One Owner 1956 Martin 000-21

I bought this well-played Martin directly from the original owner's daughter after it had spent decades with the same family.

The original owner's daughter holding the family's 1956 Martin 000-21 — The original owner's daughter with the 1956 Martin 000-21 at the time it changed hands.

I bought this 1956 Martin 000-21 directly from the original owner's daughter. The guitar had stayed with the same family since it was new, and she let me photograph her holding it before the handoff.

Maker: C. F. Martin & Co.
Model: 000-21
Year: 1956
Serial Number: 152698
Provenance: Original owner's family
Case: Photographed with a brown hardshell case

From the Original Owner's Daughter

The chain of ownership is unusually clear. The guitar did not pass through a string of shops, auctions, or collectors before it reached me. It came from the original owner's daughter.

I photographed her with the 000-21 before the handoff. That picture belongs with the guitar because it records the family connection in a way that a serial number cannot.

Full front view of the 1956 Martin 000-21 in its burgundy-lined hardshell case — The 1956 000-21 as it arrived, resting in its brown hardshell case.

The Marks of a Guitar That Was Played

The spruce top has scratches, small dings, and broad areas where the color has softened. The headstock face shows finish wear around the tuners and beneath the Martin logo. The marks are consistent across the guitar and show decades of use.

Close front view of the aged spruce top, bridge, pickguard, and soundhole of the 1956 Martin 000-21 — The top shows the small marks and softened color of long use.

The headstock face wears its age openly.

This is a classic Style 21 Martin: a 000 Auditorium body, spruce top, rosewood back and sides, dot fingerboard markers, and restrained trim. My guide to vintage Martin 0, 00, and 000 models explains how Style 21 fits into the small-body Martin line.

Full back view of the 1956 Martin 000-21 showing its figured dark rosewood and decorative center seam — The rosewood back and narrow center strip are characteristic Style 21 details.

The Model and Serial Number

Martin stamped the model and serial number on the neck block inside the guitar. This one is marked 000-21 and 152698. The serial number dates it to 1956. My Martin serial number guide shows where to find these stamps and how to read them.

The neck block inside the 1956 Martin showing model 000-21 and serial number 152698 — The neck-block stamp: 000-21, serial number 152698.

One Family From New

Provenance does not replace a condition report, but it answers a question buyers always ask: where did the guitar come from? Here, the answer is simple. It stayed with the original owner and family until the owner's daughter sold it to me.

I bought it from the original owner's daughter.

The model and serial number identify the Martin. The photograph documents the family connection. Together, they preserve the part of the guitar's history that is usually lost.

Close view of the bridge, tortoise-pattern pickguard, and play marks on the 1956 Martin 000-21 — Bridge, pickguard, and play wear across the top.

Exterior of the brown hardshell case photographed with the 1956 Martin 000-21 — The brown hardshell case photographed with the guitar.

I document original-owner guitars because the person matters as much as the serial number. You can find more instruments with direct family histories in the JVG Museum and Original Owners archive.

Explore Joe's Vintage Guitars

More for Martin Owners

01Compare Martin 0, 00, and 000 ModelsRead about the body sizes, styles, construction changes, and authentication points.02Look Up a Martin Serial NumberFind the production year and locate the neck-block stamps.03Understand Vintage Martin ValueSee how condition, originality, repairs, and provenance affect an appraisal.04Read More Original Owner StoriesMeet more musicians, families, and instruments from the JVG archive.

Have a Vintage Martin With a Story?

If your family has a vintage Martin, send me a few clear photographs and whatever history you know. I will help identify it and give you a straightforward assessment. You can also read how I determine the value of an old Martin acoustic guitar.

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