C.F. Martin & Co.
Ed Gerhard knew that there was something special about playing the guitar when he heard Andrés Segovia play on TV when he was 10 years old. He took a few lessons from a music store but learned most of his beginning skills from one of his neighbors. Ed has a unique playing style - combining the...
Elliot Easton often visited Grayson's Music in Long Island, New York as a kid. He ordered his first custom left handed electric guitar from Mr. Grayson, who always treated Elliot with kindness. Years later, after Elliot's rock band, The Cars, had notoriety, he reunited with Mr. Grayson at a NAMM...
Don McLean walked into the House of Music in New Rochelle, New York as a kid dreaming of owning a Martin Guitar. When he finally owned one, that instrument assisted him in writing several hit songs. The rock and roll anthem "American Pie" and "Vincent" were both written on his Martin, as were...
Jim Washburn took on a writing assignment as a journalist for a newspaper about the electric guitar, which led to a series of books and articles that has documented a significant chapter of the music products industry. While writing these stories, Jim was able to meet and interview a long list of...
Richard Gellis remembers the early days of the vintage guitar movement when greater value was being placed on "used instruments." As his small store grew in Santa Cruz, California, so did his reputation for knowledge and customer services that helped make Union Grove Music the go-to place for...
Ledward Kaapana grew up in Hawaii with his twin brother, surrounded by musical passion. His parents, grandparents and several aunts and uncles played and sang, and Ledward can recall his excitement when he was asked to play along with the ukulele. As he grew he played in several local bands and...
David Magagna had an incredible career selling guitars for some of the biggest names in the industry. He worked for the government out of high school and attended college in Georgetown before coming into the music industry by way of the C.F. Martin & Company. The year was 1962. David became...
Bob Shane was among the most influential performers of the folk music boom of the late 1950s and 60s. As an original member of the Kingston Trio, Bob was at the cornerstone of the American folk explosion that helped define a generation and inspired millions to make music by picking up a guitar or...
Debra Karlowitch likes to tell people that she started working at C.F. Martin & Company the same week Chris Martin joined full time! At the time of her NAMM Oral History interview in 2013 she was nearing her 40th year with the company. She might also tell you, with great pride, that because...
Chris Thomas has worked in several areas of the C.F. Martin & Company factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Chris worked in the binding department among others before having the opportunity to work with Dick Boak in Artist Relations. Chris has worked with many of Martin's most recent artists to...