Hide glue has several advantages over PVA glue. First, it is reversible. PVA glue can be reversed, but it is much more difficult. Second, as hide glue dries, it tends to close the joint. PVA does not. Finally, and probably most importantly, hide glue does not creep like PVA does. The obvious disadvantage of hide glue is its very short open time, and of course the smell.
Agreed. Hide glue important also sounds better. Idc what anyone says, I can hear the difference. It just hardens differently. Especially considering how close it gets to the joint.
Thank you Chris and Matt, what is so special about your channel is the smile. With all the respect to everyone and all the companies and their hard working staff. However, being able to express our inputs, thoughts, experiences regardless to speciality or even age. At the same time it is a healthy and a sign of wisdom to accept out differences but at the same time we sit around the same table and we share our opinions. Happiness and smiles they don't mean to insult but to make the atmosphere very relaxed. At the same time we do have all the respect to the people who started these amazing projects like the Martin family members and all the employees with their hard work. Thank you everyone. Peace and blessings from ENGLAND 🏴 👍👍
I visited the factory in 1980 and had the pleasure to meet C.F. Martin III and his grandson C.F. Martin IV, who is now president. Also was lucky to get a one-on-one tour from Mike Longworth. I still remember how great it smelled in there.
When you take the factory tour, they don't hold anything back. You see everything, and you can ask employees questions. At the end, they give you a coaster made of the sound hole cutout laser engraved.
I did the factory tour in 2009 and it was amazing, and it didn't cost anything. I was really surprised that the tour group actually walked on the factory floor and , as you say, we were able to interact with the workers. I also loved the museum. And I still have my sound hole cut-out. That was a really nice touch.
The problem is that a lot of owners of high end instruments(Martin,Gibson, etc) assume because of the price they paid, that their guitar was made on a bench by a luthier and companies like Martin and Gibson don't really do a lot to correct that misconception.
James Franco and EXACT doppelganger of the guy taking the tour react to Martin Factory Tour. I like how Chris says at the beginning "I know this face"...Yeah, you're practically looking right at it!
This guy builds guitars for a minimum of $15,000. The criticism isn't even warranted. Martin builds hundreds if not thousands of guitars to this guys one. Martin is more than capable of making guitars as beautiful as his given the time. His guitars are ones you literally sit out to display because they're a work of art. Not made to be played daily like most Martin's. The Martin tour guide should find another job because he's full of shit. That one piece of wood isn't worth $7,000. You could buy a fully built guitar from the same wood for $7,000 or less. It's like he doesn't understand that most people touring their plant are guitar players and know a lot about them. Especially to know that piece of wood isn't that expensive. I would've definitely called him out on it.
Watch the Martin guitar factory tour museum. I try to go once a year and I spend more time in the museum each time ! Free Tours are usually an hour but for small group and fee it’s two hours and you go down to the cnc floor!
I suspect the laser cutter is designed that way strictly for the nesting of all the other machines around it. Plus if arranged properly (mirrored), you can maintain a safe maintenance aisle while the other machine is still operating.
I have to try one of your guitars. I have a hd28 and a hd 35. Let me say this I’ve tried hundreds of guitars from Martin. Not all guitars are the same from Martin. So many hd I’ve tried but when you find a canon from them it’s a winner. Just to inconsistent. I’ve yet to try a driftwood. I’d love to.
As far as the shaping the braces….a Martin rep once said that Martin takes a certain sound and builds a box around it”. I think they found a bracing that works and sticks with it
I hate to be this guy but I am going to be that guy. No , I didn't finish the video ( I lasted 4:46. What are you guys trying to do here? I ask that question honestly because it seems like you're trying to justify absurd prices for high end instruments. I just...I don't know. It just doesn't feel like it is the right way. Everything you are as a luthier is because someone like C.F. Martin or Bob Taylor came before you and paved the path and you all are making a mockery of it. Maybe I am wrong but it's just hard to reconcile it.
