flourishing company culture . It is palatable as you walk through the building that great leadership resides there .
As we came to another display case Chris said something I wasn ’ t expecting to hear , “ One of the things we don ’ t get enough credit for , we were the first company to amplify acoustic guitars . But because we have gone through so many variations ( of pick-up systems ), and ultimately at the end of the day , we are known as an acoustic guitar company . We don ’ t get enough credit for the focus we have put on trying to amplify the acoustic guitar .” When asked what the key is to amplifying acoustic guitars , Chris added , “ The best way is to get a good guitar , get a good pick-up , and get a good PA . If any one of those three aren ’ t good – the other two almost don ’ t matter !”
As he prepared to wrap up the tour , Chris shared the following with us , “ And I will leave you with the biggest challenge we are facing today . It is the procurement of raw materials .
There is a reason they are called ‘ rare exotic timbers ’ – because they are . We have done a marvelous job of convincing all of you that a fine guitar should be made from rosewood , mahogany , ebony and spruce . They are all under pressure . Shame on us , when we should have been planting trees , we weren ’ t . Even if we wanted to , they probably wouldn ’ t have allowed it . But that is changing dramatically . There is a great deal of appreciation now of these exotic old trees . We are working with indigenous folks about sustaining forestry and how it isn ’ t all that complicated . Sometimes it is just letting mother nature do her thing – don ’ t turn this into a cattle ranch ! Harvest the mature old trees , then walk away . Go away and come back and there is a sapling . Yeah , that is how it works . It is a work in progress . There is a lot of regulation today which is generally a good thing ”.
As Chris graciously thanked us for coming and we gave him a round of much deserved applause for his insightful commentary . Straight from the CEO himself !
Shortly thereafter , the Martin brand of hospitality went up another notch . They brought out the keys to the displays and pulled out the ‘ holy grail ’ of all acoustic guitars , a 1942 D-45 ! This treasured instrument is the acoustic equivalent of a flame top 1959 Les Paul ‘ burst ’. Rare and valuable ! Once I had this iconic instrument in my hands I could see ( and hear ) why this prized treasure is as storied as it is . I finally found a Martin guitar that sounds bigger and richer than my own . The sound of it filled the museum room . Another unexpected bucket-list moment .
Wow ! I guess that after publishing Worship Musician for seventeen years there are some heartwarming perks to be had … thank you Lord !
THE FACTORY TOUR
With the D-45 safely back in its glass display case , and the museum tour behind us , we
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