Review: Martin TKE Solid Koa Tenor Sounds like a Tropical Breeze

BY EDDIE SCHER | FROM THE FALL 2024 ISSUE OF UKULELE

The legacy instrument maker C.F. Martin & Co. has long made ukuleles across a range of prices for all kinds of players. Consistent with Martin’s approach since it first started building ukuleles in 1916 (with tenors beginning in 1929) is that the major differences between the models are largely in the appointments—the binding, rosettes, and inlays that set the expensive models apart from the more basic. For its new all-koa TKE tenor ukulele, Martin calls the appointments “plain,” but as a whole, this instrument is anything but.

For me, seeing the C.F. Martin & Co. logo in vintage gold script on a headstock is downright Pavlovian, as I expect something great no matter how fancy or plain the instrument may be. And the TKE that arrived for this review did not disappoint. I have a few Martin ukuleles around the house and my favorite is my basic Style 1 concert. The old Style 1C was the working musician’s ukulele, in terms of tone and playability. The new acoustic-electric TKE is very much the modern equivalent—a high-quality uke that’s ready for a long and rewarding life of music. 

A Simple Beauty

Opening the heavily padded gig bag and pulling out the TKE for the first time, I was struck by the instrument’s elegantly simple appearance. This is one of Martin’s more basic solid wood models, but the Hawaiian koa top, back, and sides were highly figured and beautiful. The top and back, like the rosette, are elegantly bound in dark and light stripes. I suppose the unbound fingerboard and koa headstock could accurately fall under the “plain” description Martin gives this instrument, but that seems like an understatement, to say the least.

If I had to pick one thing to change on this ukulele it would be the lacquer finish on the body, which is flawless, but seems thick, giving the body a glassy look and feel. It will protect the wood, and it shows off the beauty of the koa, but I’d rather feel the wood and live with the patina and openness of sound that comes with a less durable finish. 

Clear, Round, and Warm

The tone of the TKE is what you would expect and demand from a solid koa uke, highlighting the clear, round, and warm midrange. There’s enough woodiness and treble, but that’s not where this uke excels.  And though it will no doubt open up over time, I don’t think it will ever lose the understated softness in its tone—not that the volume is soft, just that this uke is very easy on the ear. 

To me, strumming chords is where koa really shows its stuff. From the first strum of this ukulele, I hear a gentle tropical breeze. I found myself playing fewer chords and strumming less to get through a tune because the instrument wanted more space and time to ring.

Strumming an uptempo swing tune, I sometimes found myself missing the snap and sizzle of mahogany, but it was worth the trade-off for an iconic and evocative Hawaiian sound. When fingerpicking the TKE, I noticed a slower, less sharp attack than I’m accustomed to with my mahogany ukes. But the way each note bloomed, sustained, and resolved when played with a little patience was richly rewarding.

The TKE’s playability was as good as its tone. With a comfortable, U-shaped neck and large, easy-playing frets, the instrument played exactly as would be expected, directly out of the box. The action was perfect, and the neck’s satin finish had a fast and inviting feel. 

Plug in and Play

The TKE is outfitted with MiSi Simple Jack electronics mounted inside the uke with an endpin strap button plug. This is a professional and unfussy approach to amplification with no controls on the instrument—nothing that shows on the outside or limits the acoustic response of uke. When you need it, you simply plug in. The amplified sound is balanced, clean, and crisp without any tone coloration from the electronics. I heard very little non-string noise, including the thumps, scrapes, and squeaks that some pickup systems seem to amplify. The output gives a strong, clear signal into an amp or PA, perfect for a loud room or for recording direct without losing the subtle tone that made you pick up a good uke in the first place. 

The MiSi pickup is not only musical, but it’s also user-friendly. The preamp is charged though the uke’s 1/4-inch plug into the supplied power source—just a minute of charge gives you 16 hours of play.

At the end of the day, the Martin TKE is a solid koa instrument from the most storied mainland ukulele builder. It certainly lives up to the heightened expectations that come along with that name and date in gold script. When it comes to bang for the buck, there’s little that compares to Martins like this that are built for working musicians. The TKE should satisfy a large swath of players, from the beginner who wants something that will grow with them to the pro who needs a workhorse.

Martin TKE Specs

BODY: Tenor with solid koa top, back, and sides; non-scalloped spruce bracing; East Indian rosewood bridge with compensated black Tusq saddle; back Boltaron binding; multi-stripe rosette; gloss finish

NECK: 17″ scale select hardwood neck with 20-fret East Indian rosewood fingerboard (14 frets to the body); applied dovetail joint; 1-11/32″ black Tusq nut, fingerboard width at 12th fret: 1-23/32″; nickel open-gear tuners; satin finish

OTHER: Mi-Si Simple Jack electronics; soft gig bag; available left-handed

MADE IN: Mexico

PRICE: $849