Christian Frederick Martin trained under the Viennese guitar maker Johann Georg Stauffer before leaving Europe's restrictive guild system behind and setting up shop in New York in 1833; the company moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in 1839 and has stayed there ever since. Martin's X-bracing system and the dreadnought body shape, both developed in the following decades, became the template most steel-string acoustic guitars still follow today. It remains family-owned six generations later, building roughly 193 guitars a day alongside a museum holding over 170 historic instruments. New signature acoustics for artists across country, folk and rock, plus the occasional anniversary or heritage reissue, are what we cover most. Here's what we've written.
Martin's LX2 'Life is Good' travel acoustic combines solid spruce, HPL construction, and laser-etched artwork. Perfect for campfires and the couch
Leaks, deals and reviews in your inbox, once a week. No spam, just gear.
C.F. Martin & Company was established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin in New York City and moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1839, where it still is. It is one of the oldest continuously operating instrument makers in the world and is still led by the founding family, with C.F. Martin IV as executive chairman.
The letter and number before the dash is the body size and shape — D for dreadnought, OM for orchestra model, 000, 00 and so on — and the number after it is the appointment level. A D-28 and a D-18 are the same body with different woods and trim; a 000-28 and a D-28 share the trim but not the size.
The rosewood dreadnought that became the standard against which flat-top acoustics are measured, particularly in bluegrass and country. The D-18 is its mahogany counterpart — drier and more focused where the D-28 is broader and louder in the bass.
No. The main line is built in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, but Martin also produces more affordable ranges overseas, including in Mexico. The model designation tells you which — check the series before assuming a Martin headstock means a Pennsylvania build.
