Origination by Solidity Graphics ltd and printed by Color prin t Offset (Hong Kong)
050607080954321
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ACOUSTIC GUITAR HISTORY MARTIN Newnhl'icss,
all Slart ,'(/ With t h" , mall -b" d l"d , gu t-suu ng , flat , wl'pffi ,nsr r\lmentS of a
It
OPt'OSmE MCif In the beginning: a fiv,.· (OU~ guitar of ..boon 1590, probabl y
Gt' rman .mm'sram, Christia n Fr,..:I u <-h Marton , who was bui ld ong g Ull ars almosr from Ihe l ime he
am~ed
III
New Yurk In 11'1 33. A"""d 37, ask, IIt:
apprt'lluccslup a t 0" " of I! ump"" mo:st rc:spo::ctt:
to
Ihe n"w ",,, ri d
to
Portuguese. lOI' A Stauffer-styte gust.... by C-f. Martin, from 1830. .ROW The early Martin family home and worfl sf'l<:>p in ChetTy Hill, near Naunt\h.. Pennsylvania.
lo n~
C. p.
'-""Clip" th" res trict ,ve [111.1(' laws of h,s hometow n of
Ma rkneul.archcn , Saxony (,,"'" C;"rma ny, t hough formerly East (i t rma ny). He was hell-knt on ma ki ng hiS ma rk on th" yuung ( ounr ry·s st tlngtd InSlrllmen r rnule. H e d ,d thaI, a nd more. By the
IH~{I!;
Ma non was stl lmg gu irars (l('slgnN along new h nes that would
tl'VOl ut lOnlSt' Ih" p"rfor manc(' of Ihe ,nSl rument , and whic h ,ICC sull ("("hoed In t he c.."'trun,unal d"ralls of rhe ,·au majorit y of fl at-tops :)Vallabl!.' t(xb y. In t ht lat" 18305 , Maru n h ~d moved his family and his busillt"~ In n,,,rry 1I, 1l , Ptnnsy lva nHl , an,\ C' ·enlUall y to ne
Nazar~t h ,
which has \",,,n /l.larton ·,
fam o u~
addr",s
n ·"r 51O(e (despit(' the rl'ioca ti nn, how"v" " gUlIa" we[" stilliahtllt"d as ht-ong mad" In Ntw Yor k unlil th(' end o[th" I HOO.'i), From tim tim" onwa ,d~ , t h" maktr·s gUItars ,·a me to look more hkC' (he Stea( Oat -t ops th.·y wmdd "v"lltually spaw n, and ltss I,kt ,hr o ld -world minstre ls· instruments (hut t arl y IHth C"!lt Ll[Y Eurof"'a n
gu' tar~
may appear to us today ro
rest·mhk. Marti n simplHkd IllS stylIng c'>Il"d,,[ably, d ropping tht Sll r>("rtlU OliS or namt" n1 ~ 1 wood wo rk ~nJ l'inborat~ inlJYs o n all Ou t ti, ,, ,,,,ca'''>Ilal di ~p Jay o r Clls!.Om-o rd t" r mOtI"I , while lflSld~ he Instrument .
evoJ~ed
cnn 'ifuul
T he move from rud , mennry 'add." hraclllg fO the funn ... d bl1Jrong of Spanish ·c!aSSKllJ" gUitars of , he r, m" (about the o nl y Span ish g uita rs. !(";lily) mad ... hiS sm
~xis t c n ((' .
we ralk abo ut tb e ·Iarg('r gui !
t ht perl O.:!, th(' s(' are still sllllll · bodied acoustics by 1000lay ·s s tundHds. M an , ,,"s larges ( g l.lJ rar of th e 1850s WJS the 12Y,' · wld., S'7.t" 1, a Widt h that mOSt players today ",.. uld expt"ct to sce
ill
a llt rl e PJrJour g Uita r l}"for.,
the (' nd of the J<'Cade, howev" r, body ~IU"$ and d("("ota l;ve slyies suH ," us.. ",day "'""" being I'Stablisht"d T h" lurJ!e r SIn" 0 - one of rh...
