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Martin 1896 Vintage 1-21 Parlor Acoustic - Used From Martin

19th-century Brazilian rosewood Martin parlor

Our product photos are the actual, specific serial number for sale!

This specific item was photographed by us here in Durham, North Carolina. We are a very small team dedicated to providing you the most accurate photos possible, through our obsessive focus - individually photographing nearly everything that comes through the door. Questions about what you see? Want more information, photos, or just a friendly conversation with someone that cares and who has actually had their hands on this exact item? Contact us now!

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What We Think

Condition: Used, Good

Luthiers Notes:

This guitar has been refinished, and the fingerboard has been replaced. The bridge appears to be the original and is uncompensated. Tuners were replaced, slightly newer but still vintage. Comes with a modern hardshell case.

Guitar received some repairs in our shop and had a few before coming to us, they are as follows:

Bridge plate has been replaced with a larger rosewood model

Fingerboard and frets replaced

two cracks in the top were repaired and cleaned and two minuscule cracks in the back have been repaired and cleaned as well.

What We Think: This guitar is a serious vintage model from 1896 but not everything is original at this point which is crazy considering this guitar was built 122 years ago! This Martin Parlor is still ready to be played today and there's not a modern method of aging wood that even holds a candle to the character and age that is engrained in the tone of this instrument. Warm, open, soft, and soothing would be the words that I'd use to describe playing and this guitar weighs so little that you will forget it is there. If you want an authentic pre-1900s Martin then call us quickly because this isn't something we expect to see frequently!

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Manufacturer's Description from Martin

C.F Martin & Co. (www.martinguitar.com) has been creating the finest instruments in the world for over 175 years. It continues to innovate, introducing techniques and features that have become industry standards including X-bracing, the 14-fret guitar and the "Dreadnought" size. One of the world's leading acoustic instrument makers, Martin guitars are hand-made by skilled craftsmen and women, who use a combination of new design and techniques along with those introduced by the company founder.

The company is also known for producing high-quality, popular acoustic guitar strings. These include the Martin SP® LIFESPAN™ line - the fastest-growing treated string in the industry, and the Martin SP line - which uses an industry leading core wire to hold tunings better.

Martin guitars and Martin Strings are the instruments and strings of choice for musicians around the world, from the icons of rock, country, folk and bluegrass to those just beginning their careers. They can be seen across all segments of pop culture, from television (Glee, Psych, Raising Hope and American Idol) to the movies; on Broadway and in books, online, and gracing the covers of popular magazines on newsstands everywhere.

About Manufacturer

For well over a century and a half, The Martin Guitar Company has been continuously producing acoustic instruments that are acknowledged to be the finest in the world. The Martin Guitar Company has, through the years, managed to survive with each succeeding generation from C. F. Martin, Sr.?s Stauffer influenced creations of the 1830s to recent developments introduced by C. F. Martin IV. Continuous operation under family management is a feat bordering on the remarkable, reflecting six generations of dedication to the guitarmaker?s craft. In or out of the music industry, C. F. Martin has few rivals for sheer staying power. Throughout its colorful history, the company has adapted successfully to continual changes in product design, distribution systems, and manufacturing methods. In spite of the many changes, C. F. Martin has never veered away from its initial commitment to quality. The concern for producing the finest instruments possible in 1833 is especially evident today at Martin?s expanded facility in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The story behind one of America?s most famous guitars began on January 31, 1796, in Markneukirchen, Germany, with the birth of Christian Frederick Martin, Sr. Born into a long line of cabinet makers, Christian Frederick took up the family craft at the early age of 15, when he left his hometown and traveled to Vienna to apprentice with Johann Stauffer, a renowned guitar maker.