MARTIN TIPLE T-17 & T-15 models

It's the simplest model, as he's uke cousin "style 0” it’s a full mahogany instrument with a sober double B&W circle around the hole for only decoration ( some were built with ebony bridge and fingerboard )

The model shyly appears in the Martin logbooks in 1924 with six instruments and no fabrication in 1925 as the company built 725 "T-18" models in the same period .

1926-27 was an all times peak in the Martin Tiple production with 650 T-18 in 1926 and 350 T-17 in 1927 (prices in 1923 was 30$ /T-17,  40$/T-18 and 75$/T-28 )

In the crisis years and mid 30's the company stopped the fancy models fabrication, selling only the T-17 until 1936, but moderately, the golden 20's was behind…

After six years of blank production the T-17 was here again in 1947 but only for three years as the T-15 appears in 1949 and replace the T17 model.

 The only model difference is a rosewood bridge.

T-15 fabrication stops in1966 as the T-18 and T-28’s continues…

As for ukes the Martin decal appears probably in front of the head around 1932 as the stamp disapeard behind the head.

Combining the two models we have a total of 2130 of these uncluttered masterpieces, sleeping in attics or singing in your fingers and offering as their fancy expansive sisters, this powerful magic crystal sound .

Informations and Martin Tiples production log book pages is shared here, in this other great MartinTiple fan blog :  Brian Myspace page.

Prices, courtesy of Michael Simmons ( his astounding Tiple article in the Ukulele Ocasional first issue is a bible and will be frequently credited   in this pages …)

 

The simple B&W circles around the hole made the T-15/17 a direct cousin of the Martin Style-0 ukulele.