Martin 00-21 1928

From another of the many sources we’ve built up in over a half-century of bringing you the best in vintage guitars, this Martin 00-21 from 1928. 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 1928 00-21 is listed in Martin’s internal hand-written factory records as having been part of a "Batch of 25, #36392-36416". It was a popular enough model of the day for them to have started twenty-five of them at once, though very few have survived the last century, let alone nearly as well as this one has. “Bar” frets were the norm for Martin until 1934 and we have gone over these to ensure precise playability with a light touch. The original varnish finish is all there, with one almost imperceptible coat of lacquer added at some point (took me quite a while to verify this), though I don’t know when or by whom. This is the “pre-war Martin” you always dreamed about, steals your heart right off. The ebony bridge with its genuine ivory saddle is original, as is the genuine ivory nut; the tuning machines are original to the guitar as well. I will say, the overall look of this early-19th-century Martin fairly takes one's breath away, and then you play it and you won’t want to put it down, not for a minute. We have it strung with an .011-.049 set; an 010 set will be fine as well but no heavier than either of those, as Martins of the day were more lightly built than those of today. Its 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. This is the kind of guitar that just cannot be duplicated today; a century of aging cannot be created, nor of course can a pre-war Martin. $8995 w/hsc