Well, this Martin Beck super concert ukulele has knocked my socks off. I am tempted to leave it at that. Just say, 'honestly, buy this thing, it's absolutely amazing', and hope that my customers know by now I am not one to hype something unless I am really a massive fan. I certainly am a big fan of this instrument, which has a concert size body paired with a tenor scale (17").

I am tempted to leave it at that as I say... largely as that's my first impression, 'wow'. But also a tiny part of me looks at the specification sheet for this instrument and the vast number of features and wonders how to describe it all without it seeming more like War & Peace than the description of a ukulele! Still, it would be a 'crime and punishment' not to get into the detail. (Oh, darn it, that's not Tolstoy, it's Dostoevsky). Ok, I can't put it off any longer, I'll give myself a push(kin) and go through my check(ov) list.

The solid top of this super concert uke is made from master grade Canadian red cedar, with scalloped sitka spruce X bracing. The back and sides see more solid master grade wood, with Indian rosewood and it's rich, varied grain in use. Attractive pomelle bubinga binding separates the two and the body has a tru-oil finish, with Martin’s signature side soundport design.

The neck of this Martin Beck ukulele is made from carbon fibre reinforced mahogany, with a fingerboard made from Amazon rosewood, with Evo Gold frets that have a slight (16") radius. That almost imperceptible curve follows the curve of your fingers and lots of people report that it helps with ease of play and barre chords in particular. (For me, I play so many sizes, types and shapes that I am not convinced I can tell the difference any more, or would know the difference if the neck was shaped like a Toblerone). What I do know however, is that it plays very nicely indeed.

The soundhole inlay is a lovely sight to behold, with its burled camphor and bubinga, just a really classy, flowing design that looks fab. That bubinga, with its cloud-like patterns, also appears on the tail graft and headstock veneer, tying everything together nicely.

This super concert uke has a 36.5mm nut width and is strung with Worth Clears, with a Fremont low G. The sound shimmers and shines in the upper register, with fabulous clarity and sustain. And the low G, with its bold and deep tone marries together with those strong trebles brilliant, with neither of these strong characteristics outdoing the other. The sound is big, balanced and jaw-droppingly good.

This instrument is fitted with a strap button and is supplied in a quality hard case. Oh, and if you can see a tiny ridge on the top in the pictures, that’s just a scratch guard made of transparent plastic, which is attached to the top to prevent marking to the cedar.