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Hearing Voices: Touring the Martin Guitar Factory

Some things, even inanimate objects, have their own voice. It's a sound you here and immediately recognize the source, even from a distance. Several examples come to mind immediately: the sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle exhaust and a Martin acoustic guitar. Strangely enough, both of these unique sounds come to life in Pennsylvania, the Harley in York and the Martin guitar in Nazareth. I went to the Martin Guitar factory with my daughter Kara to investigate further.

Since 1833, the Martin family had made the Martin guitar in America. In fact, sometime around 1800, George Martin was noted for perfecting the modern guitar design in Germany. His son, Christian Frederick Martin, arrived in New York in 1833 to continue the guitar design in young America without the oppressive restrictions imposed by the German guilds. In 1838, land was purchased in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and the C.F. Martin & Company has been making guitars there ever since.

Seven generations of Martins have overseen the production of these instruments, which are recognized all over the world. Martin guitars have been to the top of Mt. Everest, the north and south poles, and even the first "out of this world" model was aboard the Columbia space shuttle.
Back on earth, a Martin guitar is owned and played by just about every musician you can think of, from Jimmie Rodgers, Gene Autry, and Willie Nelson to Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Eric Clapton. In other words, if you've ever heard a guitar, you've probably heard a Martin made in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

The factory tour covers the entire manufacturing process, from rough wood to final sound checks made by musicians before they are shipped out. It takes three months to make a guitar and the factory turns out 180 guitars every day. The price of a Martin ranges from about $600 to over $20,000 for custom guitars. The tour is a pilgrimage for musicians and collectors and some older Martin models are fetching prices in excess of $40,000.

At the start of the tour, we were all told not to cross over the yellow lines, stay with the tour, and do not talk with the hard-working employees. That last item was the most difficult. All along the tour, employees greeted us. They might have been absorbed in their work but most of them had a ready smile. They were proud of their work and maybe that pride is a key ingredient that gives the Martin guitar its consistent unique sound. Anyone who questions the existence of the American craftsman tradition needs to take this tour.

The Deal: Martin Guitar Factory tour daily starting at 1:15 PM. Free. (I would not recommend taking very young children on the tour because of the noise and length of the tour.) The 1833 Shop (gift shop) is open daily. (The factory does not sell guitars.)

Directions: Take Route 78 West (in NJ) to exit 3 (Phillipsburg/Alpha). Follow Route 22 west approximately 8 miles into Pennsylvania to the exit for Route 248/Wilson/25th Street. Take Route 248 west to Nazareth (approximately 4.4 miles). At the first traffic light (Nazareth Diner on right), turn right onto Broad Street. Take Broad St. approximately 1.6 miles. Turn right onto Beil Avenue. Take the next right (Sycamore St.). The Martin Factory is on the left; parking lot on the right. Call 800-633-2060 for more information or visit their website at www.mguitar.com.

- Craig Schulze

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