How many of us have ever worn a hole in the soundboard with our pinkie and fourth finger?
Posted on 02/19/2008 5:45:13 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
In the past 175 years, C.F. Martin & Co. defined the shape, construction and sound of the acoustic guitar.
And the company still eyes each detail. Employees sweat the big things, like dwindling supplies of rare tone woods. They sweat the small stuff, like the exact orientation of each pick guard.
The company is taking the year to celebrate C.F. Martin Sr.'s arrival in New York City in 1833 where he set up his first shop on Hudson Street at what is now the mouth of the Holland Tunnel.
CEO Christian F. Martin IV said the anniversary is remarkable and has been possible because of C.F. Martin Sr.'s vision of building the best guitar possible. Martin said that spirit is one reason the company remains at the pinnacle of the industry his ancestor helped forge.
"I have so much respect for (C.F. Martin Sr.'s) goal to make the perfect guitar," Martin said. "He set the standard."
The company has planned a symphony of events, special models, books, albums and even horticulture and confections.
"We're going to plant a stand of Sitka spruce trees in Alaska," director of artist relations Dick Boak said.
Boak's plans for dreadnought-shaped Peeps made by Just Born didn't work out.
"Apparently it's not that easy to make a guitar-shaped Peep," he said.
Boak said the company spent a year developing the anniversary celebration. It wasn't easy.
"A lot of companies are better at marketing than they are at making instruments," Boak said. "We're better at making instruments, so it's a little difficult for us to figure out how to do this efficiently."
The celebration kicked off with an acoustic performance by Martin artist John Mayer at the National Association of Music Merchants annual trade show in January and winds down around October when the company plans to auction a collection of rare guitars at Christie's in New York to benefit the Martin Foundation.
Martin said the gem of the anniversary celebration would be if one of the presidential candidates accepted an invitation to visit the factory.
He said he hopes Sens. John McCain, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can stop by and see how one of the country's oldest manufacturing operations has managed to remain in America in the same family.
"That's pretty amazing that the company has always been in the family," said Acoustic Guitar magazine senior editor Teja Gerken, who owns a custom OM Martin guitar. "They've really kept the tradition and history alive by doing that."
Martin said keeping the company in the family is something he's thought a lot about. His 3-year-old daughter, Claire Frances Martin, could be the next generation to lead the firm.
"Where will we be in life at our 200th (anniversary)? Will I be coming back from Florida? We're not immortal," Martin said.
"Hopefully she'll say, 'This company is a very precious thing,'" Martin said.
Martin said the company has aged well, and one thing is certain, the product his ancestor perfected is in demand.
"I was here for the 150th anniversary," Martin said. "Business is much better today."
Gerken said there has never been a time when Martin wasn't considered among the best. He added that build quality, high-end materials and attention to detail are the hallmarks of a Martin.
C.F. Martin Sr. had a motto: Non Multa Sed Multum. Not many but great. And it holds true 17 decades later, even on items as forgettable as the plastic pick guard.
"That one's close but not quite right," Boak said as he circled the company's museum.
Then he found it, a dark brown, unadorned, 4-string tenor guitar built in 1931. He opened the glass case and grabbed the instrument. Boak walked to the factory, tuning the little guitar along the way and sampling the Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley."
Boak presented the guitar to the factory's quality team, pointing to the exact, upright orientation of its pick guard. He said the pick guards, hand placed, have been a little off center for some time. The team, led by director of quality Vince Gentilcore, fashioned a jig that they hope fool-proofs future assembly.
"They've always been able to take a step back and always look to improve what they have," Gerken said. "That's the kind of effort that will result in great guitars."
Reporter JD Malone can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at jdmalone@express-times.com.
He said he hopes Sens. John McCain, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can stop by and see how one of the country's oldest manufacturing operations has managed to remain in America in the same family.
A Martin guitar is one of the best lifetime friends you can have.
The best guitarists in the world have contributed to C.F. Martin & Company’s legacy.
Martin Guitar owners:
Trey Anastasio, Ian Anderson, Gene Autry, Kevin Bacon, Joan Baez, Beck, Joe Beck, Jimmy Buffett, James Cagney, David Carradine, Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash, Harry Chapin, Tracy Chapman, Eric Clapton, Roy Clark, Kurt Cobain, Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin, Elvis Costello, Jim Croce, David Crosby, Sheryl Crow, Counting Crows, Ray Davies (Kinks), John Denver, Neil Diamond, Dion, Donovan, Bob Dylan, Kenny Edmonds (Babyface), Dan Fogelberg, Peter Frampton, Jerry Garcia, Vince Gill, David Gilmour, David Gray, Andy Griffith, Nanci Griffith, Arlo Guthrie, Woody Guthrie, Buddy Guy, Merle Haggard, Ben Harper, Emmylou Harris, George Harrison, Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Jimi Hendrix, Steve Howe (Yes), Indigo Girls, Eric Johnson, George Jones, Mark Knopfler, Avril Lavigne, John Lennon, Gordon Lightfoot, Country Joe MacDonald, Bob Marley, George Martin, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Paul McCartney, Reba McEntire, Roger McGuinn, Don McLean, Freddie Mercury, Steve Miller, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Graham Nash, Rick Nelson, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page, Dolly Parton, Tom Petty, Joaquin Phoenix, Elvis Presley, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Roy Rogers, Richie Sambora, Steven Segal, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Squier, Richard Starkey, Stephen Stills, Sting, Andy Summers, Terry Sylvester (The Hollies), Tiny Tim, Travis Tritt, Keith Urban, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Hank Williams Sr., Nancy Wilson, Ron Wood, Dwight Yoakam, Thom York (Radiohead), Neil Young, Barry Zito
http://www.pennlive.com/expresstimes/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-15/1203224761202690.xml&coll=2
They are located in Nazareth, PA, which is the town next to me.
Right out of the box I think a Taylor has better resonance than a Martin, but a 30+ year old Martin has a sound that is better than a newer Taylor, IMO.
Willie Nelson should be strung up for what he has done to that poor beat up Martin he abuses...and plays horribly.
I own an HD-28 and an OOO-28H (which is pristine...)
...I’ve been playing my flat top Martin D-18 since 1970....I’ve never heard any other brand sound as good playing Bluegrass....it’s just got the power you need to pound out the rhythm....hit your G spacer run on a Gibson and it sounds OK....but hit it on a Martin and it will thump you in the chest....Martin has always been the gold standard for hard playing....look at the old pictures of Elvis sometimes...he’s playing rock-a-billy on a flat top Martin!
And my husband. :-)
A friend of mine just bought a D-41. What a tone that thing has, and it plays like butter. Shweeeeeeet!
Those composite ones they are making are durable as hell.
My father-in-law found an old Martin-made violin in the house he bought in 1954. It’s not worth a lot. We display it as a work of art.
My cousin’s husband is a luthier for them. Talk about a job to have!
Looks as if they’ve done their marketing pretty well...
How many of us have ever worn a hole in the soundboard with our pinkie and fourth finger?
*Ping
“A Martin guitar is one of the best lifetime friends you can have.”
And that is one of the best-—and shortest-—poems I’ve ever read. Well put, GBA.
No it isn’t...it’s a testament to abuse and neglect...what I’d expect from a third-rate entertainer and very poor guitarist.
One of life’s great pleasures (for a guitar player) is to pick up a vintage Martin dreadnought and slowly finger pick your favorite song. Every note is perfect and the effect is sublime.
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