Hi Folks,
During IGC 2016 the guys in Casa Consuelo were gabbing over coffee and the subject of CF Martin came up. I mentioned that I was planning a trip to Nazareth, Pa to take the factory tour. John and Chan being residents of Pennsylvania said they'd like to do that too, and asked me to let them know when I would be there and we could all meet for the tour.
On 10/19/16 we did just that. We paid extra for the "Behind The Scenes" tour and got to see the whole plant. We started at the wood receiving, drying, seasoning, cutting and storage area and went all the way through to quality control and final shipping. While waiting to begin the tour we sat and played some of their less expensive guitars in the waiting area. After the tour we were invited to go to the "picking parlor" and play their top of the line guitars (Authentic series models, and D45, D18, etc) all retailing for approx. $6,000 to $10,000. And of course we went to the gift shop and the Martin Museum.
It was a two hour tour and fascinating from beginning to end. My wife, who is not a guitar player and really has no interest in guitar making, went along with us. She was duly impressed (no not enough to bless me getting a D45 )
While we were waiting for the doors to open for the day, Chris Martin came strolling in to start his day. I introduced myself and thanked him for making such beautiful instruments. He said "you don't have to thank me, thank all my workers, they are the ones who make it all happen." We soon learned that was absolutely the case. I've never seen a happier and more dedicated staff than what we saw and heard. During the tour, they were all happy to tell us what, why and how they were doing their jobs.
No, I didn't buy another Martin... yet... but someday maybe...if I win the lottery, I'll call Mark Smith in their custom shop and together we will design my Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce D45 ... :ohmy:
Here's a couple pictures of John, Chan and I:
Waiting for the tour
World's biggest Martin Guitar
"Pulled Into Nazareth...."
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Sounds like a wonderful day! Thanks for sharing your experience. I am sure that D45 will be under the tree at Christmas B)
Bart
Bart
- auntlynnie
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Fantastic!
Glad you all got to go there together!
Glad you all got to go there together!
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Sounds great guys..wish i could have been there with you for this one !!!!
/ david
/ david
That tour is fantastic,we have been there many times. My sister lives in Bethlehem Pa,so not far away. I have a Martin and love it. It is fun to go into the picking parlor and play the high end Martins..Glad you had a great time, next time try the little Italian restaurant(can't remember the name) that's right up the street
Kenny
Kenny
Bill, Thanks for setting up this tour. John and I live an hour or so away and have talked about going for years. It was great to catch up with you and meet your wife on your excursion into Pa. The tour was incredible and I could have spent a lot more time in the museum. Later that evening, Bonnie and I, John and some other friends had the pleasure of seeing Murial Anderson at a small local venue. Those who attended the first IGC camp will remember Murial, the incredible harp guitarist. Her show is amazing and features both her Harp guitar but a lot of material on a standard guitar (fingerstyle). Her show is a multi-media presentation telling stories of her travel worldwide, which adds an element unlike any other performance I have ever seen. If you have a chance to see her, I highly recommend it.
Chan
Chan
Bill, John and Chan--
I'm glad to see the three of you together since the IGC. What a great idea you had! I'm just getting around to commenting on the post because I've been in PA all weekend myself visiting my daughter at college. I just Googled it and see that Nasereth is about an hour from where we are. Maybe another trip. Fun pictures too!
Thanks for sharing your fun with us.
I'm glad to see the three of you together since the IGC. What a great idea you had! I'm just getting around to commenting on the post because I've been in PA all weekend myself visiting my daughter at college. I just Googled it and see that Nasereth is about an hour from where we are. Maybe another trip. Fun pictures too!
Thanks for sharing your fun with us.
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What a nice trip that must have been. Great to see the photos of you guys.
Ted
Ted