---
small..,.r standard Mnrr lllS avai la ble toJ,,), _ wa,
I ntrOt"ill(~d
and
wou ld
r(' ma ln the
cllm pany·s larges t ·collce,, · gUita r unti l the arrival of the 00 some 20 yea rs huer. Most modd s wr re avaolablc In a mnge of St yles from 17 to 42, n um be rs t h"t ind ic:lttd t helf
7
ACOUSTIC GUITAR HISTORY whol.,sale pric.,s al Ih., li mO;" (h.,
~ yS(~m
WI1_' O;"S[ahl" h.,d . Th.,y rangt"
s lmpl O;" binding and f.,w or no InlaY$ , 10 .';llIrars WIth fa ncIer abalonc purn ing, pos'tion mat kns and rosetto;"S, and Inclu
manufactur~d
r~lauvt'ly
s low
to
lake up the trend _ Before 19 16
th., !)(ca,,,,nal u Iswm -ordet gUIta r 10 la ke sted str ings. but irs first
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ACOUSTIC GUITAR HISTORY such co ns.s tr n( prodll(fio n mod .. l ~ <-a m.. III {he form of (h~ ' K' koa ",nod constructio n) d('s.!-:ne
~rI"S
gU itars ( name<,1 for ell .. ,r
the lap-s ttt l I)()\O"""' . as used for (h('
lfi
popula r ilawai Jan m USK of , h(' (1m ... In rh,s way, the forma l that wuul
In
(["'dd .. grt'w from Ih(' fr,nbcs of lht' mark ..( -
and on fan
II
(ho u~h
a popular ' fron}! .. '
off... mg s u, .. 1 _< [TOnss nil , he- \ow l.("$( of Irs standard 'Spamsh'
hod,w 2- 17,
ill
Ihe day
would n s(' upwa rd from tht' hmlUm , (OO, B)' the ea rly 1920., Martm was ~I yk
gumlrs, t h"
m ~hogany.
and by Ih(' ('oJ of ,h.. d«ad .. st .... 1 st nngs had spread rhrou}(hnut , he IlOc PS
[hI: standard dress. f or Marti n , II W;,O.S proba b ly an l'fIS ICt ( OflVttSlun , ha n for ot h ers. , he sTUrd y X-hracing of
tht' la rJ.:t" mo.-l .. ls bt'l!lg al re-')dy pri med st rings would pur vn
r h~
of adapmll o n WIlS 51 11 1 r"':lulr...! guit~r~
to
fak .. th" g reater Stram , hal tht' r~nSlCm of,t (-d
g UtT JU ' tOpS >lnd bmlg("s - alt houg h ,'ettaml), a (o ns"lrrahl~ II>
make the new dcs i,l; ns
S"I: ur~ ,
yo u (an s('(' th(' stram of Ih" ;oppl ,eu ILon of steel strin;;s
d~Wt't:'
E,'en so, on I'k nr y of "Id
to a
deSIgn th;ll soli had
It~
(>I'l'OSlrE P.. GI! l£Ff TO " ...1fT Thr" early
Martins ; a 1-28 from c1820; 0-42 from (1898; and a mahQga ny 2-17 from (1930, the first Martin to bll offered w ith steel strings. un The Mound City Blues Blowers. f eatu ring Eddie lang on a Martin /I
guitar. roou m the gemkr 1'\11 1 of IIllf, ,n th" fo rm of a subtle archi n;; , or ' beJl ying ', Hound the of t he top illst be hmd th(" hndll" Many newe r g tl itars will
~"hlb , t
the same
ar~J
symp l om~.
