Any Martin 00-17s owners....

Gandalph · June 2020

I’ve heard a few played on YouTube and these are really starting to tempt me.

I’ve been predominantly looking at the 00-15m but ideally I want 12 frets and this fits the bill. I know it’s not all mahogany like the 15 series but I do like the way it sounds.

It’s a good job the shops aren’t open yet as I’d have blown my budget weeks ago and I’m actually enjoying considering all the different options.....albeit virtually!

So any 00-17s owners amongst us care to share their options?

Trude · June 2020

Yes! I have one and love it to bits.

I was on the hunt for something to play Americana leads alongside a mate's J45. I've been a big admirer of the sound Dave Rawlings gets alongside Gillian Welch with his Epi archtop and had been looking for something punchy like that to complement a dread. Tried a 00-17s on a whim in a shop and was really taken aback by its volume and punch. I wasn't so keen on the price though, so went home and found one for about £500 less at Coda and ordered it right away.

My other main acoustic is a D18 and I love having both of them around. The 00-17 is a great couch/songwriting guitar and it's loud and focussed enough to act as a great flatpicker too.

Here's a vid of me doing my ham-fisted attempt at some countryish picking. My mate is playing my D18 here:

Andy79 · June 2020

Don’t own one but played many. They are superb guitars. Light as a feather and loud, as Trude says. Thin finish so expect accelerated relic-ing but it’s not like a 15.

If you want a hog one why not find a used 00-15SM
I have a ‘40s 0-15 and, like all good broken in mahogany tops, it’s a belter

danishbacon · June 2020

Trude said:

Yes! I have one and love it to bits.

I was on the hunt for something to play Americana leads alongside a mate's J45. I've been a big admirer of the sound Dave Rawlings gets alongside Gillian Welch with his Epi archtop and had been looking for something punchy like that to complement a dread. Tried a 00-17s on a whim in a shop and was really taken aback by its volume and punch. I wasn't so keen on the price though, so went home and found one for about £500 less at Coda and ordered it right away.

My other main acoustic is a D18 and I love having both of them around. The 00-17 is a great couch/songwriting guitar and it's loud and focussed enough to act as a great flatpicker too.

Here's a vid of me doing my ham-fisted attempt at some countryish picking. My mate is playing my D18 here:

Love the video @Trude. Take it you're a Tony Rice fan?

Trude · June 2020

danishbacon said:

Love the video @Trude. Take it you're a Tony Rice fan?

Thanks! Yeah, but to be honest I'm a bit too new to the whole genre to have found particular heroes yet. There are so many amazing flatpicking masters that it's hard to know where to start!

Gandalph · June 2020

Trude said:

Yes! I have one and love it to bits.

I was on the hunt for something to play Americana leads alongside a mate's J45. I've been a big admirer of the sound Dave Rawlings gets alongside Gillian Welch with his Epi archtop and had been looking for something punchy like that to complement a dread. Tried a 00-17s on a whim in a shop and was really taken aback by its volume and punch. I wasn't so keen on the price though, so went home and found one for about £500 less at Coda and ordered it right away.

My other main acoustic is a D18 and I love having both of them around. The 00-17 is a great couch/songwriting guitar and it's loud and focussed enough to act as a great flatpicker too.

Here's a vid of me doing my ham-fisted attempt at some countryish picking. My mate is playing my D18 here:

Thanks Trude that's just the sort of info I was looking for. Coda doesn't have it in stock anymore - not that many places do have it in stock I think the best price I've found is £1600. I need to try and find a place that stocks the 00-15 and 00-17s and play them both - hopefully in the next couple of weeks when the ships open again.

Great video - it holds it's own easily with the D!8.

Gandalph · June 2020

Andy79 said:

Don’t own one but played many. They are superb guitars. Light as a feather and loud, as Trude says. Thin finish so expect accelerated relic-ing but it’s not like a 15.
If you want a hog one why not find a used 00-15SM
I have a ‘40s 0-15 and, like all good broken in mahogany tops, it’s a belter

As far as I know they didn't do a 00-15SM only the 000-15SM which is a bit bigger than what I'm looking for. I think Martin missed a trick there as I'm sure a few would fancy a 12 fret slotted headstock 00-15.....

Andy79 · June 2020

Yeah my bad. It’s Sigma that do one. Obviously not a Martin though

TimmyO · June 2020

yep I have a 00-17SE (same thing just with a pickup) and I love it.

Trude · June 2020

Gandalph said:
Thanks Trude that's just the sort of info I was looking for. Coda doesn't have it in stock anymore - not that many places do have it in stock I think the best price I've found is £1600. I need to try and find a place that stocks the 00-15 and 00-17s and play them both - hopefully in the next couple of weeks when the ships open again.

Great video - it holds it's own easily with the D!8.

No worries. I think I must've got mine just at the right time - the one I passed on was £1599, but mine was £1150 I think. I've seen them come up used for around £1k so it might be worth keeping an eye on Reverb etc.

And yep, it punches above its weight for sure. Our singer has a pretty light touch and uses thin picks, so it's maybe not an even comparison in the vid, but when I first got it I went between it and the D18 a few times in an acoustic band rehearsal and everyone thought it was better for the style I was playing. I'm trying to learn some proper Bluegrass flatpicking stuff at the mo, and I suspect the D18 will come into its own once I've improved a bit. But for now, the 00-17s wins with its easy playability and punchy midrange. It's soo cute and comfortable too.

Chris_J · June 2020

I've got one too. Great guitar!

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Any Martin 00-17s owners....

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