1917 Martin 00-21

Finding a Martin 00-21 that's over a hundred years old that is in solid, wonderfully playable condition will bring joy to the heart of any guitar player, and especially to aficionados of early Martin guitars. We rescued this one from where it had been hidden and forgotten for decades, wanting attention to counteract the years, and brought it back all the way to be played and cherished for generations to come. The 00-21 was Martin’s original entry into its Grand Concert category in the 1870s and was made without interruption until the 1980s, quite a run. This particular 1917 00-21 is listed in Martin’s internal hand-written factory records as part of a "Batch of 3. 14” lower bout”. Why it says this is beyond me as the guitar measures 14-1/8” across, which is standard for 00-size Martins. Will the mysteries never cease.

Prior to 1934 all Martins had “bar” frets, which are tall and have their own very clean sound, which of course we have gone over thoroughly for light touch and feel. Prior unknown parties had done a beautiful job of lightly adding to the original top finish, which is still present. The back, sides, and neck appear to have been re-done either with varnish or French polish, and the beautiful overall look just jumps out at you and whispers ”Old Martin!”, gets your blood right up. A replica ”pyramid”-style bridge was made, again by parties unknown and nicely done. The original tuning machines were long gone and so we installed a new set of vintage-style Waverlys, look so right and not only are they the very best but are way more accurate than the originals. The action is easy and low with an .011 D’Addario string set, playability courtesy of our sixty years’ experience restoring pre-war Martins. The tones, which come from its combination of gorgeous straight-grain Brazilian rosewood and the proportions of the original 12-fret 00-size Martin design, are as warm and clear and balanced as one could ever hope for. A perfect Martin guitar for the ages. Comes with its original hard shell case. $7995 w/ohsc