I"SptcialJy those wll h PM(lClllarly th In tops a nd light braCln).! - but J( 's not n("(:es\.udy a CauSl' for co ncern. As N or man Blak" put It , "N('"e[ tr USt a g u itar WIthout a belly, " An.1 whl lt' thoSl' sl<'l;'l Stri ngs mlly apl)('af to '''St a gUI {;or's struCl ural ,n(t"g rlty, d'l'r .. Iso get II wllllmg wit h a f... t hroatier "o)(e (hao anything gu t (ould ever maoagt', and call ra nl (ulllrJy ht-Ip [hoS{' (hill_ topped , lig hdy-b roc("<. llht -rops sIIIg s wet' dy inJITd. HavlIlS and m faet
w t".. th..-.rcJ
bot h the man. lol m and uk ulell;' booms of th t" ("arly pa ri of , he (ent ufY,
~" n ~U l'll bur~l~
MaTfln was t'm .. nng
Its
of buS Iness III C'3Ch craz" that all ow('d th(' compa n y
ht'yd.l)'
In
low~ r-~ nd
accrpttlnc(' of
.[ ~ pr~SSlon
mO
.-" pa l\d.
t he I '}JOs WI( h tht" gUHa( fil m ly al fh" c.. n[ r~ of liS
bUSlnO'Ss. W h d.. , h" financial pllle h of the Ihe
(OJ
II pU" muslCians UnsuTj"", ng ly
hUS IIl ~SS ,
the
er~
me~n t
S-"lW tl (O ntlnlla lly WIde r
an m.H rllment, wh tlr Martlll ltsdf honed borh nrw anel .. ,," I lUg
m cxlels m fO ~\III~rs ,hal would bnome respected for all
tlm~ .
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~iattjn g UItars w~!'(' nnw M"[( I'fl/o: In (o (t n ,,,n const ructional and de<;;orat,vc standard_
lhat haw' rt'mamoo fumOllS am ong afk lonados. W h,J(> , h., most aiforda bl .. mo.:i('ls remai ne
Jo(ll'tars.
tl1O' n..1(1
rUlll:
u p now had a mahoga n y ha.- k and
sId"", mahogllny " ,,< I.:, fost'wood fi ngt' rlxlllrd ond brl(Jgr, and a spru«' top. Sprun' was tilt' standard throughout rhe range fur th., tonall y c ruCIa l pan of the UlSt rume n r , bu t
m Id-ran,!;!, "nu uppt", modl'ls gcn .. rJ lly
m ade w, t h fUS('w OO
W('ft'
pannt'rffi wn h an t'ixmy hruJgc and fingrrhoard. In addi tion
to .. ,[ahl'5h'"g
(CHam $tandards. Murtln also bega n
to
p ush thl"
boundaries III (fuClal waY$ For a tim .. rht" 000 _ )U" a m,d-sLlcJ g UItar hy today 's standa rds - had Mil t h~ comp nny ',\ lur;;:r sr 'conc('r\ " mudd . In llmll y at t h.. rt
and ba nI" pla}'('r Perry B~l h td , Ihls
W:1S
;Id aptt."d
al
t he enJ
of th ~
I 920s to carry
a n~ c k that ioill~d th ~ hoJy at t h~ 14 1h fl~ t t:lthl' r tlmn at rhe 12th, as was prrviousl y tilt' standard , which resul ted in th~ 'O rcht'st ra M(.d~l· N OM deSIgn . Ov~ r t h ~ next few y~ar,', thIS longer "t'"k woul d bceomt' , randard on mll,1 Ma rrIn model.. Th is t'volutlon had also ],rou,l:hr ro life the Jarllt'SI y(' t of Ihe Marti ns , alt hollgh a ' lIon _ Martin Martin' of si gnifica ml y W~~ I ~ r Ji m ells lolIS had exisud (" r a f('w years already_ In 191G j\fanin han made a lHl~ of unUSll:1IJy la r/j~, rhl c k- w'listtd , ",m('what p.:ar-shaf>t'n )i:uitars at th ~ 't'
wt'rc st('ad y rm,>u;i; h
(0
prove
th~
Inc-a had some
m~lit .
