Martin 017 Spruce Mahogany 1911

Vintage Martins always attract a lot of attention at The Fellowship of Acoustics, both from customers and from our Fellows themselves! This Martin is over a century old, and not only looks beautiful but sounds fantastic too!

This Martin 017 12-fret model is a beautiful example of the craftsmanship with which Martin built his guitars at the beginning of the last century. The guitar has a mahogany back and sides with an Adirondack spruce top. Martin's classic wood combination of mahogany and spruce is known as "Style 18," but before 1917, this style didn't have mahogany at all, but rosewood! This 0-model from 1910 was therefore known as Style 17.

The 017 was Martin's smallest model of that era, with an intimate sound perfectly suited to fingerstyle playing. The mahogany back and sides combined with the Adirondack spruce top create a warm, defined tone with a surprisingly rich character despite its compact size. The scalloped X-bracing system, which Martin already employed at the time, contributes to the guitar's lively response and natural projection.

This Martin 017 was built in 1911, and it's hard to believe it's in such excellent condition. The guitar's finish shines beautifully, and its crackle and playwear subtly reveal its advanced age. Behind the non-original bridge, the center seam of the top is stabilized with two cleats on the inside of the soundboard. Here, we also see that an additional plate was once glued on next to the existing narrow maple bridge plate, and that the latter has been repaired with newly inserted pieces for optimal string anchoring.

A nice detail is that the inside of the top is inscribed by Frank Henry Martin, the grandson of Martin founder Christian Friedrich Martin. He took over the company in 1888 and remained at the helm of the family business for almost 60 years. His penciled initials include the date August 17, 1911, likely the date the top was attached to the soundboard after the braces were formed.

Instruments from this era weren't built for steel strings at all, so it's so impressive that this guitar sounds so good with steel strings after 115 years! This 017 has a wide, open, full tone, excellent volume, and rich overtones. It's the perfect instrument for fingerstyle players!