C. F. Martin 0-17 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1947), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 100886, natural lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, period black hard shell case.
This is a superb playing just post-war Martin 0-17, showing not too much wear for its age with a powerful sound for a small body all-mahogany guitar. This 0-17 was built in early-mid 1947 by which time it had already proved a very popular design, having made a major contribution to Martin's bottom line during the depression. Exactly 600 of these little mahogany wonders were made this still heavily rationed year; 1948 it would be discontinued in favor of the 0-15, the same guitar with a less polished finish. With WWII only just in the rearview mirror these inexpensive instruments continued to be important to Martin's bottom line. Listing for the now seemingly inconsequential sum of $40.00 in 1947, this guitar still represented an expensive proposition for many Americans at the time. At the time you could get a guitar from Sears for $3.98!
While the 0-17 is plain looking and stood close to the bottom of Martin's guitar line, it is still built of high-grade materials to the company's traditional exemplary standards. Designed to offer a reliable, great sounding instrument at the lowest price Martin could manage, the Style 17 instruments are a study in elegant minimalism. The body is all mahogany, with no ornament except for the soundhole ring and headstock decal. The neck has a chunkier carve then some, with a very subtle "V" feel. The unbound, dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard has an ebony nut. The individual thin-gear riveted tuners with white plastic buttons are a leftover from the wartime production, when metals were stringently rationed. Then as now 0-17 is a fully professional-quality instrument, extremely responsive with a rich, singing tone. This is one of the cleaner early post-war examples we have had, a great player and wonderful instrument in every way.
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 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar shows some general wear but remains a lovely example, far cleaner than many 70+ year old Style 17 workingman's guitars. The all-original the finish shows some dings, dents and scrapes overall, most notably are some scratches on the back. The top has a couple of random scratches but hardly any of the common pick wear, just a bit on the lower soundhole rim and a small spot below the pickguard. There is one deep scrape in the lower side. The back of the neck shows a couple of small scratches and dings and one deep dink behind at the fifth fret area.
There are no cracks or repairs visible, lovely to find on a Martin of this age. One of the tuners is correct period but not an exact match to the rest. The original rosewood bridge retains its full height, and the original small maple bridge is intact and unaltered. This guitar has had a very clean neck reset, refret with period correct wire, a new bone saddle and correct spec. ebony nut. The frets show some subsequent wear in the lower positions but the guitar plays flawlessly with a stellar sound. We love all these small-body mahogany Martins and this is a well better-than-average example, now 75+ years old. It resides in a nice period HSC, much fancier than this guitar would likely have been originally sold with! Overall Excellent Condition.