In
the lal., 1920s the DitMln company chan/!.,n ha nds and nast."d to oroer g UItars from Ma tti n, so Marlin tnok up Ihe flag Itsr lf, and by 193 1 was offering 0-1 and 0- 2 D readno ugh ts und e r
HS
I I
o wn na m~. At arou nd Ihe samc li me, country m us ic was
~um,"g bIg Sl uff hul h on rJd ,o and ,n I(l rg e dan crhal ls across tht'
COUn try, and fI'I:"'" larxe InStruments wrr(' O('(l r-mSlant successes wJlII many pro.~ ,,~b n~ the volumr rrq U1 rcJ
to
bt'll ou t thIS new m usIC.
Dreadnough t, qUIckl y Sl't t h.. ,tan
of St y It' s 18
to
4 2. III 19j8 rhey wt're JOlll('d by the 0-45 as a
prcxll\('tlo n modd, a
/!\ltlH
nc,"1y ""
tlaborate as Ihe ahalon e-
en(rusrt·d 12-frt·( verSI on of th e Sa rn~ mad c for singin,!; cowboy st ar Gt' ne Autry five rrars befo re, !Il1 llU, th t fancy en,!;r.."ed fingcrro1fd . Whli{' th~ sr pearl wonder.~ wo uln bc<:ome maflr a collector's g r{'at('st amlml o n. It was t il., homble D - I R t hat always achined the g fealrs, saJcs, an d
JIl
fan Ih(' mo re wor kmanhke styles
th(nughulI! tht' ronge hav., usually pro.'ed Ihe most pop ular AI tilt' height o(th., hl,ll-band eru. oflhe 1930s andeatly I 940s, Marli n flm..d with archt ops, whI ch
W ('rt'
proving So
,ucct'ssful for G ,bson , Eplphont', Grrt Kh and ol hers. It St't'ms the Mart Jll
WAS
alI't'ad y domg
so well wn h. W h~n Amen ca .,rnerrn Worl d War II in 1942, rhr archtop$ wt' rr drop ped, hand 10 han(1 w,th plt'my of olhcr ,han;.:cs , Th,s marks tht' .. nd of rhe real glory days . Mamn would nOI only
10
I
Ihr low . . { bo ut , writ' d ubbed ' D r~an nough g ' (or the"
wh ich appma{'ht'(] lGo aLI"" were no laging success,
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.. SurVIV(' , ht- urll v.,rsal cla mpdo wns t haI t ht' wa r mt-ant [or Amt'ft (an gUlt ... -m a k~ n , but would Ih ro\l(' a nd r., ma," , ht- mos t r<'spo::u'(1 aco" 5t ic bra nd the world ovt-r T ht- n >lnJXl ny would bUI ld somt' ;:r.,a t l! u l['.. r~ asal u afte r ,h., war, 11K), but no model would agam q ult(' r...ach tht' " p" omc of Irs fi)fm ~oug h l 10
a rg uabi ~'
until t h., h,storical fl"lssues of , h., mud t' rll ... ra
re- pro..luc(' V,"'3g r m"d.,h on preCIse- ,l<'ta IL
Wa r\l me- r('SI (ICftons In
lIa ft"u~
forms hll M a Tl on , and nt hr r m dke-I'$, hat.', s•.,..1 , o>uld 110
longer be uS<'<.1 for ntck rt'on fi m:t'mem, so , he
l on~--aba nd "nrd
ebon y
«" on forct' m~ n t ~tr lPS
wetc r<'lIlstated ; for . ht sa mt' r., ..sons, onl y on f(, fl o' nm.,rs could be sou rn·d , a nd ulhl lnne n )uld nn longer be
