1928 Martin 2-17 – £3999

NEW ARRIVAL  It’s rare to find a Martin guitar from the 20’s, let alone one that plays this well. The 2-17 is an all Mahogany guitar, sized somewhere between a parlour and an 0, and was the first acoustic guitar Martin produced for steel strings. It feels as light as a feather, yet the volume it produces is quite surprising. The 12 fret join gives greater resonance, making it a really versatile instrument. Clearly at home with fingerstyle and flat picking, it even strums well. As a 98 year old guitar, you might be nervous to play it live, but it feels strong enough to go for another 98. The neck feels very comfortable with a gentle V profile, and really is a fingerpicker’s dream. The guitar recently has a neck reset, so the action is very comfortable, and the saddle has plenty of height. There are two repaired top cracks, running from either wing of the bridge, all good and strong. It’s an absolute pleasure to play – there’s a gentleness and warmth to the tone, yet when you play with a pick it has a quick response that accentuates the harmonics. A historically important guitar that sounds too good to sit in a glass case. It comes in a non original vintage hard case.