Martin Guitars

The C.F. Martin guitars company has been in existence for over 175 years and it is still producing some of the most sought after steel-string, flattop and classic guitars on the market. The Martin guitar company has also been credited with inventing the dreadnought style guitar and is considered a leader in the manufacturing of the style. Martin guitars regularly fetch large amounts of money at auctions and are some of the most respectable guitars for the professional player. If you're interested in learning more the history of this all-American classic, keep reading.

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Located now in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, the Martin guitar story begins in Germany with the birth of C.F. Martin into a family of woodworkers. In his teens, Martin began training with a famed guitar builder in Austria and later opened his own guitar-making shop in Markneukirchen, Germany. He later moved the company to New York City (where a plaque now stands honoring the site) because of problems with guilds in Germany. After a period in New York, he moved his business to its present location in Pennsylvania in 1838.

The Martin Guitar Company has stayed in the Martin family to the present day. It is now being run by C.F. Martin's great-great-great-grandson. Part of the company's success relies on capitalizing on innovation.

When immigration became a large part of the American story, Zoebisch and Sons were Martin's main distributor. The large influx of Italian immigrants allowed for the mandolin to become popular in the United States. However, Zoebisch and Sons were reluctant to promote the mandolin and Martin felt they were also reluctant to promote his products overall. As a result, the distributor relationship with Zoebisch and Sons ended and Martin began distributing his own products. His sales soared due to rising demands for the mandolin. The Martin website states that in 1898, the company produced 113 different styles of the mandolin in order to keep up with the demand. The prior year, they only had three different styles.

In the 1920's, the Martin company began producing ill-received ukuleles (again capitalizing on their new-found popularity). Many complained about the design and style. Martin began to revamp his style of ukulele and it is rumored that during the 1920's, the company made twice as many ukuleles as they did guitars. The company did rather well throughout the 20's as a result and was able to continue operating during the Great Depression by producing some violin parts, as well as other products. During this time, Martin began to tinkering with new ideas. One of these ideas, the Dreadnought guitar, is the most well known Martin creation.

The Dreadnought guitar was created by the Martin company during the same period that they created the 14-fret neck. As is, the 14-fret neck became an industry standard. The Dreadnought guitar began from Martin's interest in a guitar that would work well with vocals. Built with a large body (a "D" shape), the guitar had a strong amount of bass. It was not well received initially and many considered it too bulky to be used. However, as the folk music scene began to grow, so did the sales of the Dreadnought.

Today, the Dreadnought design is widely appreciated in music for its accompanying sound. Many folk singers feel as if the guitar is their 'partner' in their act because of the tonal quality of the device. The design is now so popular that most companies also have their own rendition of the Martin original.

Worldwide, Martin guitars are widely considered the best guitars that any artist can have. The Martin site proudly states that some of its most famous guitar owners include Beck, Jimmy Buffet, Jim Croce, Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Neil Diamond, Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley, John Mayer and Sting. The greatest names in music regard Martin guitars as both a sign of their prestige and as a tool of their success. There is even an unofficial forum dedicated solely to Martin guitars. The company now has a department dedicated to making sure Martin remains an ecologically aware company. The longevity of the Martin name is not something that will be passing anytime soon.

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