4 2 and
4~
ob(~ on('(t
In , h., q ua nt ities llt'cJ('d for t h., ti alH1rate trim r<'q uort"d hy St y)"
g UIt a rs, A lso. Ma nl n had ubtaJlled
11 5
dcl iu tt h., rring bone trim fro m G erma n y
sin,., '" l ~aH t he m idd k of tht' pr.,v IOus cr mu ry, bur On(t' s[()(-h had d ri ed up
If
(o uld nn
lontln uht"" , furt he r su pphcs fro m tht' f"ll~1I Eu ropean natl OIl aft.,. t he war. And ,n a co nSlru ({ lo nal l h "n/l~ , a trcnd fo r uson tl ht 3vy gaugr sted s(rintls ilk t' t h "., ~ flu <'d to big
OPI'<:ISITE PAG~ A
arch(ops fo r(~d Mar tlll to Stop scall opln tl I t~ top' support bnlCrs In 1944 , l ~avjn g Ih('m
1924, built for the rowiler Ditson. allUw Elvis Pres ley was a promine nt
th icker an, l ht- r't'r abl~ ti l support (h e su aln of a whopping .0I Jj " or . O l ~ " sO't , W ith 111('
Martin
heavy
s (rl n~s .nO'~~ w ~r~
(, Il ough 10 J.(t-I thO'
t'n tl r~ s h ~bm\g
ducker hmces d Id at top
H ill lou tl g uirars - wh.,n hi t ha rtl
l ~a "
d' ~{on' o n und~ . { ~"' lII n . ~H ln,;s ,
to m ctlJU m
1ll0Vj n,l(, th at i, - and the
P" 'V(" Llt ClICt'SS IV" ht- ll yln g and W b('o man y play.,rs rH Urtlctl
hHw.. v~r (wlu cil have o..'( om<: tht mote
popula r gn oge for la rh .. r flat -tOps o"cr (mw ), , h.. y fi )untl t he post _war Mom ns d ,d n't q Ultt' h3"(' the h ft', sparkl<: and ''''O!lanCe of tll(, H fo rdx'9.fS Alth" ugh ItS roster w{U SI,!; n lfirllmly rem txl 10 from dt'''g n Ix>om of (hI." 1928-4 2 (>rll od, M:m lO
w~ a t
rha.
con tln ll~d to
(a t<' wdl wot h mUSICI anS oncr II - antl Iht'
count ry - had rt'<.,,"r rI'J [rom (h(' mort Imm..dlalt' t'ffens of tht war
y~a" .
{on"nu!'d
A /l rl'\lt num br r of (ountry
to ,~t th~
&
w ..stern a rt IStS
pace 00 Mar li n D.ud nulIg hts , and t he
moJr l's [>oSllIo n as rhyt h m g Ullar ma Ins tay c" . riecl ove r 1010 roc k'n'ro ll (hrnugllOut t he 19, Os. than ks in no small p:on to El\'l s Prtslt'Y 's .,arl y !.l_S(· of a 0 - 18 a nd D-2 H. The fol k boo m of rhl' boo,lt d d'l'
s~lcs
ma k n , a nd t he
[,1.1~
1950s and earl y 1960s f,mh.,r
of l\m e n ca's pr.,-.,m in .. m ,"eousti, tlui tarincrc ~s('d
nlls on r,s htlpcd Martin w
t''Il<'f lmO'nt o nct' ag ain wit h inrro.luf in g nr w models. Pa rt of
t h~
e m hraClng of
("Jk ethos of Iht' 196(h
~ Jlnplt'r
gUll ars, what halle
things -
r Oy
-
t'a rl l ~r
tha t
a ge neral
and w holt Ma rt lll waS (ht'
fort'mosr h ra nd of the mOIl('m(' n r, II was 50 years or mort'
