Martin 2-17 1931

This 1931 Martin 2-17 is a small all-mahogany parlor that has spent nearly a century making music, and it shows. With its warm, woody voice, short-scale V-neck and honest playing wear, it is a real piece of pre-war Martin history that still plays beautifully.

The 2-17 brings together two of Martin's oldest ideas: the size 2 body, which dates back to 1852, and Style 17, whose roots go all the way to 1874. In 1922 Martin reintroduced the 2-17 in all-mahogany, and it earned a special place in the company's history as the first regular, non-Hawaiian Martin to leave the factory already braced for steel strings, with no special order required. Affordable and hard-wearing, it quickly became a favourite, and this example from 1931 comes from the heart of that golden pre-war era.

Heading toward its 100th birthday, this 2-17 wears its age with pride. The finish shows lovely weatherchecking across the body, and the dings, scratches and areas of worn lacquer tell the story of a full musical life. On the side of the body, next to the end pin, there is a small repair. Despite all of that playing history, the guitar has clearly been well looked after and remains in very good condition.

All-mahogany construction and a compact parlor body give the 2-17 a warm, woody tone with a focused midrange and plenty of punch. It is an intimate, dry voice rather than a booming one, which makes it perfect for fingerpicking, blues and singing along. The short 24.5" scale and rounded V-profile neck make it an easy, inviting guitar to play, while the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard adds to that classic vintage Martin feel.

This guitar has been carefully inspected for condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.