It's rare that you find a pre-civil war era Martin in as excellent condition as this 3-17 style guitar. Built in 1860, this historic piece is almost 170 years old and has as many stories to tell. With the original coffin case, New York stamp, and provenance by Gruhn guitars, this authentic timeless parlor guitar is more than just an art piece, it's a fully playable small-body with as much warmth and rich resonance as nearly two centuries of age can give.
Owned and used by Bryan Sutton with a signed letter that comes inside the vintage case, this guitar was also recorded by the super-band Alabama. Some unique features of its construction include a flat v shaped neck heel, bird's beak headstock joint, and bar frets common to vintage guitars. The guitar is in excellent condition for its age, fully playable all down the neck with a moderate setup, silk & steel strings, and decent intonation. There's a small etching near the bridge of some of the string name letters - no doubt done by a first time guitar player in the 19th or 20th century, further cementing the history of this guitar.
This guitar has beautifully aged Brazilian Rosewood back and sides with a spruce top.
