The age of a brand can tell a story about its success. And nothing tells a story better than a song. Martin & Co was established in 1833, and according to the brand, “our guitars were strummed by Civil War soldiers around campfires.”
The company has been owned by the Martin family since its establishment, dating back six generations. The founder, Christian Frederick Martin, made his first strummer in 1833. The family likes to claim that CF Martin even “invented” the guitar. Although the instrument certainly dates back further than that, CF Martin has made innumerable contributions to the evolution of guitar design. Today, the brand is led by sixth-generation descendent, CF Martin IV.
Their list of famed artists is plentiful and includes names such as Shawn Mendes, Ben Earle of The Shires, Brandy Clark, Brett Denney, Colbie Cadillac, and many more. Located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, is the Martin Guitar Museum. It showcases a wide array of guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, and tools from the company’s storied history. There’s a lot to learn about Martin Guitars, first and foremost being: where are they made today?
Verdict: Are Martin Guitars Made in the USA?
Only some Martin Guitars are made in the USA. Martin Guitars are made in the United States and Mexico.
Martin keeps their manufacturing simple. Their guitars are made in only two locations, one being here in the US! Furthermore, Martin makes it easy to find out where each of their models is manufactured.
Easily located in their FAQ section is the following information:
You won’t find a tag on the manufacturing location on individual product pages, but if you shop with the above categories in mind, you can easily filter your search. For a breakdown of USA-made ukuleles, you can reach out to customer service to verify the country of origin.
Martin operates their factory in Navojoa, Mexico, in partnership with Mexican company, Mo-Mex. They have been producing their cheaper guitars and some strings with this company for over 35 years. The Mo-Mex website offers an in-depth look at their manufacturing process and partnership with Martin.
The US-based Martin manufacturing plant is located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. And you can visit it. In fact, they’ll even host you on a 1-hour guided tour…and they do this SIX times a day. There aren’t many companies out there that will offer to take you behind the scenes and peek into their building practices.
Could you get any more transparent than that? At the same address, you can stroll through the Martin Guitar Museum and visit their 1833 Shop to purchase products and brand SWAG.
This is how information should be offered to the consumer. It shouldn’t take a professional sleuth to tromp through the bowels of the internet to figure out where a product is manufactured. We see this information as integral as stating the type of material a product is made from. So, we extend a thank you to Martin Guitars for keeping it real. When you’re ready to “Unleash your inner artist,” you can start your guitar hunt at Martin.
Popular American Made Martin Guitars
- D-45 Modern Deluxe
- OM Biosphere
- D-42 Special
Popular Martin Guitars Not Made in the USA
- D-X1E
- The Martin Backpacker
- SC-10E
