On our way from Parsippany to Hershey, we stopped in Nazareth, Pennsylvania to tour the Martin Guitar Factory.

What a wonderful surprise this tour was for us! Not only was it a fabulous one-hour up-close and personal tour throughout most of the factory, it was FREE.

Upon arrival, we were fortunate to learn we were the last two people needed to fill their next departing tour that maxes out with 15 visitors. It was fascinating to watch the various steps being expertly performed– there are 300 in all– to produce a high-end top-of-the-line handcrafted guitar.

There are 150 parts in each guitar, and it takes 2-3 months to craft a guitar from beginning to end in their 200,000 square foot factory. Five hundred employees make that factory hum, and they are so happy working there that there is a turnover rate of only 2%. That’s dedication.

Martin Guitars aren’t cheap. They start at $1,000 and can climb in price well past $50,000 when customized with mother of pearl inlays and exotic woods.

Their guitars are the best, though, and have been played by some of the
most famous and talented musicians since Martin first started producing guitars in 1833.
Today, musicians such as Eric Clapton, Sting, and Paul Simon play guitars produced in Nazareth at Martin Guitars.

Come along with me as we tour the Martin Guitar Factory:

Following the tour, we enjoyed their museum which was beautifully presented and displayed. What a great find Martin Guitars turned out to be today!

In the museum, we saw how Martin Guitars were crafted back in the beginning, in 1833.

When Martin Guitars produced its 1,000,000th guitar, they hired a master inlay artist to bejewel this guitar with diamonds, emeralds, and other precious jewels.  It took two years to complete the work, and it’s estimated to be worth $1,000,000.