| Already in business for more than one hundred | | | | Martin's personal records contain numerous entries |
| and seventy years, the Martin Guitar Company | | | | of trading musical merchandise for everything |
| sells acoustic guitars that are considered among | | | | from a case of wine to children's clothing. New |
| the best musical instruments in the world. The | | | | York City's teeming Lower East Side was a harsh |
| company has continuously managed to thrive in | | | | environment that was a world apart from the |
| the ever-changing music industry. From the | | | | pastoral Saxony where Martin and his family grew |
| creations of C. F. Martin, Sr. of the 1830's to the | | | | up. |
| latest developments introduced by C. F. Martin IV, | | | | In the ensuing years, the company experienced |
| the family-run business has achieved remarkable | | | | several exciting commercial and technological |
| feats, reflecting six generations of guitar making. | | | | breakthroughs. Historical records show C.F. Martin |
| C. F. Martin is definitely an indisputable leader in the | | | | and company selling guitars through high profile |
| music industry. | | | | retailers in New York City, and through other |
| The story behind one of America's most famous | | | | busy ports of call. Additionally, guitars showed up |
| guitars began on January 31, 1796, in | | | | along many cities serviced by waterways, as this |
| Markneukirchen, Germany, with the birth of | | | | was prior to the railroads crossing the continent. |
| Christian Frederick Martin, Sr. Born into a long line | | | | Martin's shipping records made frequent mention |
| of cabinet makers, Christian Frederick took up the | | | | of sales in Boston, Albany, Philadelphia, Richmond, |
| family craft at the early age of 15, when he left | | | | Petersburg, Nashville, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and |
| his hometown and traveled to Vienna to | | | | New Orleans. Business in the period was obviously |
| apprentice with Johann Stauffer, a renowned | | | | satisfactory, for in an advertisement in 1850 the |
| guitar maker. | | | | company declared, "C. F. Martin Guitar Maker, |
| Accepted business practices in the early days of | | | | respectfully informs the musical public generally |
| making a Martin guitar were far removed from | | | | that the great favor bestowed upon him has |
| today's methods and reflected a simpler society. | | | | induced him to enlarge his factory, in order to |
| Barter was common in the retail trade. C. F. | | | | supply the increasing demand for his instruments. |