{"product_id":"1957-martin-d-21-4826","title":"1957 Martin D-21","description":"The Martin D-21 was released in late 1955 and offered guitar buyers a less expensive rosewood Dreadnought option than the D-28. With its Brazilian rosewood back and sides and spruce top, the D-21 sound shares much of its tonal palette with the D-28; but from the front it looks nearly identical to a D-18. In fact, except for the guitar's checkerboard back strip and rosewood back and sides, the D-21 is spec’d just like the D-18 models built at the same time. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \r\n\r\nWhile the D-21 has a tone that's mostly similar to its D-28 sibling, it's not exactly a D-28 dressed in style 18 threads, thanks to the rosewood fingerboard and bridge that the Style 21 is equipped with. The use of rosewood for the bridge on a D-21 imparts a slight increase in warmth and softness to this model as compared to a D-28. It's subtle, sure, but it's there, and it makes the D-21 a rosewood guitar that many mahogany-guitar players quite enjoy. Many mahogany vintage guitars feature rosewood bridges (whether it be a Martin or a Gibson), and part of their charm is the sound of that lightweight rosewood bridge. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \r\n\r\nThis 1957 D-21 is a very fine sounding example and is in excellent shape. There is not a crack on it, the neck has never been reset or refretted, and the nut, saddle, tuners, and pins are original. The bridge is full height and the guitar is set up with low action and plays beautifully with 13-56 strings. There is 3\/32 to 1\/8” of saddle showing above the bridge. It’s impossibly rare to encounter a Martin from the 1950s that has a full height saddle and low action that’s not had a reset. Apart from a clean bridge reglue and cleanly reglue back brace ends, the guitar has never been worked on. Crazy stuff. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\nPlaywear is minimal, with shallow divots in the fretwire of the first position and a little bit of pickwear in the top, southeast of the pickguard. There is minor finish wear on the back of the neck in the area of the second and third frets, and a dime-sized spot of case-wear on the treble side of the upper bout. The nut hasn’t ever been out, the tuners are perfect, the original bridge pins are barely worn. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\nA particularly good sounding 50s Dreadnought, this D-21 has much more warmth, overtone, and color than the average D-28 or D-18. In measuring the top thickness, we’ve found this guitar to spec out at the thin end of the range, which explains a lot. It’s a wonderful strummer, and responds to a medium right hand attack with a fully developed voice. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\nStraight-braced Sitka spruce top with quartersawn Brazilian rosewood back and sides. Tortoise celluloid binding and pickguard, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, style 18 rosette and style 28 back strip. 1-11\/16” nut, 25.4” scale, 2-1\/8” string spread at the bridge. The C-shaped neck has a thickness of .875” the 1st fret. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\nWith modern Martin hardshell case\r\n","brand":"C.F. MARTIN \u0026 CO.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53614178042222,"sku":"210000005750","price":13995.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0979\/3660\/5550\/files\/1687460750523057MartinD21-0623-2Main.jpg?v=1790970913","url":"https:\/\/folkwaymusic.com\/products\/1957-martin-d-21-4826","provider":"Folkway Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}