w a_~
tlmrs, mltsieai ., yleS,
W ('t'('
It,
modds of i O or
reall y thr tatge t of lhe
fol kocs' 10n';IIl/ol. 0 .. (h ... bae k of thIS CI'llZl:, t ht' com pan y successfull y Inrroc! uc.,d , ht' aus tC"r<' 0- 16 N Y and tht'1J 002 1NY (NY for ' Nt'''' Ym k', md lcallns g Ullars stylrd aft er t h.. SIm ple IIls twm cnt s I'roo ucr d und er Ma rl in's New Ym k la lx-I III . hO' .t'lIl tm;;! uced a n um br r of Olh.,r 12-frl't mood s , nOl pr...:i"r reIssues as tf)d ay, bu t g ult ars , ha. (a ptu r.,d ""me of the Ima,!;,; of mnd tls of t he M od~l., m (Jr~
,uch
~s
w,;
Hm()~),
a nd
k now th" tc rm
1 92 0~
and 19 30s
t n(' 0 -1 8S and D-2HS, and ot he r 00, 000 and OM Iypcs found favour wnh
thall a fcw Iratl(' rs of tht' f"lk scr ne _ oncJ ud m,!; t h., llk.,s of Pe(e Yarrow und TOIll
Pax ton _ und th(' dcm\ln d for thr s., r~ trH des ig ns was st(urecl . T he mid -1960s ai'l) sa w t hc
11
Martin deadnought
enth\.lsia~t.
0'1
I !lIGHT A Martin D-35 from 1968, CIHt1UI Tom whh h is D...adnought. e pitomised the ....1d-1960.
'.xton.
folk boom. OHOSITI! M(III David O'o,b,. .IWI Gra ham Nalh. shown In the Crosby Stili, & NaJh et".. bvowwd a pIIlr of D-45 • •
,m md unio n of the D -55, """h a r(', u rn 10 light", b ra( '"X and a (h rc('- p H'C'" rO'.... """od hack nmn::ived as a wa y of c"m ba'lng a slio rt llg(' of Ur-.. zol ,an fOSl"Wood plan ks w,d" ,," oug h for t hl" ma king of trad lu o nal (""0-1" ("(:(' bac k~ . Ma rr on ', gran, lest J rC"adnoux h t t H' n rNUrllcd
to
t il ... 'Kenc In 19h1l w ,,1i , h", ' <.'la unc h of fh .. 1)· 4') . H av ing sold
m Ol"("
, h:m 2.2,()()() gum,n:
In
1971. Mall in mo".,d onl y a round 8,0 00 units
III 1978- A workers' SI n k... of mort' Iha n ('Igh t rnnm h,
In
1977 Wa5 no d ou bt fXJ rtly
rt'spons,bk for "liS big d .. nr .n rh ... company's prod uction I... vds . bU I t he aCt"'.'llr mar kn was «('tta lllJy slOWing. Mo re pc ru n.. m fur IO
IS
tI.t' f~(t rh:"
H
IS
uOlve r5.tlly aS r~ ......-I tha t the company 's b." ld
q ua lHY was ,\!JppmS r h rou~hollt t hese yt-d r., h n~ of t he brand nOle this as " n ~ of the JOWt'SI t'bh, In Mar uo's ovem ll I m pr~"~l v~ ac h ievement . At tht' the decad e, Ma rlin had Bddcd a
roS"Wl~>C! pl a t~
" tart
of
heneath new g uita rs" bnd,!; ts,
anu ,,]so mHt ast'd th r thi cku C'.\s of til .. ~ n cl s of t he top bmces, all in an apparent bid
to
ad d furth rr stability to tht' Insrrum ents" top,~ . Th ~ Lh a n,!;ts made 1970s
Mart ins tVt n more r(", i"tall!
