A rare treasure from a long bygone era, this 2-1/2 size Model 17 might be the oldest Martin to come through our doors in our 45+ years here in Seattle, and it's in great playable shape to boot. The cone heel, original Jerome tuning machines, and the stamps on the back strip and neck block reading "C.F. Martin | New York" (notably missing the "& CO" after "Martin") indicate that this guitar was built no later than 1867. Although we cannot determine conclusively the year it shipped, we are estimating it came out of the Nazareth factory in the earlier half of the 1860s, in the final decade of Martin founder Christian Frederick Martin's life. Legend has it the Mark Twain himself traveled through Civil War-time America with the very same model Martin guitar in tow.
This guitar is more than a relic of American musical history, though, it's also a perfectly functioning instrument with comfortable playing action and surprisingly accurate intonation up the ebony fingerboard. A fan-braced Adirondack spruce top and Brazilian rosewood back and sides contribute to a rich, detailed voice overflowing with harmonic content. The original barstock frets are level and unworn with the exception of the slightest hint of flattening in the first three positions beneath the top two strings only. The lacquer finish is in good shape considering its age, displaying a century and a half of honest surface wear, mainly concentrated around the spruce top and the back of the neck in the first position. A side crack in the rosewood running along the bass side has been glued and stabilized. A short split in the back along the center strip is also stable. The top is free of cracks and has maintined its form remarkably well over the generations. Three screw holes in the tailblock and a lacquer shadow around the bridge suggest this guitar was modified to accomodate a trapeze tailpiece (and possibly a floating bridge) at some point, a modification that was later reversed with the reinstallation of what appears to be the original ebony pyramid bridge. This model was constructed specifically for use with gut strings and it sounds lovely with its current set of D'Addario nylon strings. We cannot recommend the use of steel strings on this guitar.
- c. 1860s
- Adirondack spruce top
- Brazilian rosewood back and sides
- Mahogany neck: rounded V profile w/ ebony fretboard
- Barstock fretwire
- Rosewood binding: top and back
- 1-25/32" nut
- 24-3/8" scale length
- Fan bracing
- Jerome tuning machines
- Ebony bridge
Includes original wood coffin case.
