Ken Franklin Custom Cypress Marblewood Tenor
This fantastic custom tenor was built by Ken Franklin in Ukiah, California. Ken has been building guitars since 1973 casually and then professionally since 2003. His mom had an ukulele from the 1930's and when she passed away he decided to fix it up. In 2012 Ken decided to start building his own and for years now he's been providing us with some of the best ukes you can find.
This tenor is a delight to the eyes, ears, and hands. It has thick but airy tone we just love. The appointments are so nice. The woods are unique, beautiful, and give a full bell like tone that will inspire music. Corey gives us a sample and review of this lovely and one of a kind custom tenor from Ken Franklin.
Ken has a new mini X brace design. He said this has opened up the warmer tones on his ukes and you can really hear that. It has a compound 16-20 inch radius to the fretboard for easy chording and Ken's fretwork is impeccable. This one has the Gold EVO frets. Everything about the experience of this tenor is a treat.
The top is Mendocino cypress from Northern California not too far from where Ken builds. Tonally cypress has been described as a cross between adirondack spruce and cedar. It has all the power and warmth you want and it's paired with another super cool wood.
Marblewood is an exotic hardwood from South America. It’s a very dense wood and has a Janka Hardness rating of 2,530 lbf similar to rosewood. It's rare to see an ukulele with this wood but the tone on this one is a testament to it's fantastic acoustic properties.
Other features include the granadillo bindings and string-through bridge, an assortment of woods used in the mosaic style side grain rosette, hand carved laminated maple linings, a reinforced side sound port, 1.5" nut width, a primavera neck and Gotoh tuners with custom granadillo buttons. The finish is a super smooth polyurethane semi-gloss top and a semi-gloss oil varnish body. The top has a super stealth pickguard you can hardly see but adds protection to this cypress top.
This is a special instrument with a wonderful feel and tone and we think you will love it. Includes wooden hard case and Humistat humidifier, upgradable in the options on this page.
- Marblewood Specs
- P2 tenor body
- Mendocino Cypress top
- Marblewood back, sides, fretboard, faceplate and backplate
- Granadillo bindings and string-through bridge
- Multi wood side grain rosette
- Reinforced oval side port
- Bolt-on Primavera neck with integrated strap button
- Tail strap button
- 16 to 20 inch compound radiused fretboard
- Hand carved laminated maple linings
- Semi-gloss penetrating oil varnish body finish
- Polyurethane semi-gloss top film finish
- Clear pick guard
- 17 inch scale
- Gold EVO frets with polished rounded fret ends
- Aluminum and brass position markers
- 1 1/2 inch bone nut
- 1 5/8 inch string spacing G-A on an intonated bone saddle
- Gotoh tuners w custom Granadillo buttons
- PHD strings w Pepe Romero wound low G
- Hard case
Ken Franklin Tenor Measurements
Total Scale Length: 17.25”/43.82cm
Body Length: 11.75”/29.845cm
Overall length: 26”/66.04cm
Nut Width: 1.5”/38.1mm
Saddle Width: 2.14”/54.46mm
Lower Bout Width: 9.25”/23.5cm
Upper Bout Width: 6.75”/17.15cm
Lower Bout Depth: 2.75”/6.99cm
Upper Bout Depth: 2.5”/6.35cm
String Spacing
At Nut: G to C = 9.66mm G to A = 28.63mm
At 12th Fret: G to C = 10.80mm G to A = 33.51mm
At Saddle: G to C = 12.76mm G to A = 37.88mm
| Options |
CASE Other Options (Many found in the essential accessories above) |
|---|---|
| Brand | Other |
Shipping Information
For more even more details and FAQ visit our Shipping Page under the Company Info tab at the header menu.
SHIPPING CARRIER OPTIONS:
FedEx is our primary shipping carrier, all orders that qualify for free domestic shipping will be sent using FedEx. UPS and DHL can also be chosen as alternative options upon checkout, USPS is only used for smaller accessory orders.
As soon as the shipping label is created you will be automatically notified via email with tracking information. All packages will be shipped with a signature requirement by default. If you do not wish to have a signature requirement you will need to notify us, either by leaving a note in the “special instructions” when adding the item(s) to your shopping cart or by emailing our shipping department directly. Any shipping related requests (hold/delay/address change) should also be directed to our shipping department ( [email protected]).
NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: You may also be required to pay import duties/taxes, this will vary depending on your location and the value of the item(s). To estimate these taxes, you can contact your local customs office. Fedex also offers a helpful estimation tool: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/international.html
UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE PERMIT: If your ukulele contains any amount of shell inlay (abalone or pearl) it will require a permit to be shipped internationally. The cost of this permit is $93.00 USD. We will handle the paperwork and file the permit for you, but the cost of all duties and fees are the responsibility of the customer.
SHIPPING COST will vary depending on the size dimensions and weight of the package as well as the destination. To get a quote, use the “Calculate Shipping Cost” link located next to the “Add to Cart button” on each listing.
This is made even easier when you are already logged in to your customer account. Follow this link to create an account if you don’t already have one go HERE.
FREE SHIPPING: All orders within the USA with a total over $500 will qualify for free FedEx 2-day air shipping.
SHIPMENT AND TRACKING NOTIFICATIONS are sent automatically via email as soon as the shipping label is created so please make sure your email address is accurate when placing the order. Outgoing shipments are picked up by our shipping carriers Monday through Friday.
ACCESSORY AND CASE ORDERS: While non-instrument orders for cases and accessories do not require the same processing time needed for instruments, they do require time for processing and packing. The typical processing time for accessory/case orders is (1-4 business days) depending on current order volume.
CURRENT SETUP PROCESSING TIMES AND DETAILS ARE LOCATED UNDER THE “SETUP OPTIONS” TAB.*
*If you would like to receive your instrument as soon as possible you can forego the full setup process by selecting the “Basic QC Only” option or by selecting the “Full Setup RUSH” option when adding instruments to your shopping cart. More details are available under the “Setup Options” tab.
Setup Options
Current Turnaround Time: Amount of time it takes before shipment-
Full Setup: 10-14 Business Days
Basic Quality Control: 2-3 Days
BASIC QUALITY CONTROL covers inspecting the instrument for any major defects that would have been missed by the factory and any faults in construction that could potentially damage or limit the functionality of the instrument over time. Any defective instruments are rejected and replaced. We make sure that each Ukulele meets the basic standard for a brand new instrument and will be ready to play once you receive it. A final cleanup is also included after inspection before packing and shipment.
Full Setup - FREE for all Ukuleles $399 and over / $20.00 for Ukuleles from $300-399 / $30.00 for Ukuleles Under $300
Includes:
-Overall QC evaluation: To find defects in construction as well as to get an overall view of the instrument and note the areas that need extra attention and adjustment during the setup.
-Saddle Adjustment: The height of the saddle is lowered to reduce the distance between the strings and the fretboard, making it easier to play than the factory setup, especially higher up the fretboard.
-Nut Slot Adjustment: The depth, width, and angle of the nut slots are adjusted to create a more comfortable playing experience especially on the lower frets.
-Fret Dressing: After adjusting the nut and saddle heights, high spots in the fretboard or uneven frets will potentially cause fret buzz, dead spots, or other unwanted problems. The frets are filed to create a more consistent level across the fretboard. We then crown the frets to return their rounded curvature back to the top of each fret creating a clear contact point for each string. We then smooth and polish the frets and condition the fingerboard to bring them back to new condition.
-Final Cleanup: We always do a final overall cleanup of the instrument to make sure it is in new condition and ready to play before it is prepared for shipment.
Rush Setup & Delivery - Additional $50.00
The RUSH SETUP AND DELIVERY service is for customers who would still like to receive everything included in the full setup but on a shorter time frame. One of our setup technicians will work overtime outside of normal business hours to complete the setup within 2-3 days of the order being placed and immediately hand it over to the shipping department for packing and shipment. The $50.00 rush charge is in addition to the cost of the full setup.
Additional services (see individual product listings to add these services to your order)
Re-stringing: We will replace the factory installed stock string set with a new set of your choosing. Select the “replace stock strings” option when adding your desired string set to the shopping cart.
Strap Button Installation: 1-2 buttons are installed to allow the use of a strap. Color options available.
Pickup installation: for players who would like the option to play or record with amplification.
Friction Tuner Upgrade (friction tuners only): We offer upgrade options for select instruments with friction tuners to be retrofitted with new geared tuners for better precision and comfort when tuning.
Left-handed Setup: Left-handed setups are also available upon request. Occasionally an additional charge may be added for compensated saddles on select models.