1963 C. F. Martin 00-21NY Natural

SN 188241. Purchased from the original owner who, in the heart of the folk revival, saw Bob Dylan and Mississippi John Hurt at the Newport Folk Festival and was inspired to learn to play. She bought this guitar as soon as she returned home and set out to learn “Freight Train”. Aside from a little playwear and a few dings on the butt-end, it remains largely the same today as it was then. The 00-21NY was one of Martin’s first efforts at authentically recreating a guitar model from their storied past. In this case it was the distant past when they were located in NY in the first half of the 19th Century. The result is the successful coming together of a 19th Century design and folk-era building materials and techniques. First, the rosewood (pre-treaty Brazilian) back and sides are terrific – book matched with the saw blade marks on the outside sealed dark and finished matte. The Sitka top adds great warmth, is simply adorned and finished in matte. The rectangular bridge and plain fretboard are rosewood. Slotted headstock and twelve frets clear of the body. The nut width is just over 1 13/16th” and the string spacing at the bridge is 2 5/16th”. The frets are original with a light dressing. There is a T-bar reinforcement in the neck. Mark Tossman reset the neck and the angle is dead solid perfect; good for another 50 years. The bridge, bridge plate, bridge pins, end pin and tuners are all original. The softshell case is original and quite charming; mottled brown, leather handle, red plush interior (not the cheap felt) and “Coast Los Angeles” emblem. These were made in small numbers for only 4-5 years and are quite rare (not to be confused with the popularly priced 00-16NY). It’s a wonderful fingerpicker with a warm tone, not to be driven too hard, and a wonderful singer-songwriter guitar.