July 2008 \ Web Exclusives \ Inside the Martin Factory and Museum

Inside the Martin Factory and Museum

by Premier Guitar

We take you step-by-step through the process of building a Martin guitar. Also, see and hear famous Martins in the company's museum
Premier Guitar July 2008
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Nazareth, PA (June 18, 2008) - What is the guitarist's equivalent of Cooperstown, NY? Some might make an argument for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, but for many of us there is no debate: it's Nazareth, PA, home of Martin Guitar Company. Some of the most famous guitars in the world are on display in the museum there, but that's only part of the attraction. The company still makes guitars in Nazareth and anyone can go take a tour. No one had to twist our arms.

The following videos will give you an idea of what's waiting for you in Nazareth. Be sure to watch the Museum Part III clip - Martin's Dick Boak pulls the company's Holy Grail out of the display case and plays it for you. It's the best sounding Martin known to man. Seriously.

Factory:

Part I
In this clip you'll get an overview of the parts involved, see how sides are bent and assembled, learn about bracing and see how the ribbon lining is installed.




Part II
Here, we look at rim sanding, body assembly, fretboard gluing, bracing and dovetail necks.




Part III
In this clip you'll see where they make the Authentic Series guitars and where they repair guitars. Also - check out the company's robotic polisher.



Part IV
In this clip, we take a look at the X-Series and the company's sound room, along with finishing, inlay, necks and the final assembly of the guitars.



Museum:

Part I
In the first part of our Martin Museum tour, we look at some really old guitars and the company's early history.



Part II
In this clip, Mr. Boak takes the company's best sounding guitar out from behind the glass and plays it so we can hear what their benchmark D-45 tone sounds like. Also, the dreadnaught's popularity is traced from singing cowboys to the Kingston Trio.



Part III
We conclude our video tour of the Martin Museum with a look at Martin signature models, the first guitar in outer space and the actual 1,000,000th guitar Martin ever made -- which happens to featuree 142 inlayed precious gem stones. Fittingly, collectors have offered Martin more than a million dollars for it.


For more information, check out our interview with Ed Golden, of Martin's Custom Shop on the company's latest endeavors, or visit martinguitars.com.


     


Commentary

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spumonzi
on 07/03/2008 		You guys got Boak to take that 45 out and play it. Wow. What a treat. How do I get a job at Premier Guitar? :)
Douglas Goodall
on 06/30/2008 		I enjoyed the tour but was sorry that the final clips are no longer available. I can tell the quality by feel when I play my 000C-DGTE Aura but the factory tour provides the visual evidence of what my intuition felt. These people are devoted to producing the quality product that we have come to rely on. I waited thirty years to own a Martin. Now that I have it, I am very happy :-)
Curtiss Johnson
on 06/27/2008 		Amazing! The Martin reputation is long lived and well deserved. After seeing the amount of care, the labor and passion that goes into making a Martin makes me appreciate my HD-28 all the more. If possible, I'm more of a fan now!

PS. It's comforting to the see all the people involved in making a Martin. They obviously have been at their craft for many, many years and it shows in each C.F. Martin guitar.
CE
on 06/26/2008 		Man that is some labor intensive stuff....cool, great job on showing how it all happens
Grimmace
on 06/26/2008 		I'm not so sure about the 45 sounding so great. Perhaps they should mail it to me so that I may personally inspect it.
FUnkerOO
on 06/23/2008 		That D45 sounded heavenly, even through YouTUbe-processed sound. Wow.
Bart Marshel
on 06/19/2008 		Thank you for taking me to a place that I may never get to visit in person! What a treat to see the craftmanship and the pride that the Martin & Co. organization still has.
Gary Black
on 06/19/2008 		I thoroughly enjoyed the entire Martin video. It is a mini acoustic guitar appreciation class for all of us.



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