C. F. Martin & Co. Guitar Factory - Part 1
In the somewhat sleepy suburb of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, sits the C. F. Martin Guitar Factory nestled in and amongst the neighborhood houses. I thought I was lost as I approached the factory, as it appears that you're driving down the streets of a residential area.
This post highlights photos from a tour I took at the Martin Guitar Factory back in October of 2013.
Martin is a family owned US company that has been crafting acoustic guitars for more than 175 years.
The tour lasts about an hour and you get a healthy dose of the entire process and the tools involved: from old-fashioned files, clamps, jigs, and planes, to state-of-the-art precision laser etching and spray painting.
The factory also boasts an awesome museum which has many rare and exotic guitars throughout the last several centuries.
The crafters working at the Martin factory all seemed to enjoy what they were doing and were eager to answer questions. I'm not so sure I'd be all that thrilled about a steady stream of tourists slowly walking by and gawking at my work.
From the MARTINGUITAR.COM About Webpage:
In 1833, Andrew Jackson, the seventh president was being sworn into a second term when the country was a mere 57 years into a union consisting of just 24 states. Since, C.F. Martin & Co. has survived a wide variety of economic, social and political upheavals including the Civil War, post-war turmoil, influxes of immigrant populations with varying tastes and customs, World War I, the "roaring 20s," the Great Depression, World War II, The Vietnam years and the technological revolution. Through it all Martin not only survived but its reputation and outreach ultimately improved and increased. In recent years, despite the global economic downturn, Martin has been setting company sales records, crafted their millionth acoustic instrument, undergone a complete renovation and expansion of the Martin factory and unveiled an impressive new museum and visitor's center at their headquarters in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
All images @cognoscere and taken on Friday October 25th, 2013 at the Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. (Apple iPhone 4)
Very cool to see how they make them. I had one but sold it. I favored my Taylors.
Yeah, Taylor makes some great acoustic guitars!
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That's a lot of craftsmanship contained in one building! You have some great images, too, especially considering you were on a tour. I like the little ukelele hanging on the wall with the big guitars, lol. Way to hang in there with the big guys, little uke! I like the image with their tools, too. Do they play acoustic guitar music, as background music, there all day? ; )