The Martin Guitar Factory Tour
June 10, 2026
For more than 10 years, we have lived within a 30-minute drive of the Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth, PA. I used to play guitar, so it was about time to actually see how one of the preeminent acoustic guitar makers makes its instruments (Spoiler: a lot of skilled craftspeople are critical to the process).
C.F. Martin & Co. has been building acoustic guitars since 1833, when German immigrant Christian Frederick Martin founded the company in New York City. In 1839, Martin relocated to Nazareth, and today the company's headquarters is located a few blocks from the original building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
Today, Martin's Nazeresth factory produces around 50,000 guitars a year. The Nazareth factory is also home to Martin's Custom Shop, established in 1979, a company store, and also houses the Martin Guitar Museum, which displays more than 170 historic instruments. The company is widely regarded as one of the most influential builders of steel-string flattop acoustic guitars in the world.
The photos below were taken during the factory tour, which lasts around an hour, and are listed in roughly tour order. After the tour, we visited the museum and then their Martin store, where various guitar models were on display and playable.
Click on the photos below to enlarge.
Martin Guitar Entry Sign
C.F. Martin, founded in 1833, moved to Nazareth 6 years later. Its current factory headquarters was built in 1964.
Top Assembly Diagram Two
The display's second panel shows how shifting the X-brace closer to the soundhole changes a guitar top's bass response.
Gluing Bracing On Back
Workers hand-glue braces onto the back panel, reinforcing the wood while preserving the flex needed for resonance.
Clamped Body Rim Assemblies
Clamped rim assemblies rest in factory racks while their glued joints set, a step before the tops and backs are attached.
Racks Of Guitar Bodies
Guitar bodies rest in racks between production stages, part of Martin's high-volume factory workflow in Nazareth.
Necks On Racks
CNC-shaped necks wait here on racks for the hand-finishing work that fine-tunes each neck's profile and heel angle.
Custom Shop Inlay Work
Custom Shop artisans hand-cut inlays like mother-of-pearl and abalone under magnification for one-of-a-kind guitars.
Martin Penguin Top Guitar
Martin's 2026 Biosphere IV, painted by artist Robert Goetzl, depicts emperor penguins to support the Global Penguin Society.
CNC Cutting Fronts Backs
Guitar tops and backs are cut to precise shape and thickness by computer-controlled machines before bracing is added.
Rim Assembly Panel
This display shows how bent sides are joined into a rim, reinforced inside, and glued together with many, many clothespins.
Guitar Bodies Await Finishing
Fully assembled guitar bodies wait in this staging area before moving on to sanding and the finishing department.
Robot Polishing Guitar Body
A robotic buffing machine polishes each guitar's lacquer finish, giving every instrument a consistent, glossy shine.
Finished Necks Ready
Finished, sanded necks are staged at this point, ready to be joined to their matching bodies at final assembly.
Martin Museum Exhibit Display
Martin's museum displays over 170 historic guitars, including the 1,000,000th Martin ever made, set with 142 gemstones.
Top Assembly Diagram One
This wall display explains X-bracing, the crisscrossing brace pattern C.F. Martin invented to define a guitar's tone and strength.
Top And Back Bracing
Braces are carved and fitted to each top and back in Martin's signature X pattern, a design dating to the mid-1800s.
Rim Top Glue Fixture
A dedicated glue fixture clamps each soundboard to the guitar's rim, holding the joint secure while adhesive fully cures.
Finish Sanding Guitar Body
Before any finish is sprayed, each guitar body is carefully hand-sanded smooth to remove imperfections in the bare wood.
Neck Assembly Panel
This wall display explains Martin's fretboard assembly and their dovetail neck joint, a design the company has used since 1833.
Finish Work On Guitar
In final finishing, each guitar is inspected, leveled, and tapped to check resonance before it leaves the floor.