The 1942 Martin D-18 (#81197) once owned by Lester Flatt, which we reported on last spring, has been listed for sale by auction at Heritage Auctions online. As the story goes, this is the guitar that Lester bought when he joined
CF Martin
A discussion with Martin CEO Thomas Ripsam
Just as our week at the 2023 IBMA World of Bluegrass convention was coming to a close at the end of last month, we had what may have been the most unique opportunity provided by this annual get-together, roughly an
Lester Flatt’s 1942 Martin D-18
Readers so enjoyed our feature last week on Earl Scruggs' D-18 Martin guitar, that we thought we would post this report from Matthew Tessier and Alan W. Tompkins about Lester Flatt's earlier model D-18. It was recently published on the
Diane Martin passes
The millions of members of the Martin guitar family are mourning today, with news that Diane Repyneck Martin, wife of Chris Martin, C.F. Martin & Co Executive Chairman, passed away on January 4 following a 10 year bout with breast
Martin Guitar shop back in business
C.F. Martin and Co. is back in business. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf lifted stay-at-home orders for the entire state, effective Friday. That means nearly all businesses can operate, with some restrictions, in all 67 counties. Northampton County, where the iconic guitar
Martin hopes for nod to resume guitar building
It looks like C.F. Martin and Co. will soon resume making its iconic guitars at its Nazareth, PA, factory. Manufacturing, shipping, and repair operations came to a halt on March 19, when Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, ordered all non-essential business
New Martin Guitar warehouse coming in Pennsylvania
C.F. Martin & Co. is preparing to make what it is calling its “biggest capital investment” ever. The company, beloved in bluegrass circles and beyond for its top-of-the-line acoustic guitars, has announced plans for a 200,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center
Original Martin factory added to National Register of Historic Places
The original Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth, PA has just been listed on The National Register of Historic Places. This is the property known within the company as The North Street plant, located at the intersection of North and Main streets
Help North Carolina flood victims with a custom Martin guitar
Most everyone in the country has by now seen the dire and desperate images from eastern North Carolina, where flooding related to Hurricane Florence last month has caused literal devastation. Entire communities were underwater for days, and major highways and
Martin introduces Authentic Acoustic strings
During last week's World of Bluegrass convention, the Martin guitar company introduced a new and improved line of guitar strings which they have branded as Authentic Acoustic. Martin had a major presence in the trade show exhibit hall, the first