Christian Frederick Martin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Image:Lgmartin.jpg Christian Frederick Martin, Sr. (January 31, 1796 – February 16, 1873) was a luthier who specialized in guitars. Martin, who was born in Markneukirchen, Germany to a family of cabinet makers, became an apprentice of the guitar maker Johann Stauffer of Vienna, Austria.<ref>C.F Martin & Company. Our Story - Chapter 1: The C.F. Martin Story. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref>

As a result of a dispute between the Cabinet Makers Guild, of which Martin was a member, and the Violin Makers Guild, Martin moved to the United States in 1833. Martin started his first guitar shop in New York City on the Lower East Side. This shop was the forerunner of C. F. Martin & Company, which is still family owned and operated as of 2006.

At his wife's insistence, Martin moved the guitar shop in 1838 to Nazareth, Pennsylvania where it is still located.<ref>Smithsonian.org. Special, Music, Industry, History -- Martin Guitar Company. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref>

Martin's guitar construction and design innovations produced a model of flattop guitar that is still in use today.<ref>FieldTrip.com. C.F. Martin, Sr.. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref>