Martins designs for the shape and construction of these instruments have influenced virtually every other manufacturer, and the flattop guitar as we know it today is essentially the same as that established by martin in the 1850s. Its a 0 concert body size with a 28 series styling. Starting with the early days in new york circa 1833, the story of martin guitars comes to life in this longawaited revision of the original martin guitars. Top 5 great new musical artists who play martin guitars. Martin company has produced some of the finest flattop acoustic guitars in the world. Learn complete history of martin guitars in redesigned. Martin apprenticed to johann georg stauffer, a wellknown guitar maker in vienna, austria. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. Im sure youll find our expertise with all martin shapes and sizes invaluable. A brief guide to martin guitar models and nomenclature.
Aug 22, 2014 a martin acoustic guitar is the beloved instrument of millions of fans and famous players worldwide. They can be some of the best sounding guitars out there and can be bought for reasonable prices. Production facts and figures along with guitar details make it the resource book for martin guitars. A brief guide to martin guitar models and nomenclature the 1830s, when c. A glance at martins serial number log from this period shows a lot of 0 and 00 models, including style 42 and 45, that were noted as having been shipped with steel strings. Martin music specializes in high end acoustic guitars including goodall, taylor, bourgeious, collings, and larrivee. This set of books on martin guitars is a must have for anyone who plays a martin. One of those 8000 guitars is this 1890s martin 028 flattop.
Thats a tall order seeing that gene autry and eddie vedder of pearl jam are also martin fans. Jun 16, 2010 according to the blue book of acoustic guitars, martin estimated that 8000 guitars had been built between 1833 and 1898, so he commenced the serialization with number 8000and it still continues today. Martin guitars a history revised and updated book 1 by richard. Martin returned to his hometown after completing training and opened his own guitarmaking shop. A technical reference, by johnston, boak and based on the historical research of longworth, c f martin had made a few 12fret dreadnoughts in the early 1930s. So, in the interest of being a bit more lighthearted than choosing between kirk hammett of metallica and eric clapton, we wanted to bring to light a few new artists who craft their sound with the help of martin guitars. Use this site for a pricing guide and source of information on all guitars. Book one, a history is an indepth and vividly photographed view of c. For that matter a history of the guitar itself might be interesting. By the age of 15, according to the book martin guitars. Featuring a bound 22fret pattern vintage neck and slightly thicker back for more enhanced tone and sustain, the mccarty 594 plays in tune, is intonated the entire length of the neck, and feels like a guitar youve been playing forever.
The martin 15 series guitars fall somewhere in the middle of martins range of guitars. Jun 14, 2019 when it was first introduced, however, it wasnt well received, as the body was bigger than previous models. It is informative with tons of facts and history of the martin guitar company and the many models produced since 1833. The founder of martin guitar, christian frederick martin sr. When levon helm of the band sang i pulled into nazareth, was feelin about half past dead in the weight, he wasnt alluding to a weary pilgrims desire for salvation. Starting with the early days in new york circa 1833, this fabled story comes to life in the longawaited revision of the seminal martin history book. A martin acoustic guitar is the beloved instrument of millions of fans and famous players worldwide. Martin s designs for the shape and construction of these instruments have influenced virtually every other manufacturer, and the flattop guitar as we know it today is essentially the same as that established by martin in the 1850s.
Originally published in 1975, this new edition is completely updated and redesigned by wellknown industry experts. Starting with the early days in new york circa 1833, this. I know that there have been more recent book updates on the makes and models, but was very curious as to what this book might be worth to a martin collector or affectionado. Whether youre looking for a smallbodied martin or dreaming of a dreadnought, contact us before investing in your next martin guitar. I think the definitive books on martin guitars would be martin guitars. Jun 29, 2018 the martin 15 series guitars fall somewhere in the middle of martins range of guitars. Click on a series below to view all martin guitars in that category. Martin experienced the same strain during those years. Ive seen a number of each online, but its hard to tell what a book is like, so i figured id ask the experts. Martin guitars a history by longworth mike abebooks. An illustrated celebration of americas premier guitarmaker by jim washburn and richard johnson.
Martin has been producing high quality acoustic instruments since 1833. Each item is rated 5 best score through 1 save your money, just click on the martin guitar model link below to view. A history by mike longworth and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. This book details virtually every martin guitar produced right up to the present, including 2004. The mccarty 594 is a versatile, vintageinspired instrument that is effortlessly playable. It is highly respected for its acoustic guitars and is a leading manufacturer of flat top guitars. A martin acoustic guitar is the beloved instrument of millions of fans and.
