STRUNG OUT
Strings on Martin Guitars
"Built for Steel"
The Martin Style 2-17 Guitar
The first question one asks about a vintage Martin guitar is often "was it built for steel strings?"
Thanks to the extensive research in the Martin archives by John "Woody" Woodland, we now know that Martin began the process of shipping their guitars with steel strings as regular equipment with two Martin Style 2-17 guitars, #16879 and #16887, shipped to the John Wanamaker Department Store in Philadelphia on March 27, 1922.
This is #16879:
The Martin Style 2-17 sold for a price of $25 each retail, $12.50 wholesale, with canvas duck cases selling wholesale for $2.38 each.
The 0-17 and other Style 17 Martins followed soon after with steel strings as regular equipment.
Martin announced the style 18 as having steel strings as regular equipment on January 1, 1923.
By 1926, the Style 28 was shipped with steel strings as regular equipment, but this is not something that can be detected by measuring the bridge plate and top thickness or bracing. There are no such clearcut differences in build, because Martin did not "brace" their guitars for steel strings as such. It was more a matter of "regulating" for gut on request by then, by setting proper string height and such. Martin, in fact, thickened the bridge plate after they had already been shipping their guitars with steel strings for several years. Perhaps the clearest physical difference in guitars regulated for steel is the width of the grooves in the nut. Unfortunately, most dealers and repairers of Martin guitars don't yet have an understanding of such things.
The capability of any Martin guitar to handle steel strings, however, is highly dependent on the condition of the individual guitar in question.
Martins made before 1922 were not built for steel strings, but may be able to handle extra light gauge steel strings, and should be evaluated with extreme caution.
Most Martins built after 1934 should be able to handle medium gauge steel strings.
The exceptions to the above are the "C" and "G" model Martins, which were specifically built for nylon or gut strings, and the NY models built in the '60's, the earliest of which shipped with nylon strings, but all of which were built for light gauge steel.
Please note that the year the guitar was built is no guarantee that any individual guitar is in the optimum condition required to handle the recommended strings. Any Martin should be evaluated with care, and a top that lifts significantly in the bridge area is a sign that lighter strings should be used, or that the guitar is in need of attention by a qualified repair person.
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