Stringing along at the Martin Guitar Factory and Museum
A person doesn’t need the shredding skills of Eric Clapton to enjoy a trip to the Martin Guitar Factory and Museum in Nazareth, Pa. Located on the northern edge of town at 510 Sycamore St., the factory is a place where history, culture and craftsmanship meet to create one of the sweetest sounds in music: a Martin guitar.
For millions of musicians across the globe, a Martin is not just a guitar. It is a work of art and the instrument at the heart of some of the greatest songs ever written. Used by early superstars such as Jimmie Rogers and Gene Autry, and later by rock icons like Elvis Presley and John Lennon, the guitars are revered today by musicians such as Ed Sheeran and John Mayer. Martin guitars have been stringing the music industry along for nearly 200 years, making the factory a bucket list destination to see how they do it.
Quality and craftsmanship
Founded by German immigrant Christian Frederick Martin in 1833, the Martin Guitar Company was originally located on the Lower West Side of New York City. It moved to its current location five years later.
Martin began by crafting the same Stauffer-style guitars he had learned to make as an apprentice in Vienna, which sported tuning pegs along one side of the guitar head. Eventually, he modified the model to include a stationary neck and X-bracing, which gives the Martin guitar its distinctive sound and added strength. Martin’s guitars became so popular that he had to move his workshop from the family homestead and into a newly constructed factory in 1859.
Upon his death in 1873, his son, Christian Fredrick Jr., took the helm of the company. It weathered tumultuous economic times during his tenure. Sales of Martin guitars flourished during the Civil War but suffered during the Panic of 1873.
Frank Henry Martin took the lead after his father’s unexpected death in 1888 and expanded the company to include mandolin production. He also invested in a college education for his two sons. The oldest, C.F. Martin III, was determined to leave the music business behind, but he relented and returned to Nazareth in 1916 after graduating from Princeton University to help manage the business with his father and brought ukuleles into the company’s product line.
Martin developed the X-bracing that not only gives the guitar its richer tonal qualities but also strengthened the instrument to support steel strings that added more volume to the acoustic sound. (Alex Harden via Wikimedia Commons; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en) 
Martin Factory Tour gives you a glimpse into the company’s history as well as the famous people who have used Martin Guitars over the years, including Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and Ed Sheeran. (Alex Harden via Wikimedia Commons; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>) 
Guitars in progress at the Martin Guitar Factory. Each one is predominately handmade by artisans who are committed to craftsmanship and quality. (Alex Harden via Wikimedia Commons; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
The Great Depression took a toll on the Martin Guitar Company. As it struggled to survive, the company developed two products that had a lasting effect on the business as a whole: the creation of a 14-fret neck and the dreadnought body design. The former would increase a guitar’s range and versatility, while the latter would offer musicians a more booming bass sound.
While it was not popular at first, the dreadnought ultimately became a fundamental design in the Martin line and has been copied by every major guitar maker worldwide.
C.F. Martin III took over the company when his father died in 1948. With his own son, Frank Herbert Martin, at his side, the two realized that the multistory, North Street plant was no longer adequate for their needs. In 1955, they built the current factory on Sycamore Street, which features a simple, one-story layout. The new facility also allowed the Martins to utilize some mechanical elements for cutting and sanding while retaining the handcrafted workmanship that the public had come to rely on.
As with generations before, the son succeeded his father at the company. It should come as no surprise that today, sixth-generation owner C.F. “Chris” Martin IV is now leading the family firm into the future – by preserving the past.
Prior to their tour, guests are encouraged to look around the museum, which includes over 200 vintage guitars. On display are several particularly famous Martin guitars, like the 1939 Martin that Eric Clapton played during his 1992 “MTV: Unplugged” performance. Visitors can also see a toolbox resembling the one C.F. Martin used back in 1833.
After that, it is a trip through the manufacturing floor, where Martin Guitars come to life. While there is a tour guide navigating visitors across the factory floor, there are also hands-free audio receivers and headphones distributed so none of the information gets missed.
Photos without flash are also permitted. The tour lasts about an hour and costs $5, which benefits the Martin Charitable Foundation.
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