We bring you the story of one of the most famous guitar manufacturers. The Martin Company, the producer of the world-famous Martin guitars, is based in the town of Nazareth in Pennsylvania, which is also home to the well-known Andretti family. The town of Nazareth in Pennsylvania is home to the world-famous motoring family of Mario Andretti. They are almost door-to-door, with the Martin Company.
Martin guitars attract hundreds and thousands of artists from the most diverse musical genres, from classical music to country, from folk to jazz and blues.
Some of the most distinguished guitarists and musicians who own a Martin guitar include Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Jerry Garcia, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, Jimi Hendrix, who composed many of his compositions on acoustic guitar, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Curt Cobain, Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Jimmy Page, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, etc.
“Tone color, that’s what Martin guitar is famous for,” says Chris Thomas, Martin’s representative for artists and public relations. “If the Martin guitar should be summed up in a word or two, then it’s tone color. The range of sound and that full, rich tone color, rosewood, and mahogany.”
No guitar sounds like a Martin, no guitar looks like a Martin, and no other guitar is as easy to play. “There are a lot of guitars on the market that try to copy Martin’s guitar. But no one is like Martin. Martin has been making his guitars for more than a century and a half.”
“We have nearly perfected the manufacturing process by exclusively utilizing the finest quality woods available. Crafting a Martin guitar is a meticulous and time-consuming process that entails an unwavering focus on sound quality. In addition, we give paramount importance to ensuring the player’s comfort and ease of use when playing our guitars.”v
“At the end of the manufacturing process, a team works on tuning the guitar to ensure perfect intonation. They adjust the neck and raise or lower the strings for optimal comfort while playing.”
“So, that the sound of the guitar reaches a better, clearer, and louder expression. Well, in short, that would be what differentiates the Martin guitar from other guitars,” he added. Some things, of course, remain the secret of the manufacturer. But, that would be, in short, what his worldwide reputation is based on.
The story of Martin guitars begins in Germany, with the birth of Christian Frederick Martin in 1796. Martin joined the family business of guitar-making at the age of 15 and went to Vienna for an apprenticeship with the famous Johann Stauffer.
Despite his exceptional talent, Martin left Germany and arrived in the United States in 1833 due to the restrictive guild system. Since 1839, Martin guitars have been produced in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and have become one of the most famous American guitars.
Upon arriving in New York, he immediately opened his guitar workshop. He was modest and often traded goods, a guitar for children’s clothes or a guitar for a case of wine. Longing for nature and a quieter, safer lifestyle than the Lower East Side of New York offered at the time, the Martin family moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where Martin would live happily for the rest of his life.
The modest workshop, which he opened in Nazareth, soon became a factory, because the demand for his guitars was increasing. Martin, in Nazareth, has been in family hands since the death of Christian Frederick Martin in 1867. Now, the company is in the hands of the sixth generation, which means that the Martin Guitar Company is the oldest family business in the USA.
At the end of the 19th century, the company started producing mandolins, which were in high demand at the time. In the twenties of the 20th century, with the production of ukulele guitars, small, of Portuguese origin, popularized in Hawaii.
During the 1930s economic crisis, Martin altered the designs of their existing products to cope with the difficulties. These changes resulted in some products having more success than others. It was during this time that the Martin Dreadnought, named after a British military ship, was created and became the company’s most famous acoustic guitar.
With the popularity of folk music, first, and then country music, its sales also grow. That model still dominates the production of Martin guitars today. Martin continued to innovate in the following decades. They introduced the Backpacker, a travel guitar, and the 1 Series guitar models. These models had lower prices but still maintained quality workmanship and uncompromising sound.
If you are in America or Pennsylvania, make sure to visit Nazareth to experience the Martin guitar with all your senses.
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