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
August 2018 WorshipMusician. com
55