C. F. Martin 0-17 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1934), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 57653, natural lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, black hard shell case.
This early 14-fret Martin 0-17 shows some general wear and typical maintenance repairs but remains a fine player with a very powerful voice for a small all-mahogany guitar. This 0-17 was built in mid 1934, when this 14-fret version of the model was a new design. The model was altered from a 1920s style 12-fret neck joint just in time for the 1934 catalog; this one was built just months later. At the time the Depression was very much still in evidence and this small, unassuming but affordable guitar was Martin's best seller. This one model may well have had a major role in keeping the company in business during the first half of the decade.
The 0-17 is a direct descendant of Martin's 12 fret, steel string budget guitars of the 1920's, which were a novel idea for the company at the time. Designed to offer a reliable, great sounding instrument at the lowest price Martin could possibly manage, the Style 17 instruments were a study in elegant minimalism. The body is all mahogany, with no ornament except for the soundhole ring. The unbound, dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard has an ebony nut. The traditional Martin bar frets had only just been supplanted by modern tang fretwire when this guitar was built.
While plain in appearance (at the bottom of the Martin guitar line) the 0-17 is still built of high-grade materials to the company's lofty standards. Decent guitars could be had much cheaper from the likes of Harmony, Regal or the Sears catalog, but none came close to the sonic value of this instrument. 1100 of these little mahogany wonders were shipped in 1934, a huge number for Martin at the time and an indication of how their dealers must have been clamoring for an affordable 14-fret guitar. While the original price of $30.00 may seem laughable today, in 1934 this was still a fairly expensive proposition for many Americans struggling to make ends meet.
Then as now 0-17 is a fully professional-quality guitar, extremely responsive with a rich, singing tone that belies its humble appearance. This first-generation 14-fret model is a treat for both the Martin connoisseur and the casual strummer.
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 13 5/8 in. (34.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This early 14-fret mahogany Martin shows signs of use over the last nearly 90 years but remains a very solid player. The original finish shows dings, dents and scrapes overall but not as much playwear as some. There are small pick marks through the finish on both sides of the fingerboard, on the soundhole rim and around the back edge of then pickguard. The back is fairly heavily scratched while the back of the neck is worn to the wood over part of its length but has only a few dings and dents. For some reason the headstock has a number of scratches and dings as well.
There is a small patch to the lower side below the heel, just before the turn of the bout. This is fairly cleanly done but visible, with a light topical overfinish. The top has a sealed crack off the back edge, near the turn of the lower treble bout. This is solidly glued up with minor touchup. The area of the side/top joint nearby shows some finish patching, the guitar likely took a hit long ago in this spot but suffered no critical damage. There are no other crack repairs.
The neck has been very cleanly reset, the fingerboard neatly refretted and the original full-height bridge cleanly reglued. The original tiny maple bridgeplate has been neatly replaced with a new repro that has the same footprint as the original, installed and tucked to the neat period Martin spec.
The tuners are vintage but later, which is common on these as the original riveted-gear Grovers were not especially reliable in action. They are Grover Sta-tites dating to the late '60s or '70's. The guitar has a slightly worn-in look but is completely solid, nicely set up to play perfectly with a huge shimmering sound for a small mahogany guitar. Overall Very Good + Condition.