We do these to simply point out the differences between how a boutique maker does the task of making a guitar, vs a factory made one. We find that people appreciate hearing a little more detail on items that the tour guide may simply brush over. In NO WAY do we put down the factory guitars. I find that a lot of folks simply don’t understand that what we do as small batch makers, is an entirely different thing than high output factories. There’s a reason that hand made guitars tend to be a lot better sounding, and it’s simply an artifact of the need for speed in factory settings, over the time it take to pull the tone out of a piece of wood. If you watch these videos, you’ll hear me say that we have great respect for what the big companies have done to innovate construction techniques. But we also talk about how those same factories have abandoned techniques that yield better sounding guitars, for the sake a mass production. That’s not me talking crap, it’s just pointing out something that a lot of people over look.
Damn these videos! Thought I was sold on a taylor 4 series or up. Now I think I'm leaning towards Martin. Wish I could afford a handmade guitar but its gonna have to be from a factory.
I bought a cheap Martin as far as Martin guitar goes. And on a "I'm bored" thought I went up to thier factory for a tour.. It was the greatest thing I could of did for very little money.. You are up close and personal with the employees watching them do their work..
I ordered a HD35 Lefty from Martin in 2019 I wanted the Amber tone color on it. Now that is a stock color now then it was stock on right handed models. So since I wanted the different color it had to be done in the custom shop it only cost 300 extra but it took nine months to complete. And the guitar is not listed as a HD35 its a Martin Custom. not to bad for $3300. through sweetwater
In the voicing area there was an empty station where the employee wasn't there but they showed that the scalloping would be done with a chisel - that person is probably doing the "voicing" and the woman at the next bench was just doing clean up of the braces, after voicing -
I gave up on hot hide glue years ago unless repairing violins. When I was working with violin maker Sam Compton, I learned the absolute best grade of hide glue is Knox unflavored gelatin. Seriously. Now, when I work on an older fretted instrument, I use fish glue. It is also a biological with the identical hardness of hide glue, and has all the advantages of hide glue without having to mess with the glue pot. I use it on most of my handmade guitars.
How did You end up triggering people? I didn't see that comming from what I took in! Fun to watch and learn from You two ( Chris and Matt )! And my other favorite Guitar Building dou is Matt and Chris at Texas Toast...
high precision machining is often achieved by moving the piece and not the tool. It is the same with advanced lithography. Basically the tool is way more difficult to accurately move around than the tool. In the case of lithography the machine is just tool damns big, heavy and sensitive. For something like this I would say the motors required to accurately move a large tool around are a lot more expensive and difficult to repair than moving a light piece of wood. I does take up more space but these machines are huge anyways. You need a large building regardless.
enjoyed this video - i’m guessing the 7k meant its what they charge for the brazilian upgrade these days in the custom shop. martin’s custom shop bracing ( a lot of times it’s the Golden Era bracing) is way better than their standard models and I believe there are differences in construction as you mentioned. The bump in sound with their custom shop guitars over the standard series is huge. There’s room for everyone but I think Martin CS models hit the sweet spot for me and many others, especially bluegrass pickers. I agree totally with your assessment of their budget models too - every one I’ve played has been lousy.
They make a better, consistent guitar and I don’t own one….but if I bought a new factory guitar, I’d probably start with them. Got hooked on that damn old folk music and particularly that old 30’s/40’s Gibson sound. Toured the Taylor factory and just haven’t fell in love. At least up in here in Montana, I’ve seen many a cracked top-more with than with other brands-maybe it’s just numbers. They seem to have cornered the market on new players. What I think has happened with all this CNC work, is that they’ve made their tolerances too tight for inevitable weather changes….maybe not seasoning their tops correctly- could have been growing pains in the 00’s. Ultimately, you’ve got to watch that humidity. I’m not one to always keep under case humidity…a guitar needs to acclimate to environment but save them when that cold front/or summer heat wave hits. Hide glue is not near as tricky when you heat the parts you are gluing up and when repairing, you keep it historical. I don’t mind it and it’s easy to undo
Thank you so much for keeping it real guys, iam a Guitarist and an aspiring luthier, im gonna binge watch your videos, Dont change your content because of the snowflakes in comments, keep doing your stuff, right people will come.
