This stunning 000-21 was built 1945 just missing their scalloped braces but has the as-cool Tapered Braces, one of a total of only 137 000-21’s shipped that year. It incorporates typical post-war Martin style 21 features including lovely Brazilian Rosewood on the back and sides, a superb straight-grained Adorondack spruce top, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge & a Tortoise-shell celluloid pickgard. The neck is mahogany w/a medium soft V shape. Its fingerboard inlays are mixed size dots. The tuners are super clean & original Kluson open back type w/war time metal plugs & nice original white buttons. What’s really cool is its never had tuner ferrules ever in its headstock & was typical during this period. It also has the rare factory Ebony truss rod. It does sport the tapered braces that came just post-scalloped braces so its tone is almost identical ! What makes this one so special is that on its original factory order paperwork as supplied by Martin Historian, Greig Hutton, shop order # 507 shows she was ordered w/the rarest of optional "Wood Bindings" front & back of its body instead of the normal black bindings. Its neck was stamped on August 24, 1945 & she had its final inspection on November 30th, 1945. This 000 has seen only slight play time & remains cleaner and more original than most any from this period. It is an excellent fingerpicker’s instrument but also has a lot of punch and clarity as a straight rhythm machine as well. Its got 1 pro-repaired back crack. She’s set up beautifully & sounds fabulous. Overall she’s the ultimate 000-21, its an exceptionally clean all original & comes in a period black tolex/red lined hard case.