"At Martin's Nazareth, Pa., factory, Sophie Eckhart inspects a 1 Series guitar. The new model is an effort to maintain sales with cash-strapped musicians." (2009)
Posted on 02/24/2011 7:51:52 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
UPPER NAZARETH TWP., Pa. -- A Northampton County guitar company says its brand has been high jacked and there's not much that can be done about it.
Counterfeit Martin Guitars are being sold in China and the company doing it isn't breaking any national laws.
Martin Guitar has been making guitars in Northampton County for 178 YEARS.
Just recently it decided to expand its market to China.
When the owners tried to register, they found that someone else had already trade marked their name and was putting it on what they call poorly made guitars.
"A Chinese national has highjacked our brand and is making, unfortunately, poorly made copies of Martin guitars with my families name on them," said CEO of Martin Guitar, C.F. Martin.
It's a sour note for Martin Guitar Company.
"Stop putting my name on your guitars. It's just not right," said Martin.
"It appears that the Chinese government has sanctioned the counterfeiting," said Martin.
"In China it really is the first person to register the brand gets to own it. Even if they didn't found the brand."
A simple Google search of "Martin Guitars" and the word "China" results in an ebay guide warning consumers about the fraud.
"You can feel it," said Martin, holding one of the fake guitars with his name on it.
"You can feel it's crack and it will eventually pull itself apart and implode."
(Excerpt) Read more at wfmz.com ...
They CAN fight it, although in China, its never easy. Its a common problem, so many Chinese and foreign law firms in China have experience in this are of trademarks. Chinese consumers themselves are aware of their national disease of “counterfeiting” and will go to great lengths to be sure they are getting the “real thing” - so marketing can focus on this also.
Of course, it takes a lot of money, and commitment to be in China for the long-haul.
I knew they’d overpaid for damned near everything they bought here. When Bridgestone bought Firestone, they paid the equivelent of $78/share for a near-bankrupt tire company that had just recalled almost a million tires (the Firestone 500.)
Firestone had no radial products, its plants were old and the labor union was on strike every 12 to 18 months.
Bridgestone bought Firestone only because Pirelli of Italy wanted to buy it.
"At Martin's Nazareth, Pa., factory, Sophie Eckhart inspects a 1 Series guitar. The new model is an effort to maintain sales with cash-strapped musicians." (2009)
“Guitar Maker Revives No-Frills Act From ‘30s”
By TIMOTHY AEPPEL...2009
NAZARETH, Pa. — “At a bustling factory on the outskirts of this eastern Pennsylvania town, one of the world’s oldest guitar makers is using a Depression-era strategy to keep production flowing and avert layoffs.
Workers at C.F Martin & Co. are putting finishing touches on the solid-wood 1 Series model, so named for its simplicity.
It lacks inlay, as did the company’s stripped-down 1930s model, and is expected to sell for less than $1,000, breaking a key price point and far less than its $100,000 limited-edition guitars made of Brazilian rosewood.
More popular Martins generally sell for $2,000 to $3,000.
Initial reaction is promising. The company, which had sales of $93 million last year, introduced the 1 Series in April and promptly sold out its first year’s output of 8,000 guitars.
“We needed something so we wouldn’t have to start laying people off,” says Chris Martin, the company’s chief executive and sixth generation of his family to lead the closely held company, which was founded in 1833 in New York City.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124683752846098045.html
I love my Martin. I’ve got a DC16RGTE. It’s kind of a prima donna, but it’s been a good guitar.
I recently fell in love with a D-35. It’s very pricey and very beautiful. It would make such a great addition to my guitar family (Martin, Guild, Gibson, Gretsch, Tacoma, Fender) but I haven’t been able to convince my husband to spend $2300 right now.
Ping
“I recently fell in love with a D-35. It’s very pricey and very beautiful. It would make such a great addition to my guitar family (Martin, Guild, Gibson, Gretsch, Tacoma, Fender) but I haven’t been able to convince my husband to spend $2300 right now.”
Don’t buy a D-35. They tend towards the “muddy” sound.
If you’ve got upwards of $2k to spend, and have a little Martin GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome), I’d recommend something in mahogany with an Adirondack spruce top, such as:
* D-18 Golden Era (one of the best models they’ve ever made - used ones go for about $2k)
* D-16A (Adirondack top and beautiful appointments). Just saw a beautiful used one at umgf.com for $1,300.
* Something else with an Adirondack top
The combination of adirondack & mahogany gives a wonderful clarity of individual notes combined with plenty of volume, “woodiness”, and punch.
As a side note, I remember back 35 years ago, with a young Chris Martin and Dick Boak traveling around in a van, setting up a display with some current Martins at bluegrass festivals, selling strings, etc. I bought a guitar from him back then.
One other thing:
Nothing against the Martins, but have you ever thought of trying a Bourgeois? Amazing instruments. I’d suggest looking for a gently-used “Country Boy Deluxe” (which has the adirondack top). That’s my “go to” instrument these days.
