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C. F. Martin 00-21 Dark Top Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1930), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 44066, natural lacquer finish, spruce top, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard, period black hard shell case. This is an extremely rare and beautiful 00-sized Brazilian rosewood Martin, a "dark top" 00-21 from late 1930. This guitar was built for steel strings and has the most "modern" features of the time, notably the tortoise celluloid pickguard and larger belly bridge, both new fittings in 1930. It also sports a VERY rare finish, the early subtle "dark top" shading that is a transitional look between the overall dark-stained pseudo-Hawaiian tops of the 1920s and the more demarcated sunburst lacquer "shade tops" of the 1930s. Thanks to the diligent archive work of researcher Greig Hutton, the exact shipping quantities and dates of many golden age Martins can be pinned down exactly. This guitar was one of a batch of three "Stained Top" 00-21s ordered by the Rudolph Wurlitzer store in New York on September 23, 1930. Martin stamped the serial number on September 23 and finished them up very fast, as they cleared final inspection on October 7. This was a custom order batch; it would be interesting to know why Wurlitzer chose this model in this finish, but Martin's records cannot reveal that! The 00-21 listed at $60 (plus case) in October 1930; a "dark top" option (and any potential upcharge) are not noted in the catalog. In general the 12-fret, steel string Martins of the late 1920s and very early 1930s are some of our favorite guitars. For a few years right at this time -- just before Martin altered nearly all their designs to the 14-fret neck "Orchestra Model" pattern -- the company crafted a relatively small number of traditional long-body scallop-braced flat-tops intended for steel strings instead of the gut used previously. The new belly bridge allowed more gluing area to help resist the increased tension but the scalloped bracing is still extremely graceful and delicate compared to what was to come. The Style 21 -- the lowest price rosewood model -- was cataloged as a gut strung guitar until 1927; Martin's October 1930 catalog designated Style 21 as for steel strings only. Apart from this the construction remained pretty much as it had since the 19th century, with a slotted headstock over the wide ebony fingerboard on the neck joining the body at the 12th fret. These guitars were the final evolution of the original 1800s Martin patterns before the 14-fret design became standard just a few years later. This guitar's Brazilian rosewood back and sides are nicely bookmatched, with an especially dark look and some tight, straight graining for a Style 21. The subtly shaded spruce top features a herringbone soundhole inlay and rosewood binding. The mahogany soft-V profile neck has an ebony fingerboard with a wide nut and small notched diamond pearl inlay. The original nickel Waverly strip tuners have grained ivoroid buttons. The Martin decal had yet to appear on the headstock face. The 00-21 in general is a relatively rare model with just 85 total shipped in 1930, 10 of which were noted as "dark top". 10 more of these shipped in 1931 and 10 again in 1932 with a final single straggler in 1934. The "old fashioned" Style 21 guitars continued to ship with the traditional 12-fret body but no more "dark top" examples are recorded after 1934, so a total of 31 shaded 00-21s were built, many of which will have a more dramatic sunburst effect than the subtle shading on this one. Beyond its rare cosmetics this is a truly superb steel-string 12 fret Martin, a real treat to play either fingerstyle or "plectrum" as it would have been termed in 1930. In any application it is a featherweight tone machine, a delightful instrument with a powerful voice belying its (by modern standards) small size. Vintage Martins with the rare "shaded" look have gained tremendous popularity among afficionados over the last couple of decades; this is a truly fine example of this early variation of the look. Overall length is 38 1/4 in. (97.2 cm.), 14 1/8 in. (35.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/8 in. (48 mm.). This lovely Martin rarity remains in excellent playing condition, showing some wear and typical maintenance repair but still a fine playing and fabulous sounding guitar. The original lacquer finish largely survives unaltered, showing some light touched-up areas on the lower bout of both the front and back on the treble side, over some small repaired impact cracks. A small scrape on the top off the upper waist has some minimal touchup as well. Apart from this the beautiful shaded top has no finish alteration and less wear than many. There are dings, dents and scrapes on the guitar overall but none of the heavy pick wear to the top often seen, just some very minor loss to the lower rim of the soundhole. There is one small but deeper case bite into top on the bass side of the lower bout. The sides show a few larger scrapes; the back of the neck is worn to the wood in the lower positions but is delightfully free of the common capo wear. The original early-style ebony belly bridge is intact, appearing neatly reglued at some point and possible slightly lowered on treble side, although these first belly bridges were somewhat asymmetrical in height. The bone saddle is older, possibly still the original. The original very early (somewhat thicker) tortoise celluloid pickguard remains intact. Internally all the beautiful scalloped braces and very small original maple bridgeplate appear untouched and intact. The neck has been neatly reset, the fingerboard appears to have been lightly trued (some shallow divots remain in the first position) and very cleanly refretted with correct style bar fretwire. An ebony shim was installed under the fingerboard extension during the reset, and a new bone nut fitted. The original tuners are still intact and functional. All work on this guitar was done to a very high level and it is a superb player, an truly historic instrument and just a magical sounding guitar. It resides in an extremely nice purple-lined period HSC that appears original to the guitar. Overall Excellent - Condition.

The Martin 00-21, first introduced in 1898, is a classic acoustic guitar that boasts a Grand Concert body shape. Renowned for its warm and balanced tone, this guitar features a spruce top, rosewood body, and an ebony fretboard. The 00-21 is a testament to Martin's dedication to craftsmanship and quality.