Martin 00-21 (1962)

Description

We always leap at the chance to have a vintage Martin guitar in our store, but this 1962 00-21 is truly something special. The small body, 12-fret scale length and 1-13/16" nut width make it an ideal fingerpicking machine, and the extremely sought-after nature of Brazilian rosewood give the guitar a distinctive look and truly classic sound straight out of the 60s folk revival. It's hard to overstate the classic beauty and caliber of craftsmanship on display in this instrument. Furthermore, the 00-21 is significantly harder to find than its counterpart, the 00-21NY, which was at the time one of Martin's most popular models. The 00-21NY sported slightly thinner bracing, a wider nut width (1-7/8"), and simpler cosmetics (no pickguard and no fingerboard inlays) that overall make the 00-21 more desirable to the modern player - but the rarity of the 00-21 also makes it a more unique piece to the collector.

The guitar is in excellent condition, with light finish checking and scuffing, but more akin to what might be seen on an instrument fifteen or twenty years its junior, and very little in the way of pick scratches apart from a small amount of very shallow divots just above the pickguard. The most significant mark is an irregular, superficial scratch (3/4" x 1/2") on the lower bout of the treble side.  Fret wear is very light on the first two frets, and nonexistent on the rest of the frets. There is a very nicely repaired pickguard crack that looks to be several decades old, and is the only significant repair the guitar appears to have undergone. There is a light colored line at the neck joint but we think this is due to shrinkage of the wood and finish and not a result of a neck set. The action is great, with plenty of saddle left for future adjustments. But beyond the excellent condition (and the undeniable cool factor), this instrument is highly responsive, tonally rich, and unbelievably playable. Included in the price is the original hard shell case.