Concert Uke Style
- Endpiece Inlay
- none
- Back Inlay
- none
- Tuning Machines
- Nickel Open-Geared w/ White Buttons
- Body Shape
- Concert Uke
- Top Inlay Style
- none
- Fingerboard Binding
- none
- Bridge Amp End Pins
- none
8 detailsOther
- Rosette
- Black/White/Black Boltaron
- Saddle
- White Tusq
- Interior Label
- Paper
- Heelcap
- none
- Headplate
- Solid Hawaiian Koa or Solid Tasmanian Blackwood
- Model
- C1K Uke
- Endpiece
- none
- Headstock
- Solid/Uke Taper
