C.F. Martin & Co. Celebrates 170th Anniversary(Martin | Posted 2003-02-10)  C.F. Martin & Co. is celebrating its 170th anniversary as the oldest surviving maker of guitars in the world. The company is currently the largest producer of acoustic guitars in the United States. Known for creating some of the finest instruments and introducing innovations that have become industry standards, the company, founded in the U.S. in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin, has been continuously family owned and operated for six generations.
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, and they will soon begin work on a special guitar to commemorate the crafting of their millionth acoustic instrument.
Martin has earned an unparalleled reputation for dedication to exceptional quality and focus on one product - superbly well-crafted acoustic guitars. During the company’s long history, Martin branched out into related fields, producing mandolins in the late 1800s, and becoming one of the top manufacturers of ukuleles in the 1920s. Purchasing the Darco String Company from the D’Addario family in 1970, quality guitar strings have now become an integral part of C.F. Martin & Co’s operations.
Responsible for creating a number of industry standards through the years, C.F. Martin & Co. developed “x-bracing,” the 14-fret guitar and the “dreadnought” size - all of which have been copied by virtually every acoustic guitar manufacturer in the world.
Current Chairman and CEO Christian (“Chris”) Frederick Martin, IV, took the helm of the company in 1986. Under his tutelage, there has been a complete renovation and expansion of the Martin factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Martin has also introduced of new, affordable guitars featuring innovative materials and patented technology unique to the Martin line. In addition, Chris has overseen the introduction of the Vintage Series and Golden Era Guitars that pay tribute to the extraordinarily crafted and highly collectible pre-war Martins. The company also introduced select signature models that pay tribute to the world’s most significant and prestigious artists.
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