2000 Martin S-0 Soprano Ukulele




The S-0, made in Mexico, was Martin's jump back into ukulele production after a decades-long halt. This one has a 5000s serial number that would seem to place it (via reference to forum threads) around 1999, though all the literature that came with the instrument is copyrighted to 2000 -- so I'm placing this right at Y2K.

It's, more or less, near mint. There's a couple of light scuffs here or there on the sides but otherwise looks like it could've been hanging on a store rack for a few months. Like all S-0s, it's solid mahogany throughout with a rosewood (of some sort) fretboard. The nut and saddle are black plastic and while it specs-out like a Martin style 0 (no binding, same scale, neck, and body shape), the finish is a dull satin, there are no position dots, and the build (in terms of top/back thickness) is a bit more substantial than a vintage Martin which yields a modern, brighter tone comparable to other imports around the same value (all-mahogany Ohanas, what-have-you).



The nut is 1 3/8" and the neck has a C-profile.


The scale is 13 5/8" and the frets are a lot larger than old ukes -- more akin to modern banjo or mandolin wire.



I did give this a light setup and the action is comfortable for the black nylon strings on it at 3/32" at the 12th fret. I could lower this per customer needs to spot-on 1/16" overall but it would necessitate cutting the bridge to get the saddle down farther.




The Saga/Golden Gate-style pegs work just fine.







It comes with its original Martin gigbag and various factory care, warranty, and string-pack information.

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