Current Martin 17 series guitars

[Goat Mick]

It looks like Martin was aiming their guns directly at Waterloo when they introduced the current line of 17 series guitars. And I absolutely love my 000-17e (it's sitting beside me at my desk right now and has already jumped in my lap for a song or two a couple of times today), but I've always wondered if they were styled after some of the same budget guitars that Waterloo based their lines on? I've never seen anything on Martin's site or in any reviews. Any clue?

[hotroad]

I just sold a Martin 000-17SM. It is a great guitar with more tone than it deserves. Plays easily, twelve fret, slotted headstock, beautiful finish, gloss face/satin body. Awesome.

[dbuck]

I also have a Martin 000-17sm. I’ve thought of selling it since I’m gravitating towards a little wider fret board, but I just can’t bring myself to part with it. It’s an awesome soundings guitar.

[chrisserger]

I also love my 000-17SM. I bought it because I wanted a small hog (at least B&S) and couldn’t afford the Collings I’d played At Chicago Music Exchange—and I love it! Put a K&K in it and it’s my go to couch and winery gig axe.

[pagedr]

The 000-17SM's aren't in production anymore and aren't really similar at all to the current 17 series lineup. Mick my guess is that they were built sort of in the style of a Waterloo or old Kalamazoo guitars, but then with their own Martin twist on them. They definitely have that vibe but are definitely their own thing at the same time.

[canyongargon]

The current Martin 17s definitely are built to go after that Gibson depression-era vibe for sure. Not sure if they were intended to fill the same market space as the Waterloos and Beards, or if they were independently inspired by the same era of guitar making. Either way they’re both cut from the same cloth so to speak, differences in construction notwithstanding.

[Jack Orion]

I went to a Martin training event where Fred Greene told a story of visiting the Collings factory as they were helping Martin out with something (maybe some sort of UV cured finish issue?) and he said that he saw the Waterloo guitars and thought they were cool but he didn't understand why Bill Collings would allow guitars with glue spill out of his shop, so he decided that Martin would make something similar but make it perfect.

I own a Martin and Collings so I'm not biased either way, but I thought it was quite funny at the time cos I felt it just showed that Fred didn't quite get the Waterloo concept in terms of 'vibe'...

[Coler]

I always understood Martin to associate the new 17s with their own previous models of that line. Regardless, whoever made my dreadnought knew a thing or ten about what they were doing.

The 000s seem to get universal praise but I've never played one. I'm very happy with my D17M.

[Conomor]

I owned a 00-17S until a couple of days ago. I don't know if it was based on any particular vintage model, but it did have one thing in common with a lot of depression-era guitars: it needed a neck reset. It was a very pretty little thing, though. I really wanted to like it.

[Goat Mick]

Originally Posted by canyongargon

The current Martin 17s definitely are built to go after that Gibson depression-era vibe for sure. Not sure if they were intended to fill the same market space as the Waterloos and Beards, or if they were independently inspired by the same era of guitar making. Either way they’re both cut from the same cloth so to speak, differences in construction notwithstanding.

They definitely have a strong Gibson vibe going on. When I bought mine I was talking to the tech at the store who has been a friend for close to 40 years and a heck of guitar player. I had him play it for me so I could listen to it from the front and I asked him what he thought. Like me he thought it sounded like an old Gibson. The only complaint I've had with the guitar is with the stock Fishman pickup, I tried to like it for over a year but it's just nasally and harsh. I ordered a Baggs Anthem for it last night. I think that will be a much better pickup. I do love the guitar and pick it up every time I walk by it. For some reason it always wants me to play old Guy Clark songs on it late at night.