Originally published in 1975, this new edition is completely updated and redesigned by wellknown industry expertsmore. A scrapbook of treasures from the worlds foremost acoustic guitar maker. This book details virtually every martin guitar produced right up to the present, including 2004as onemillionth guitar. Richly illustrated, this hal leonard book covers the martin story right up to fifthgeneration president chris martin iv. However, there were a few features that commonly incorporated in most of c. Guaranteed low price on martin authentic series acoustic guitars. The book also contains many fine photographs illustrating the martin line from the beginning until the mid 1990s when the book was written. Until the mid1840s, martin guitars were characterized by a headstock that had all the tuning keys on one side. This book details virtually every martin guitar produced right. Learn complete history of martin guitars in redesigned, updated. And others who wooed and won their true love with the help of a serenading martin guitar the only thing guitars were good for, according to some snooty nineteenthcentury.
I dont know very much about martin guitars from the 1990s, so i was wondering 1 what you guys think about the price and, generally speaking, the quality of martin guitars particularly d45s from mid1990s and 2 how the materials and production methods have changed since the. Find the current blue book value and worth of your new and used guitars, both acoustic, electric and amplifier. Martin, senior immigrated to new york city from germany, was a decade of innovation in guitar making. Martin used, 1936 d18 acoustic guitar tag n o 323236 used. Of course, given martins focus on high end guitars, the 15 series guitars are of very high quality and will still set you back a reasonable chunk of cash to buy one. The early martin guitars were totally handcrafted products, made on a onebyone basis, and there was little standardization. The number one source of guitar and amplifier pricing and information so you can find the price and value of your used guitars and amplifier. Growing up in a cabinet making family, he continued a family tradition and learned how to make a guitar from his father. When levon helm of the band sang i pulled into nazareth, was feelin about half past dead in the. Martin guitars from the 70s tend to have a lousy reputation, such that their values are probably as low as theyll ever get.
Martin guitars a history by longworth, mike and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Old martin guitars tend to be worth a great deal of money, and as such, it is important to be able to determine the model and serial number of your guitar in order to correctly ascertain its value. This book details virtually every martin guitar produced right up to the present, including 2004s onemillionth guitar. Most of the acoustic guitar brands gibson, guild, martin in the 70s really struggled. For luthiers like me its a great reference to recreate some of martins greatest attributes.
It is the soft cover version of martin guitars a history by mike longworth 1975 edition. The twovolume set is available from the 1833 shop on. Martin 15 series guitars overview six string acoustic. Its in very good condition and hopefully the pictures illustrate that somewhat. At maurys music we care about what our customers have to say about the martin guitars we sell. Martin guitars a history revised and updated book 1 by. Written by richard johnston and dick boak, the longawaited revision of the martin history book, is completely updated and redesigned.
Martin made a lot of guitars in the 70s more than they had ever made in the past. The story behind one of americas most famous guitars began on january 31, 1796, in markneukirchen, germany, with the birth of christian frederick martin, sr. Martin was the first major maker to build guitars specifically for the style, with a straight nonangled noncompensated saddle and flush frets. We decided to look into what makes martin guitars so damn good. Subsequently, the company increased the production of steel strings. According to the blue book of acoustic guitars, martin estimated that 8000 guitars had been built between 1833 and 1898, so he commenced the serialization with number 8000and it still continues today. Thats why the boutique market started back then with brands like santa cruz and taylor. The two book set is one that i feel is a necessity for a martin fan, guitar geeks in general, and anyone interested in the guitar s and martins place in history. Ive been casting about for a book or books about the history of martin guitars. The story of the longest enduring guitar manufacturer. Martin is highly regarded for its steelstring guitars, and is a leading mass manufacturer of flattop acoustics with models that retail for thousands of dollars and vin. The company has also made mandolins and as well as several models of electric guitars and electric basses, although none of these other instruments are. An 1834 spruce, maple, ebony, ivory and motherofpearl guitar built by c. After 1900, louder and more percussive guitars became more popular, which led to the popularity of metal strings.
Jun 12, 2018 the two book set is one that i feel is a necessity for a martin fan, guitar geeks in general, and anyone interested in the guitar s and martins place in history. Interesting combination of materials, anyway all of them are more environmentally friendly that whacking down trees, i suppose, and martin only uses these materials on their lower priced but still high quality guitars. Starting with the early days in new york circa 1833. This book combs through martin guitar history from the very start of the company all the way to current day. It was at this time that the acoustic guitar assumed its modern form.
This charming childrens story will delight music lovers of all ages. Born into a long line of cabinet makers, christian frederick took up the family craft at the early age of 15, when he left his hometown and traveled to vienna to apprentice with johann stauffer, a renowned guitar maker. A history is part of a 2book set that covers the people, the places, and the stories of an american icon. Starting with the early days in new york circa 1833, this fabled story comes to life in the longawaited revision of the seminal martin history book originally published in 1975, this new edition is completely updated and redesigned by wellknown industry experts. Understanding martin model designations one mans guitar. But they also offered some models with regular frets and a convertible saddle. A history is part of a 2 book set that covers the people, the places, and the stories of an american icon. We delve into the world of martin guitars and uncover some of the lesserknown facts about one of the most popular acoustic guitar brands in the world. This does not mean that 70s martins are to be avoided. Most of martins hawaiianstyle guitars were made from hawaiian koa and did not have the h in the name.