C. F. Martin 00-17 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1954), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 137081, natural lacquer finish, Mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This is an amazingly preserved Martin 00-17 from mid-1954, just past its 66th birthday! The 00-17 was the largest of the all-mahogany Martins of the 1950s, which were the company's lower budget 6-string offerings. These Style 17 guitars were sold at a relatively modest price (list on this 00 was $75 in 1954, without a case) but still built to the same exacting quality standards of all Martins. To achieve this economy, the company used mahogany instead of spruce for the top and only the most minimal decoration: no binding anywhere and small dot fingerboard inlay. Typical features for this period include openback Waverly tuning pegs with plastic buttons, a 5-ply sound hole ring, a small straight rosewood bridge, and a tortoise celluloid pickguard.
Older mahogany-top Martin guitars are known for their distinctive ringing tone, with a somewhat "tighter" and more detailed response on each note than the typical spruce top model. They are generally considered particularly excellent fingerpickers, especially suited to blues and ragtime styles. The larger 00 body size gives the sound more depth than the more common smaller 0 size models and this is also a good general "strummer's" guitar. The 00-17 records and amplifies easily and also makes for an excellent singer-songwriter's instrument as well as a great all-around choice in a vintage Martin.
Overall length is 38 13/16 in. (98.6 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 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 is a super clean guitar, showing few signs of use over the past 65+ years. It is also all original, down to the plastic bridge pins and endpin. Apart from a couple of very small scratches the top shows hardly any play wear. The finish on the rest of the guitar is equally clean with some small occasional scratches and scuff marks, mostly on the lower side. The is a small grain check in the spot under the treble strings near the bridge where a pickguard crack often develops but this has not gone through the wood. Internally the guitar is untouched.
The original bridge has never been cut down; the saddle is quite low and neatly notched. The action is currently 3/32" bass and 2/32" treble, which is our shop standard but there is no room to lower it any further. The guitar plays quite well and has a lovely sound, richer and deeper than many of these with a wide dynamic range. It is housed in a modern HSC. Excellent + Condition.