@@DriftwoodGuitars gotta check out what Dylan says about McPherson guitars here in wisconsin. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lAvZFilt78o.html
It would be nice if someone asked a Martin rep why their binding comes loose at the waist on so many of their guitars. It's a well known issue that Martin refuses to acknowledge.
I love my laminated wood neck plastic y paper materials based fretboard y plastic peghead overlay (but i need to lay a real veneer over it y rid of logo I just ordered) on my drs2( I skipped the hog 00015 y saved $400 lol)
I love Martins, but I agree that all the ultra high end D-50, D-100, D-200 stuff makes the D-45 look like a cheap hooker. I think the hand made one off models they create to commemorate the 1 millionth guitar or whatever and are then placed in the Martin Museum are interesting and mostly gorgeous. But making the scaled down editions is a mistake. IMO the D-45 represents the ultimate in acoustic guitar design. You can add bling to a banjo until it's made out of bling, but guitars have a point of diminishing return.
I was an aerospace machinist for 25 years. Still in the trade. The table moves instead of the head for stability and accuracy. If all that hardware to actually move the head around were up there in the head, there would be waaay more potential for harmonics to be introduced into the head and into the cutter. Also, it's easier to make that table move around - you can make it heavy and solid and just apply more hp to move it without introducing harmonics (vibration, chatter) into your cutting tool.
Great explanation! It improves precision and accuracy then. When it really matters, you do it this way. Maybe in a handmade shop that precision and accuracy difference doesn't matter much, but when making many hundreds or thousands of guitars each year the difference becomes significant.
Another reason the table moves is to minimize the effects of inertia on the gantry - another point is the gantry has a big weight (the spindle motor) on the end of a lever (the gantry legs) and then it would have a z-axis which is another lever - this gives two pivot points that can flex causing errors in the cut - so a stationary gantry with a moving table eliminates this - the table rides on the linear rails and has a larger footprint and allows the gantry to be more solid and focus on the spindle - the tradeoff is that it requires significantly move room for the same size working surface - so the job that the machine will be performing needs to be taken into account when selecting a machine layout - furthermore the material that will be processed also has an impact on this - metal requires significantly more force to mill than wood or plastic - but where wood mills pretty well (talking about how the tools cut and discard material and how clean it cuts) plastic usually requires higher feed rates and large flutes as plastic tends to heat and swell easily which distorts the final dimensions - a large 3-axis gantry 2.5 mill (like a 4x8 table mill used for flat stock) is usually fine for wood plastic and some thin metal but for precision work and or large pieces of metal a traditional 3-axis mill is best - its all about stability and runout - the oscillations can be measured with stress gauges and the farrier method but i've rarely ever had to go that far when designing and building a mill - one last consideration is the drive system - a single phase drive system (to clarify were talking about the motors to move the axis but also would include the spindle) is going to oscillate (harmonics are when the oscillations overlap which amplifies the effects of them) - so three phase motors then to work best but aren't critical usually - it really comes down to if you're chasing 10ths of and inch or thousandths of an inch
It’s a CO2 laser with a gas tube source. You don’t move the laser source because vibration will introduce longevity issues. With DC servers, moving the work piece is simple and accurate.
For base price of 15K your acoustic guitars better be good. I own a Martin D 35 that I love and sounds great. Like your channel but you guys act very elitist at times.
I visited the Martin Factory back in 1962 when I brought my father’s 1945 D-18 for fret replacement and pick guard issues. They gave me a brief tour of the factory, remember this was the old factory, and being impressed at how they fit all the work areas into such a small space. The smell of wood and hide glue was overwhelming. I have a vivid memory of the stacks of wood above and the efficient manner of the professionals working. Remember this was a time when Martin was backlogged by two years. The folk boom that started in the late 1950s was in full swing. I really appreciated how they made the guitars. It was the only tour of a guitar factory that I have ever had but since only purchased Martins do to my good impression of their construction. That was in contrast to the tour of the GM Fisher body plant in Terrytown, NY back in 1955. I was amazed at the number of hammers being used to fit the body parts on the Chevrolet cars as they were moving along the production line. The noise of hammers pounding steel panels was overwhelming. I was so shocked that I convinced my parents to stop buying Chevy cars and buy Ramblers.oh yes, I forgot to say, they did all the work on my dad’s guitar for free as he was the original owner! NOT BAD!!
