Martin OXK Soprano Ukulele Review – Great Quality and Sound

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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Martin is undoubtedly one of the world’s finest acoustic guitar brands, so it makes sense that they would dabble in the ukulele market too. This OXK Soprano uke is part of Martin’s affordable X Series, and shows off the quality you’d associate with a Martin, along with some interesting tonewoods. It features in our chart on the best ukuleles under $300, so let’s see why it’s such a popular model.

Body & Neck

As we’ve established, this is a soprano ukulele, with a simple non-cutaway body shape sporting a very minimalist design – no elaborate decoration, although you do get the iconic Martin logo on the headstock. So, it’s nothing extraordinary in design terms, but it’s still an attractive little ukulele. Martin use several less familiar woods in the construction of this uke, with a koa pattern high-pressure laminate used on the top, back and sides of the instrument.

It feels reassuringly heavy and very nice to play, with a low action. The neck is made of Stratabond – a strong laminated wood used across the Martin range – and is hand-rubbed for a great finish. This neck is equipped with a morado fretboard (quite similar to rosewood), with a generous nut width of 1.81”, and a total of 17 frets (12 in the clear). The OXK is made in Martin’s Mexican workshop, which delivers near-flawless craftsmanship, and this uke shows it.

Hardware

This is a solely acoustic soprano uke, with no electronics in sight. But the hardware all adds up to a nice playing experience. It features a white Tusq nut and a compensated Tusq saddle, for good tonal consistency, while the set of Grover friction tuners – nickel, with white buttons – are a solid addition, offering good tuning stability. Finally, the Martin OXK comes with its own convenient Martin-branded padded gig bag, which is a very nice addition.

Sound

So how does it sound? Very good! Would you expect Martin to release anything that doesn’t sound great? For such a small instrument, this uke packs quite a punch in the volume department, with good resonance for a soprano. The high-pressure woods combine to deliver a lovely mellow tone, with warmth and brightness in abundance.

Conclusion

Not everyone will appreciate the slightly eccentric mix of laminated woods or the friction tuners, but to find a Mexican-made Martin instrument at this price, it’s hard to complain. It feels sturdy and built to last, while the use of HPL means travelling to various climates won’t really affect it. The playability is very good, and the rich sound is pleasing to any ear. A winner from Martin.

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