1890 C.F. Martin 1-21 Parlor Guitar – Brazilian Rosewood – Includes Hard Case
There are guitars, and then there are artifacts of American history. This Martin 1-21 dates to 1890 — confirmed by an inspection stamp on the inside of the soundboard — and was built at the C.F. Martin & Sons workshop in Nazareth, Pennsylvania during one of the most important periods in the history of the acoustic guitar. The Style 21 has roots going back to the 1850s and by 1890 was a mature and well-defined design: the herringbone inset rosette and multi-stripe top purfling that define the style are all present, along with wood bindings throughout, a two-piece Brazilian rosewood back with center marquetry strip, and the spruce top with Martin's scalloped X-bracing that would define acoustic guitar construction for the next century and beyond. The cedar neck and ebony fingerboard, pyramid bridge, and 12-fret neck join are all correct for the period. The solid peghead on this example is a less common but documented and verified variant for the Style 21 of this era, originally fitted with friction pegs. At approximately 12.5 inches across the lower bout, the size 1 body was considered a full-sized adult parlor guitar in 1890 — smaller than what we think of as standard today, but designed for gut strings and the parlor setting where its lyrical, intimate voice would have been entirely at home.
The Brazilian rosewood back and sides are exceptional for the age — the condition and figure of the wood are genuinely outstanding, with some previously cleated and repaired back cracks that are stable. The neck is straight and in great shape. The action is comfortable and the guitar plays and sounds sweet as it stands — that vintage Brazilian rosewood and aged spruce combination produces a glassy, intimate voice that is simply not reproducible in any modern instrument. However we want to be fully transparent: this guitar is best suited to a buyer who intends to restore it. The bridge and bridge plate would benefit from reinforcement or replacement, the top has a few tight cracks that should be cleated, and some flattening of the top would ideally be done in conjunction with the bridge work. These are all standard and well-understood repairs for an instrument of this age and are well within the scope of a skilled luthier. The guitar has some qualities — particularly the neck, the back and sides, and the overall structural soundness — that are considerably better than many examples from this era that we have seen. It is a strong and genuine candidate for a full restoration that would result in a truly exceptional vintage instrument. We will pad the guitar carefully in the modern hard case for shipping.
A note for international buyers: this instrument contains Brazilian rosewood. Please contact us before purchasing to discuss CITES documentation and shipping logistics.
- Make: C.F. Martin & Sons
- Model: 1-21
- Year: 1890 (confirmed by inspection stamp on soundboard interior)
- Country of origin: USA (Nazareth, PA)
- Body size: 1 (approximately 12.5" lower bout)
- Top: Solid spruce, scalloped X-bracing
- Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood, two-piece back with center marquetry strip
- Neck: Cedar, 12-fret join, solid peghead
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Bridge: Ebony pyramid
- Rosette: Herringbone inset
- Top purfling: Black multi-stripe
- Bindings: Wood throughout
- Headstock: Solid, originally with friction pegs (less common but verified period variant)
- Condition of neck: Straight, great shape, no reset needed
- Condition of back and sides: Outstanding for age, some previously cleated and repaired back cracks, stable
- Condition of top: Some tight cracks, some top distortion — bridge plate reinforcement or replacement and top flattening recommended
- Bridge: Functional but reinforcement or replacement recommended for longevity
- Recommended work: Bridge and bridge plate repair/replacement, top crack cleating, top flattening
- Overall assessment: Strong restoration candidate with many qualities better than typical examples of this era
- Condition: As-Is — plays and sounds sweet as standing, recommended for buyer intending restoration
- Includes: Modern hard case (guitar will be padded carefully for shipping)
Ships carefully packed and insured for full value. International buyers are welcome — please contact us for a shipping quote before purchasing. This guitar contains Brazilian rosewood — please contact us before purchasing to discuss CITES documentation and shipping logistics.
About Mill River Music
Mill River Music is an independent, human-powered music shop located in downtown Northampton, MA, run by a team of players, enthusiasts, and certified repair technicians. Every piece of used gear we sell is personally inspected, tested, and set up before it ships — we don't list it until we'd be happy to play it ourselves.
As Martin and Taylor certified techs, we hold our guitar work to a high standard, and we're committed to full transparency about the condition of everything we sell. No surprises.
When you buy from Mill River, you're supporting an independent local business that genuinely cares — about gear, about players, and about doing things right. We're here every step of the way. Reach out anytime.