Absolutely! They do it with drilling rigs too. If you subcontract any part of your business to a Chinese company you can expect it to be stolen if it is worth anything. If you need to outsource any of your work, find your subcontractor on shore. You will be happier in the long run. It’s too bad that that has not been the mind set of big US companies over the past 20 years.
Why, of course, copyright violation, patent violation, reverse engineering, industrial espionage and copying and counterfeiting are mainstays of the Chinese economy, and have been for decades.
What rock was C.F. Martin hiding under the last 10 years or so...China copies EVERYTHING that ANY American company allows them to produce.
That said on one of the link's - I can't find it at the moment - it was claimed that Martin >sometimes< drop ships wood supplies to China where the parts are cut. The parts are then shipped to the USA where they are assembled. I don't know if it's true but anymore I wouldn't be surprised.
FWIW I think Martin's - and MANY other makes, USA and foreign - are WAY overpriced. You are buyng the name. A couple of years ago a friend put me on to Seagull guitars made in Canada. Part of the Godin family. Great sound and very reasonably priced. Cedar and Sitka tops with either solid wood or laminate other parts depending on how mush you can spend. Even the laminates sound great!
That said I like to fingerpick and learned a long time ago that sometimes it isn't the guitar, it's mostly how it's set up.
A pig of a guitar can sound just fine. To prove the point I bought a "Silvertone" - probably re-branded Samick - on Ebay a few years ago for $6 and shipping of $30. The action was moderate as it came but I tinkered with it, re-worked the frets, replaced the plastic bridge and pins and tried different strings until I found the ones I like.
The action is smooth and fast. Not as fast as my electric original Venture's model Mosrite but good and easy to play.
It actually appears to be of solid wood construction! Tone is fine but it could use more sustain. The only problems are that it does have some very light buzz at times. I could eliminate that but it's so light it's almost unnoticeable. Besides as long as it isn't "slappy" I kinda like the overtones. Almost 12 stringish or similar to that effect rockers seem to like.
The other problem is that like almost all dreadnoughts the bass can get boomy with medium to heavy strings. I use the combo bluegrass strings or the Martin lights I have on now. Bluegrass can boom some but there is very boom with the lights.
Yeah...wish I had been a luthier...sigh.
The Globalist have wanted to implode the dollar and collapse the US economy for a long time. They’ve built up the Chinese, shifting our manufacturing and industry there the past twenty years so they’ll be right there to pick up the slack. There won’t even be a shortage of guitars after we go down.
Most people are clueless about this.
I’ve heard Bourgeois but haven’t had the opportunity played one. The guy from Nichol Creek plays one. Some friends have been bragging about Breedloves. Also, a lot of folks swear by Taylors. I guess I’m just a Martin girl at heart.
I’ll keep you advice in mind when I get the money (always have the craving) for another guitar. I also have a banjo, mandolin, fiddle, electic bass and just got a soprano ukulele which I’m having a lot of fun with.
I friend has a wonder D-18 that she bought for nothing many years ago. Such a great sound. She also has a Martin ukulele. She said she traveled all over Europe with it and it never went out of tune.
“I’ve heard Bourgeois but haven’t had the opportunity played one. The guy from Nichol Creek plays one. Some friends have been bragging about Breedloves. Also, a lot of folks swear by Taylors. I guess I’m just a Martin girl at heart.”
I was that way for years, then started exploring other makers.
I’ve got a 1966 D-28 I bought new — went to work in a supermarket to get it at 17. A 45-year-old “one owner”!
But for about 20 years my favorite was an early Santa Cruz “D-Rice”.... till I found the Bourgeois (bought unseen from ebay).
Lately, I’ve discovered something VERY interesting: carbon-fiber guitars. You can leave these is hot cars, cold cars, take them right out and play them, they’re weather- and humidity-resistant. The perfect “festival/travel” guitar. And they sound remarkably good. The Rainsongs I’ve tried have much of the clarity and tonal characteristics of mahogany/adirondack. Of course, it LOOKS ‘way different than a wooden guitar, and some folks might give you funny looks at the festivals. Hand it to them and let them play it, and they may change their minds!
You might check out the Rainsong “S-DR1000N2 Dreadnought”. It’s very affordable, sounds great, has Fishman electronics and a built-in tuner. You can see pics and hear a sound sample here:
http://www.thepodium.com/p-17111-rain-song-s-dr1000n2-dreadnought.aspx
BTW, thepodium.com also carries Martins, and others. The sound samples are terrific because they are all the same. It’s possible to download them as mp3’s, then play them “side-by-side” to compare the tonal differences between instruments.
Another site that has good sound clips is themandolinstore.com.
(no financial interest in either of the above businesses)
A friend bought a carbon-fiber upright bass. She says not even airline baggage handlers can hurt it.
BTTT
I’ve borrowed & played a number of Martins over the years, but the best guitar I ever played was Glenn Tilbrook’s 6-string Taylor. Smooth action and great sound with (probably) medium light strings. I’m sure he’s got a great tech to set it up, or he’s a whiz at it himself, but I was all but drooling for the guitar after playing it.
The Chicoms have been flooding the market with fake Zippo lighters for years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.