Martin Custom Shop CS-21-11 (2011)
Made for only one year, the spectacular Martin CS-21-11 is among the best modern dreadnaughts Martin has ever constructed. And given the materials used, Martin will not be making more like this. It is the finest acoustic guitar I have ever owned, which is why I did not play it. It is practically flawless. This is not a typical Custom Shop dreadnaught. It’s much more. It’s closest to the Authentic Series instruments, but more custom.
CS-21-11 specs include: hide glue construction; all solid tonewoods throughout including Madagascar rosewood back and sides, Madagascar rosewood fingerboard and bridge, Adirondack spruce top; with flamed koa binding; 1-3/4” Spanish cedar neck hand carved with modern shallow profile and vintage T-bar neck reinforcement; Authentic Series bracing circa 1940 style, including scalloped braces, tone bars and small maple bridge plate tucked under an X-brace set in the rear-shifted position; and unique cosmetic appointments based on vintage Style 21; silver C.F. Martin headstock logo; Waverly open back tuners with snakewood buttons.
There is an excellent review at OneManz.com. Here are some excerpts from the review detailing some of the unique features of the CS-21-11:
- The primary goal of Fred Greene, Vice President/General Manager of Guitars at Martin, when he designed the CS-21-11, was to make the lightest, most responsive dreadnought possible. To that end, he had them weigh their entire stash of Madagascar rosewood, piece by piece, and then selected only the lightest 10% for this model. (see spec sheet)
- “That ultra-light build contributes mightily to the guitars breathtaking resonance, response, and purity of tone. It astonishes with how much resonant, living tone swells out of it with the lightest touch, and how that glow increases as chords and picking patterns sustain over time. And the response to nuanced playing and the ultimate payoff in tone only increase as the top brakes in and the guitar grows up.”
- The CS-21-11 is the ONLY Martin outside of the Authentic Series to get Authentic Series bracing. And it is one of a very small number of Martin models that have the rear-shifted bracing used at Martin from 1939 to 1944, which has the X-brace farther from the sound hole than the modern position. The D-28 Authentic 1941 and D-18 Authentic 1939 are the only other Martins made today that has both Authentic Series bracing with a rear-shifted X-brace.
- For players who cannot handle those big V necks on vintage Martins, the CS-21-11 offered a unique opportunity to have that ultralight, ultra-responsive vintage Martin vibe with a sleek, modern neck.
- “The neck shape is unique to this instrument. These are not machined necks; they are all hand-shaped. I asked the custom shop team member who shapes all of the custom necks (including the Authentics) to create a shape that felt modern but not too thin. We wanted a shape that was not a distraction for the player. Some people complain about the thickness of the Authentic necks (which I love!) while others dislike thinner necks. I think he did a great job of shaping a neck that is comfortable for most everyone. I took a prototype to IBMA in Nashville in October and had a lot of big time players check it out, and it got great reviews.”
- The CS-21-11 is the first and only Martin guitar to feature a fingerboard and bridge of Madagascar rosewood, just like its back and sides. In fact, that is one reason the edition sold out so soon. The first 91 sold basically instantly and Martin only purchased enough bridges and fingerboards of this rare tonewood to make 178 guitars in total. They had no expectation that the model would be gobbled up by eager guitarists less than six weeks after its debut.
This particular example looks nearly un-played. The top is a beautiful piece of Adirondack with a top rated at a 5-6. The Madagascar rosewood is also a premium example with beautiful grain. At 4.2 lbs., this guitar weighs nearly a pound less than my HD28. The action is low and the guitar sounds loud and full with light gauge strings.
I have played this guitar less than an hour total. It’s never left my house and has always been stored in my humidity-controlled studio. The only thing I have done to it is put on new, strings. I have only played finger style on this guitar for the little time I have played it. The guitar is far too nice for me to use as a bedroom instrument, so it doesn't get played. I don't want to scratch it. I play smaller bodied guitars almost exclusively now anyway, so I've decided to let it go to someone who may use it.