Made in America: Martin Guitars
The company’s founder and namesake came to America from central Europe in 1833. After spending the first six years in Manhattan, New York he moved with his wife to the Lehigh Valley, home to a growing population of German immigrants. One-hundred eighty-six years later, guitars bearing his name are still being made in the town where he settled.
Acoustic guitars have undergone a series of significant evolutions over the years and Martin Guitar Co. has remained on the cutting edge. The 1850s saw one of C.F. Martin’s most significant design innovations, which is still in use today: the “X” bracing system. This system provides unparalleled support for the body of the guitar while still allowing for the resonance necessary to create beautiful acoustic guitar tones.
Martin Guitars have since been played by the likes of Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and millions of guitarists worldwide, making Martin a brand name in its industry.
C.F. Martin’s great-great-great-grandson, Chris Martin IV, currently is the company’s CEO. He has pioneered a number of innovations to modernize portions of the manufacturing process, while still preserving many of the traditional methods of guitar building.
After six generations of family ownership, the company produced its one-millionth guitar in 2004. It took just another 12 years to produce its second million.
This increase in production has not come at the expense of attention to detail though. On this episode of Made in America, host Tyler Kern takes a firsthand look at Martin’s intensive guitar-making process from start to finish.
Kern will also discover that Nazareth’s musical connection runs deeper than just Martin Guitars as well.
At the Moravian Historical Society in Nazareth, PA, musical historians Tom Winter and John Watson provide a deeper look at Nazareth and its broader music history, which includes the oldest upright piano built in North America.
The tradition of exceptional craftsmanship that exists within the Nazareth community is personified by the quality produced by Martin Guitar Co.
Latest
Hydrogen-powered flights are gaining traction. But are they really the future of aviation?
Earlier in March, Universal Hydrogen successfully completed a 15-minute voyage of a hydrogen-powered flight. The Dash 8-300 aircraft, which typically carries about 50 passengers, had to be redesigned in order to hold the engine — and over 65 pounds worth of liquid hydrogen. Now that hydrogen-powered flights are gaining traction, could they be the […]
M&A Healthcare Advisors (MAHA) Exclusively Represents Hoover Pharmacy in their Sale to CVS
LOS ANGELES, March 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — M&A Healthcare Advisors (MAHA), a boutique merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory group, is proud to announce the sale of Hoover Pharmacy, a Specialty & Retail Pharmacy based in the San Francisco Bay area focused on serving Stanford Medical Campus patients. Hoover Pharmacy’s files were acquired by CVS and […]
Planning for International Interactive Mixed Reality Art
Interactive visual stories and art are becoming more and more common as AR storytelling begins to dominate the space. From museums to advertising campaigns, interactive art is reinventing the way stories have been traditionally told, making the world its canvas. As VR and AR tech becomes more accessible, artists find themselves intrigued with the new […]