1934 Martin 0-17

1934 Martin 0-17, sn 57961

This is an excellent player grade 1934 0-17. The body and neck have been refinished everywhere except on the original pickguard, which retains the original finish over dark pepperoni celluloid and on the headstock, which mysteriously retains the original finish and the original gold C. F. Martin & Co. EST. 1833 “no line” headstock decal over the Brazilian rosewood headplate. The tuners are modern open back Grover replacements. The originals would have been clipped plate grovers with brown tortoise shell celluloid tuner buttons and riveted gears.

There is a long back crack on the treble side of the thin ebony center strip and a shorter crack that runs for three inches or so in between the larger crack and the center strip. There is also an area where the seam between the back and the rim has separated and has been reglued, also in the same general area of the back cracks on the treble side near the tail block. 

The bridge, originally a small straight Brazilian rosewood affair with a through saddle, has been replaced with a drop-in saddle belly bridge, also in Brazilian rosewood. The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, an early example of a Martin with “T” frets, produced shortly after Martin’s transition from bar frets, has been freshly refretted and the neck has been cleanly reset.

That’s it for the alterations. The only signs of any repair on the inside of the guitar are the cleats to repair the pair of back cracks. The original bridge plate had the area around each string hole repaired with small plugs of fresh wood.All of the braces are original with only a few drips evident around the soundhole, residue of the re-finish work. Critically, there are no cracks or repairs of any kind under the fingerboard extension. 

This guitar retains a bright punchy sound with a beefy soft V neck profile, 1 ¾” nut width and 2 ¼” string spacing at the saddle. This is a structurally sound guitar with a number of important elements intact. Though it has been refinished, the wood has not been sanded thin. The original bridge plate is present and the newer bridge, neck set and refret have all been completed to a high professional standard. This well played guitar is ready for many more years of playing.