Guitar

Date1894

Place MadeNazareth, Pennsylvania, United States, North America

ModelModel 2-1/2-17

SignedBranded on back graft and neck block: [lettering curved downward at each end] C.F.MARTIN & Co [sic] / ―∙― / NEW_YORK

Branded on back of head: C.F.MARTIN & Co [sic] / NEW-YORK

Written in pencil on inside of top, lower bass bout: : [illegible] / 1894DescriptionThis Martin model 2-1/2-17 was made just after to some major changes in the model. It features X-brace and Spanish-style heel rather than the fan bracing and "ice-cream-cone" Germany-style heel that the model was made with previously.

Stringing: six gut strings
Soundboard: two-piece spruce: narrow grain broadening to wide at the edges
Back: two-piece book matched Brazilian rosewood divided by maple strip
Ribs: two-piece Brazilian rosewood divided by ebony end graft strip (slightly wider toward top than bottom) surrounded by maple strips on each side
Head: Spanish cedar veneered with rosewood on face; slotted
Neck: Spanish cedar: Spanish heel; V-shaped profile
Heel cap: ebony; heel end set in from back
Binding: top binding rosewood with trim comprised of light hardwood strip, one thin brown hardwood strip, and one each very narrow light and dark hardwood strips; no trim on sides and no binding on back
Fingerboard: ebony; 18 nickel-silver bar frets; no fret markers
Nut: ivory
Bridge: ebony with pyramid sides; separate bone saddle; ebony bridge pins with mother-of-pearl eyes
Tuners: two later sets of brass worm gear tuners with decoratively rolled plates and ivoroid
Endpin: ebony with mother-of-pearl eye
Strap button: ebony with mother-of-pearl eye on back below neck heel
Rosette: light, red, and green hardwood angled strips surrounded on each side thin light and dark brown hardwood strips; one ring on each side comprised of dark hardwood strip with natural wood in between
Finish: amber
Linings: kerfed mahogany; four rosewood grafts glued to inside of ribs on each side, running perpendicular to plane of top and back
Neck block: Spanish cedar or mahogany; chamfered corners
End block: Spanish cedar or mahogany; chamfered corners; light hardwood graft glued at center, perpendicular to top and back
Top braces: spruce X-brace, the joint of main cross brace reinforced with gray canvas; angled, scalloped brace on lower treble bout below bridge plate; spruce finger braces on each side between lower portion of X and sides; maple bridge plate; two transverse braces, one each above and below sound hole; spruce graft above upper transverse brace; angled spruce grafts on each side of soundhole; four finger braces in lower bout outside outer fans, two on each side; all braces set into linings
Back braces: spruce back graft; five spruce back braces, the two braces in the lower bouts with rounded edges, and wider and lower in height than the two braces in the upper bouts; all braces let into liningDimensionsTotal guitar length: 927 mm (36-1/2″)
Back length: 450 mm (17-23/32″)
Upper bout width: 211 mm (8-5/16″)
Waist width: 176 mm (6-15/16″)
Lower bout width: 298 mm (11-23/32″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 79 mm (3-1/8″)
Rib height, at waist: 87 mm (3-7/16″)
Rib height, at end block: 97 mm (3-13/16″)
Head length: 161 mm (6-11/32″)
Head width, top: 71 mm (2-13/16″)
Head width, bottom: 54 mm (2-1/8″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 312 mm (12-9/32″)
Neck width, nut: 46 mm (1-13/16″)
Neck width, heel: 57 mm (2-1/4″)
Soundhole diameter: 88 mm (3-15/32″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 620 mm (24-13/32″)
Scale length: 620 mm (24-13/32″)ProvenanceNo known provenance.

Credit LineGift of Donna J. Curry, 2021

Object number15622

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