C. F. Martin 0-17 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1940)
This item has been sold.
Item # 10115
Prices subject to change without notice.
C. F. Martin 0-17 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1940), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 74450, natural lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, black hard shell case.
This is a somewhat worn-in but superb playing and sounding pre-war Martin 0-17, showing some typical wear but offering a very powerful sound for a small body, all-mahogany guitar. It was built in early 1940, a year that saw only 226 of these little mahogany wonders shipped with WWII looming on the horizon. At the time inexpensive instruments remained important to Martin's bottom line; sales of this affordable model had been a big part of the company's salvation in the early-mid 1930's when most folks were hard up to afford even the basics.
While the humbly unadorned 0-17 stood near the bottom of the Martin guitar line, it is still built of high-grade materials to Martin's lofty standards. The guitar is austere in appearance, with no binding anywhere and only a small sound hole ring and Martin headstock logo as trim. It is built of mahogany throughout, with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. The thin mahogany top is delicately scallop braced with a small maple bridgeplate.
Listing for $35.00 in 1940, this guitar still represented a fairly expensive proposition for many Americans at the time; you could get a guitar from Sears for $1.98! These featherweight pre-war examples are truly exceptional guitars despite their original budget status. Then as now 0-17 is a fully professional-quality instrument, extremely responsive with a rich, singing tone. Though showing some noticeable play wear to the top sonically this is one of the nicer examples we have had lately, a wonderful player's 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 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows some fairly heavy playwear wear but remains a lovely example, still cleaner and more original than many of these depression era workingman's specials. The original thin lacquer finish has had no overspray or touchup, which is often hard to find on older mahogany Martins. It shows noticeable wear overall: dings, dents and nicks, scuffs, scratches and press marks, many through the finish on the top, back and sides. The top has the heaviest pickwear into the wood around and forward of the pickguard and on the lower soundhole rim. The same is true for the unbound edges, as is typical with these there is a lot of finish worn off through to the wood.
There is a repaired grain crack to the back, on the bass side of the upper bout parallel to (about an inch away) from the center seam. There are three short sealed cracks on the treble rim at the apex of the lower bout. There is another short grain crack on the bass side rim a couple of inches away from the end block. All are sealed with minimal fuss. There are no cracks on the top.
The tuners are flat-plate Waverly machines, of a type we usually assume to be post-war but these appear to be ab early version and there is no evidence of anything else ever being on the guitar. The original rosewood bridge has been reglued and fitted with a new saddle, the neck has been neatly reset so playability is excellent. The bone nut looks like an older Martin-style piece but is likely a replacement as the 0-17 was usually fitted with an ebony nut. The fingerboard has been refretted with wire matching the original specifications and shows some old divoting in the lower positions. This is a truly excellent guitar, showing its scars but with a huge ringing sound for a small mahogany instrument. It is housed in a nice later period HSC. Very Good + Condition.
This is a somewhat worn-in but superb playing and sounding pre-war Martin 0-17, showing some typical wear but offering a very powerful sound for a small body, all-mahogany guitar. It was built in early 1940, a year that saw only 226 of these little mahogany wonders shipped with WWII looming on the horizon. At the time inexpensive instruments remained important to Martin's bottom line; sales of this affordable model had been a big part of the company's salvation in the early-mid 1930's when most folks were hard up to afford even the basics.
While the humbly unadorned 0-17 stood near the bottom of the Martin guitar line, it is still built of high-grade materials to Martin's lofty standards. The guitar is austere in appearance, with no binding anywhere and only a small sound hole ring and Martin headstock logo as trim. It is built of mahogany throughout, with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. The thin mahogany top is delicately scallop braced with a small maple bridgeplate.
Listing for $35.00 in 1940, this guitar still represented a fairly expensive proposition for many Americans at the time; you could get a guitar from Sears for $1.98! These featherweight pre-war examples are truly exceptional guitars despite their original budget status. Then as now 0-17 is a fully professional-quality instrument, extremely responsive with a rich, singing tone. Though showing some noticeable play wear to the top sonically this is one of the nicer examples we have had lately, a wonderful player's 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 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows some fairly heavy playwear wear but remains a lovely example, still cleaner and more original than many of these depression era workingman's specials. The original thin lacquer finish has had no overspray or touchup, which is often hard to find on older mahogany Martins. It shows noticeable wear overall: dings, dents and nicks, scuffs, scratches and press marks, many through the finish on the top, back and sides. The top has the heaviest pickwear into the wood around and forward of the pickguard and on the lower soundhole rim. The same is true for the unbound edges, as is typical with these there is a lot of finish worn off through to the wood.
There is a repaired grain crack to the back, on the bass side of the upper bout parallel to (about an inch away) from the center seam. There are three short sealed cracks on the treble rim at the apex of the lower bout. There is another short grain crack on the bass side rim a couple of inches away from the end block. All are sealed with minimal fuss. There are no cracks on the top.
The tuners are flat-plate Waverly machines, of a type we usually assume to be post-war but these appear to be ab early version and there is no evidence of anything else ever being on the guitar. The original rosewood bridge has been reglued and fitted with a new saddle, the neck has been neatly reset so playability is excellent. The bone nut looks like an older Martin-style piece but is likely a replacement as the 0-17 was usually fitted with an ebony nut. The fingerboard has been refretted with wire matching the original specifications and shows some old divoting in the lower positions. This is a truly excellent guitar, showing its scars but with a huge ringing sound for a small mahogany instrument. It is housed in a nice later period HSC. Very Good + Condition.