to
t ht' problems of bri d g ~" pulli n,!; up ward and
tops dlS (oning lI nd .. t th t' r ~ n S l on of h('~v j ~r "!ring ,!; aU,I;es , but they also d ampe d their VDICt"
wns lcl~mhly,
a nd p k lllf " f playns notiecJ a C('!talfl
coflS!ipa tcd sou nd and f.. ~ 1 lfl n(' w ('xaillpi t'. of tht' d ay. Anot her fa, lur, o nt' rh nt Man lll co uld do not hing about , drew a h ilt'
......---
und er Ihe (tl llt'( tah, l, ry of g uit ars (mm 19 70 onward
000000
Jll
m any fX"Opit"s
e yes . An em ba r,!;o Im l>OlcJ upon expurtll uf whol(' logs of Braz,l ,an toSl'W ( .. >C! In
1969 found moot ma kt' rs, Marron ,ncl uued, t umons 10
Ind ia n tOSt' woo<1 fot t he, r g UIt'. r bal' ks, Sides and fillgo>rbuards. I't'w pia}".-" would h;w(' noted II at t h.- limo:' _ and in fact rela ll vt'ly kw a[ an y li me could n:". llsli ca lly 1,Il'oofy any g T.-a. sunic t'll' - but Hmzlli an
I'OSC w ood h a.~
womr anOlheT
Ind'carlon of coUC1.'tabdu y In a v lnmgt g u it ar. Aml
12
U
,0
y~ a rs, pla yers could o nct' aga in lay rheir hanJs
Mor,l;wlls hr rr mgbo nf_ trJmm~d Marri n In th(' form o f th~ HD-28. h s insmm
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13
GUITAR HISTORY
~u(c{'ss when
showed that many plnyers were more
It Cdm"
tecov .. r}" -
f ht'
to
aCOIlStl("
IIl1 .. r.. ,rtil
,n lookong back" 'ard t han forward
,ks'gn and tr im, a nd - "frt'. a lew yru('S of re"dd jlL\l m ern and
'(',ssues programme woul d I,.. o n.. of t ht· com pany's more sun:..ssful
bU5lnt"ss
srnltt'g.es.
Not to say Ma run got chert' 311 at oon' , and
[ !it'
I'('(ov('ry
WdS
IIId....,d prt'uy toug h goong
fi,[ a n,w yrars . In 1982 th .. cnmf'llOY sh'Pl'>I"<1 only around 3,OOtl guita rs, It'Ss t han 15 pe r celli uf
I t,
ach l(C\"rml'"1l1 of JUS t I I }... ~n; prrvlOus. ThiS was prcuy much ( ht" honom ; rht"rt'
was nowh",.. w W' hut up, and fortuoatdy dlls
IS
gradua lly h.. ad~ T he resl of Ilir dc.::aJe offered bu t (he rr
w~r~
also
1~5so n s
IC'1l rfled
t h~t
whe ..: Martin was m Uft"
hard limes,
eVl'ntually saw a stronge r
Mart on t'nlt'ron).; Ihe 1990s, T ht' com pany had cxpc rmll'nu-d Wllh nl'W s!ylrs in 1981
In
th"
for m o f a s<'rtes of c utaw~y flat -tops, wh"h a numocr of com peti to rs had o ffe red [or yea rs, and a ldwu!{h Ih t'sr d.dn't catch on tertlbl y wr ll , Ih ey op<'lled
th~
dlKJr f" r mo rt- conremporary Manin d""gfl.,
w com('. Also, :1 eU<;WIll Shop prog ra mm(', stan('d in 197'}, fu nh"r r",nfo rc('d lhe th inking that ml,t", plaYI'rs w('rc interested 111 old (l n ~',
wtlh ord ers commg fast and tllld., for
).;l1l[H~ m a~k WIth (t'Jturl"
Ihal had ix-fo abandoned for many
Mar (Jos dum in new
d('(ade~ . T hest' wa~ Just a Inek lc compared to t h" ,' tandard
prod uction
mod t'l~,
Along Wit h IU lm IOJo(
a~:1I1n
bm oner 10
they lOdJCat oo a way forward.
