1934 Martin 0-21 (14-Fret) Acoustic Guitar-Used

$25,000.00

Details

One of the cool things about the vintage guitar world is that just when think you’ve seen it all, something like this 14-fret 0-21 come along to shake you up. Martin started this guitar on 2/23/34 as a stand-alone order, and as far as we can tell, no others appear in the records. It was made in a period when Martin was transitioning from 12 fret (Standard) models to 14 fret (OM) models and introducing new models like the dreadnought and archtops like the F-7 and the F-9. We'll probably never know why Martin decided to only offer size 0 and 00 14-fret models in mahogany, but when you play this beauty, it’s hard not to feel a little sad about the all the great-sounding little rosewood guitars that never got built.

This 0-21 has come down to us in fine structural condition but the wear to the top around the soundhole and above the pickguard tells us this guitar saw lots of use. Except for the touch-up to the top. the finish appears to be original throughout, and the pickguard is also original. All interior bracing is original, including the bridge plate, and with light, 1/4" scalloped bracing this is a very loud 0-size guitar with lots of warm bass response and great tonal balance. It has rosewood binding, a stylistic touch that dates back the first Martin guitars from the 1830s. The neck has a chunky but comfortable rounded V-shape.

This guitar came to us with 1970s Klusons and we replaced those with new Waverly tuners, the original Grovers are long gone. The original bridge had been replaced at some point with and we replaced that one with an angled saddle that improved the intonation. Thankfully, the only cracks to the body are slight hairlines to the back at the waist on the bass side. There's also a repaired hairline to the lower portion of the neck heel, which probably happened when the neck was removed for the reset. Martin was transitioning to T frets in 1934, this example predates that change so it has bar stock frets. We're not sure what happened to the headstock that caused the cracks around the G string tuner, but only the rosewood veneer was affected.

It's not often we have the chance to offer a guitar that is a rare as this that also sounds so good.

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