With two guitar perfectionists like Steve Earle and Matt Umanov in charge, The M-21 Steve Earle Custom Edition guitar naturally receives superb solid tonewoods. The top is Italian alpine spruce, revered for its clear, rich tone, and the forward-shifted scalloped top bracing enhances balance and responsiveness. The back and sides are East Indian rosewood for warmth and power. The low profile neck is carved from genuine mahogany. The acoustic guitar's headplate, fingerboard, and bridge are all East Indian rosewood.Like Martin Style 21s of the past, the M-21 Steve Earle Custom Edition blends Style 18 and Style 28 appointments, plus a few unique to Style 21. The rosette and checkerboard backstrip blend beautifully with the subtle top and back purfling and tortoise-color binding. The polished headplate frames the Old Style gold C.F. Martin logo decal and Waverly nickel tuners with butterbean buttons give the headstock a decidedly "old school" look. The fingerboard features Style 28 position markers becoming progressively smaller from the 5th to the 17th frets, and the bridge pins and endpin also are Style 21.The polished and beveled Delmar nitrate pickguard and aging toner on the top complete the instrument's vintage style. The body showcases Martin's flawless polished gloss lacquer finish and the neck receives a satin finish for player comfort.Delivered in a blue molded hardshell case, each Martin M-21 Steve Earle guitar features an interior label personally signed by Steve Earle and Matt Umanov, numbered in sequence without a total.