on IWO s'ro nds Of l hlllk,ng - a pn n ,,;' of the r~(}rgani satIOIl
new, [,nund",d tty a rr(rlrval of the old - a t'xecu" ",," mnks h('l p<'d pOSl llon Maru n
to
of th('
comp("'(' wll h the
,yn rh t'S Is("r r"volu(Jon . fronk lI"rb"rt Ma rt m dt"partN as prcsldl'llt but h " furher, C.F ~b r tl n III , r"mamed lU cha ir man of th(' boord , and h,S son, C.F ~brtln IV (k now n "'. ChriS)" WlU MlOIl vou..! 111 a.~ In th(' hJnd s "f a fift h ,L:",nr ratlon Marun, the
V"'t' prrSld(,1l!
c"mpaoy was puillng Its(']f tog~ ( h~ r
to
mo,'r on.
1>-hmn 's fonun('$ hJ U lmprnved by Ihr ('arty 199Os, th~nks
to
both rh(' combu\eu ,' Ul-l-~'S~S of su m", n('w stanuard ~nd Iomllt"d t'd lfl on CuStOIll Shop modds, and ./I.kxi ca n_ mad~
fO
the surprismg uptak" of tht
MUrfin Bnc kpac kcr 1[3"('] glutarS int mduc"d at rhr
stan of th", d~("lId",. litH (h('r(' was more co lnp"tition in Ih", wings, HlO, W hll", aCO USI1C glllln rS w('re enjn ylll g a
r~n",weil
populanty,
larg t' bt{"'s of rh ar ch('rry were !x,ing tak"n by morr affordabk but _.u ll h',L:h -'1 lmhIY guuars (rom till' I lk ~s of Taylor, Takamine, and (){h~ rs . Thr plam 16 S('[I(,S gUl r ~r "ffer"d a Mart in at the lower ('nu
AKlvtl Chris Martin of Coldplay with" cutaway acoustk..lePI'ffi1l ,,o,
of t h(' upsea k malker , but thar sldl m('ant n hJgh -l'ud pnc" la,lS as far a.s many pLa~'ers '
StylI> 0 from 1%S,
a sl m p k but d l'gam -Iuol.:. n,L: Drrad nooght. It savoo 'fl.'t' b y "mploYlng Jammat('u sid('s _
bu< lh'C(S ,,"'('f(' conctm t"d. Martln 's rt'ply to (h(' )lfl C(' war a mi", ln 1993 though wit h a solid sprue",
10 1'
ami
m~ho~"1lny
In
the- furm of the- D·I,
oock - and I""" Iabuur-lllfrnslv(' G\ta lyseu
finish and mort l'" and [",nOn n('(k jom!, In COIlfr.tM
W
Ih" tradlnona l MartlllS ' nltrocellul.--
lac
In
burh construct ion and marenals
k nockt"d a Ol,!! chunk off ('v('n til(' D- 16\ pm I' rs,L:, and playns took up rhe n~w, mort' afford abl" Martin m th(' ,.
dtove.~.
A y"ar lalr r Mar un honwd III on a
n~w
rWIsr o n th ... n:-ISSUCS
g~ml',
by marktrm,l;
vllllagt-sryi eil or cuswm -u('slgnoo modt'Js und("r fa mous artIsts ' names and caHill,!! rhtm 'Slg narure F.d JlJOn· gu it ars.
Th~
nt'w anlS le prov1
~ x u~m",)y prec is(' anu so metlrn~., al,,, " CllSfOm- moddcd \Ipmarket Mart", rl'''"U~S , and us(',!
14
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•
I
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
,. Ihe slar pla yer a.~S(";J ~ I"m< w nud gr p n n n)S " I' a no rrh o r two furt hl'T th an ('~'('n a ~rnml nr<1 re ISSue ""g h , comm and . Th., I,ne rn-!(!." (j("nt" AUlry D-<15, and progl'('SSN to