By David Gedge
MY FAVORITE MARTIN
700,000 Martins
Hal Leonard's The Martin Archives
The Martin Archives is a unique inside
look into Martin's reign as America's
oldest and most revered guitar maker,
viewed through a selection of images,
documents, and reproduced artifacts
chosen from some 700,000 items the
company has amassed over nearly two
centuries from their headquarters in
Pennsylvania. Many of these artifacts
have lain unseen in the Martin's attic or
vault for generations. From the concert
halls of the pre-Civil War United States
to the Grand Ole Opry stage to
Woodstock, Coachella, and beyond,
Martin's instruments have been on hand
to give voice to over a century of performances.
With a forward by Graham Nash, The
Martin Archives offers insights into those
instruments and the people who made
46 illinoisentertainer.com december 2016
them, as well as the times the Martins
lived through. And, beyond what can be
found on its pages, The Martin Archives
also contains pockets with reproductions
of illuminating bits of its history, including old company records, letters from
stars such as Gene Autry and Jimmie
Rodgers, the purchase order for the first
D-45 guitar, a handwritten history of the
company on its 100th birthday by Frank
Henry Martin, and other palpable
delights.
In his preface, acclaimed Martin
Museum Director and historian Dick
Boak writes, "As you flip through the
pages of this book,
realize that you are
taking a rare peak
into the highlights of
Martin's evolutionary position within
and influence upon
American musical
culture."
The history of C.F. Martin & Co.
spans nearly two centuries and more
than 2 million guitars. Few companies
have been around this along and fewer
still had the foresight to so carefully preserve their history as Martin has. The
Martin Archives is a glimpse into that history and a book no acoustic guitar
enthusiast will want to be without.
MSRP is $45 for the hardcover edition.
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