Price reduced! Was $7999.
This Martin 2 1/2-17 New York Parlor guitar comes to us on consignment from a larger estate collection. Though it doesn't have a serial number, our best estimation is ca. 1890s. It has a solid spruce top, Brazilian rosewood back & sides, ebony fretboard, 12-fret mahogany neck, slotted peghead, ebony pyramid bridge (likely not original, but period-appropriate), and scalloped bracing.
The guitar has had previous extensive, high-quality repairs. The body and neck have been refinished with what appears to be a lacquer rather than varnish. Varnish would have been more original, but they did a nice job with the lacquer. Visible cracks have been glued and seem stable. The tuners are also non-original (though older), and have been specifically fitted for this guitar. Pole spacing is 1 5/16" (see info below on recent tuner repairs). We had the guitar examined by two experienced luthiers, one a Martin-authorized warranty repairman. Both agreed that the previous repairs were well-done and the instrument is structurally sound.
The main issue when this came to us was that 4 of the tuner buttons had deteriorated. After careful consideration of options, we decided to have our senior luthier restore the current tuning machines, installing 4 new knobs which match the others quite well. Tuners have also been re-mounted as worm-over. Minor setup adjustments were also done, including restring with Silk & Steel strings. This guitar could also accommodate extra-light steel strings, but we would recommend not going heavier than that.
As you can hear in the demo video, the guitar is now playing wonderfully. Though it may not be the cleanest original example of this model, it's a fine instrument that will be a wonderful addition to any collection.
Additional specifications:
Nut width: 1 3/4"
Scale length: 24 5/8"
Upper bout: 8 1/2"
Lower bout: 11 3/4"
Total length: 38"
A brand-new Access Stage 3 Parlor hard case is included.
Fully insured shipping by UPS Ground within the continental US is $200. No international shipping, due to Brazilian rosewood restrictions.
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