History of ukulele giant hits all the right notes

“The Martin Ukulele,” by Tom Walsh and John King (Hal Leonard Books, $30)

The most visible brands of ukulele in Hawaii in recent years have been two local firms: Kamaka, founded in 1916, and KoAloha, the "new kid on the block" that has become the favorite of many players since Alvin "Papa KoAloha" Okami began manufacturing instruments in 1995.

But take a step back and survey the full history of the ukulele, and the instruments manufactured by C.F. Martin & Co. in Pennsylvania have a reputation second to none. Many Hawaiian musicians — from Ernest Kaai and Mekia Kealakai to Andy Cummings and Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo‘ole — played Martins. So did many other prominent entertainers outside Hawaii: Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards, Johnny Marvin, May Singhi Breen and Roy Smeck, to name four.

Tom Walsh and the late John King document the history of Martin ukulele and the company that makes them in "The Martin Uku­lele."

The narrative begins with the Martin family’s roots in 19th-century Germany. Christian Frederick Martin Sr. came to the United States in 1833 in search of economic opportunities, began handcrafting high-quality guitars shortly afterward and founded his namesake company in 1867. Guitars were the company’s primary product until the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 exposed millions of Americans to Hawaiian music. Almost overnight the ukulele was the most popular musical instrument in America, and Martin introduced a line of premium-grade ukulele. Martin ukulele were priced above other brands, but in the years that followed, the company couldn’t keep up with the demand.

Walsh and King cover the history of the company and the cyclic boom-and-bust demand for high-quality ukulele in the decades that followed. The coverage includes concise biographies of some of the prominent celebrities who played them and extensive details, in full color, of the various models of Martin ukulele — the common models, rare models and one-of-a-kind ukulele designed and built to order for celebrity clients.

Walsh and King include production records, sales figures and correspondence: Kaai placing an order while on tour in Australia; and Jimmie Rodgers, soon to become known as "The Father of Country Music," writing an unsolicited endorsement of Martin products.

The authors reveal why the company cut back ukulele production to almost nothing in the final decades of the 20th century, and the circumstances that caused the firm to resume production with a line of new models in 2006.

Everything a student, fan or researcher could reasonably ask for regarding Martin ukulele is in this book.