Martin Guitar Company, the makers of the Martin Acoustic Guitars, started around 1796 in Germany. The same year Christian Frederick (C.F.) Martin. C.F. Martin started training with professionals how to make guitars at the age of 15. The creations he made were popular in Germany but the guild battles that were going on that time made restrictions to his expertise. In 1883, he decided to leave Germany and went to the United States to seek a greener pasture. He set up his new shop in New York. But five years later, he sold his New York shop and transferred his Martin and Company to Nazareth, Pennsylvania. It is here that his legacy started.
In the mid 1800’s, a series of innovations will gradually evolve the Martin Acoustic Guitars. These include the X bracing system he designed for the guitar top. The unique x bracing system makes it possible to produce a classic tone that can even be heard today on some Martin guitars. In 1867, Christian Frederick Martin passed away. The company was passed down to his son Christian Frederick Martin Jr. C. F. Martin Jr managed the company for quite a while, eleven years to be exact but suddenly died in 1888. The company continued to run under Frank Martin, Martin Jr.’s son. Back then, he was 22 years old. Frank mad a move to expand the variety of guitars sold into mandolins. In 1916 frank martin would lend help to man named Harry hunt. He would help him in designing the guitar now known as the “Dreadnought.”
1931 marked the year of incorporation of the dreadnought design. This was the year the celebrated and innovative Martin Dreadnought guitar was created. Almost all of the acoustic guitars nowadays are designed based on the dreadnought. Between 1950 and 1960, Martin Guitar and Company’s success went up even more. Sometimes they had three years of excess. These backlogs were spent financing the construction of a new factory in Nazareth where up to now, continually manufactures the finest guitars the world has ever known. Martin Guitar and Company is now being run by Christian Frederick Martin IV. Under his leadership, they are still producing guitars that are of the finest quality and beauty. Every Martin Acoustic Guitar is created using the finest wood available and is inspected and selected by experts.
Why is the Dreadnought Martin Acoustic guitar the finest guitar? This is because of sound it produces. It creates a large booming rhythm sound that had fat bass frequencies but didn’t hold back on on the upper range either. It was ideal for playing country music and bluegrass. World renowned performers started acquiring and using this model immediately. Hank Williams, Hank Snow, George Jones and of course you might heard of this performer somewhere, I think his name was Elvis Presley. You might’ve heard about him. A popular dreadnought model, the D-28 (it was called D because it was “D” shaped and the number is for numbering purpose) stick with its design since 1943. The date where 14 frets in the body and neck was introduced to the approving public. Eventually, change crept in little by little to this guitar. Some of these changes are the alteration of the internal bracing; rosewood was now being shipped from east India instead of Brazil, the reduction of the width of its neck, removal of the herringbone trim and the dotted position markers. The only thing that was left untouched was the way the Martin acoustic guitar was produced, handmade.