Any Martin 00-17s owners....

Gandalph

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TimmyO

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

Trude

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

I've got one too. Great guitar!