Martin Guitars refers to the facilities and activities offered by C. F. Martin & Co. at 510 Sycamore Street in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. C. F. Martin & Co. is a guitar manufacturing company that was established by Christian Frederick Martin in 1833. Martin Guitars includes the Martin Guitar Museum, the 1833 Shop, the Visitors Center, factory tours, and the Guitarmaker's Connection.
The Martin Guitar Museum brings music history, craftsmanship, and culture together. The entrance to the Martin Guitar Museum is located in the Visitors Center. There is no charge for admission to the museum. The museum displays over 200 rare, vintage guitars. Guitars displayed include Stauffer and Ditson models as well as D-45 Pre-War and Smartwood models. The museum tells the Martin story and also includes a collection of photographs, memorabilia, and other objects. In addition, the museum honors music artists like Gene Autry, Elvis, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, and others who created music history.
The entrance to the Martin Guitar Museum is located in the Visitors Center. The Visitors Center has a gallery wall of famous Martin owners. In addition, the Visitors Center is home to the Pickin' Parlor and the 1833 Shop. The 1833 Shop is considered the official source of merchandise that carries the Martin brand. The 1833 Shop sells guitars, strings, posters, books, guitar cases, apparel, novelties, collectibles, and accessories. The Pickin' Parlor is a place where visitors can play some of the Limited Edition Martin models and some of Martin's high-end models. Warranty and non-warranty repairs on Martin instruments can be obtained at the Visitors Center. Repairs available include fret work, electronic installations, refinishing, neck resets, structural repairs, custom work, and more.
The Martin Guitar Museum and Visitors Center are open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Visitors have the opportunity of touring the original Martin factory and the Martin Homestead on North Street. Guided factory tours begin in the Visitor Center's lobby.
Factory tours allow visitors to witness the craftsmanship used and the detail necessary to make Martin guitars. In order to make one Martin guitar, more than 300 separate steps are taken. Public tours are offered Monday through Friday from 11:00am to 2:30pm. There is no charge for public tours, and public tours are approximately one hour long. Group tours are offered Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 10:30am. There is a nominal charge for groups of 10 or more. Reservations are required for groups and can be made by calling 610-759-2837. Group tours usually take about one and a half hours.
The original Martin factory houses the Guitarmaker's Connection. The Guitarmaker's Connection sells items that can be hard to find and features guitar making kits, luthier tools, guitar parts, guitar accessories, and books on guitar repair and instruction. The Guitarmaker's Connection is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Martin Guitars is closed most holidays, and hours of operation are subject to change at any time. Additional information about the facilities, hours, and activities offered can be obtained by calling 610-759-2837 Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm (excluding national US holidays).