Yeah, they used real humans then. Looks like they're struggling to keep up with the Taylor robots. Sad. Martin is the American design classic. Only one original.
I did the same tour back in ’95 (North and Sycamore rd plants) : i could see everything and talk to anyone... So interesting. The only (small) complain: i found them a bit stingy: as an owner of a nice D42, i’ve been awarded a wonderful spruce discus, as a special customer gift ! A T-shirt would have been welcomed...Anyway, my Martin is still wonderful, after all these years
What you may be saying may be 100% true, I dont know or much care as I only really have a few cheap martins as the are not my guitar of choice... but you sound bitter, concentrate on making your guitars and dont worry about what others are doing.
Also the comment about the waste of the necks of mahogany bla bla. Yea sure it’s wasteful… except Martin takes all of its “waste material” and reuses it. So if you guys would do it like this, then Yes it would be wasteful. With the size of the company and production and since they have an actual brand and sell in all price classes, which not everyone can say, they can reuse it in student model guitars etc. Making it actually environmentally friendly. Maybe fair to mention that as well next time in your vid.
This wasn't an all negative review but it has that conceded tone to it. I recognize it because years ago I spent many, many hours in a friend's workshop. He is one of the more well known and better luthiers in the Netherlands and he builds great guitars. He always had that same vibe about Martin that you guys have: not straight up negative but that sort of arrogance whenever Martin is mentioned. It is probably some sort of jealousy. Whatever it is, Martin guitars are amazing and even the affordable ones sound good enough to be used professionally. They all have that typical resonant Martin thing going, even the Mexican DX ones. That is for sure not the case with Taylor or any other brand (and I for sure AM a Martin fanboy because I love the sound, playability and inspiration I get as a musician from playing, performing and recording martin guitars)
Martin's are great, I work for Bourgeois guitars. When you can buy a used Bourgeois for the same as a stripped down d28, somethings wrong with that picture...
Yeah I don't like it when there's an underlying emotion involved or a certain disdain, because there's a lot to be said about the whole boutique way of building guitars. However a lot of people think that Martin or Gibson or Taylor make the best guitars because of the name they have. When they are essentially mass produced guitars that look great but aren't necessarily anything special. What you're saying is not really true, a Taylor or a Gibson will all have something good about them generally it's just a personal preference of what the brand does.
Yeah, show some respect for the original. They never patented their designs, never sued anyone, sold parts and kits for years and years. They have made so many stupid moves over the years (formica guitars!) and still are loyal to the dovetail (neck reset trouble), and there's Gibson for Western cool, but nothing compares to the real thing. Made, like Jesus (well he was born, not made) in Nazareth!
@@dietersdawgs You've never played a great Martin? 🤣. Just stop it now. Seriously man. Especially right now when they're making some of the best sounding guitars they've ever made.
You're definitely over exaggerating about the smell of a horse hoof. Unless the horse has something wrong with its hoof, all it smells like is dirt and grass.
Do one with Japan Takamine’s Factory You can eat off the Floor there Takamine uses Hide Glue on all there guitars as well as hand shape the necks . All is done by hand Be nice to see you guys review there shop
@@TheKhanhhoa I do business with a Japanese company. They furnish the plant manager with a 3500 square foot home. The whole family moves into the smallest bedroom in the house. The Japanese if had a choice, they would live in a smaller place. There is a lot of social pressure in Japan to have an outstanding career. The children study day and night to have better grades than their peers. They rarely get any vacation. One of my customers in Osaka area actually Kolbe. He begs me to visit so he can entertain me and get himself a day off. You are right, the suicide rate there is extremely high. Behind the pleasant smiles are some very unhappy people. What's funny is the peasants or low class people are happier.
I watched the Takamine tour online and I found some of the things they discussed very interesting. Such as the brand name is actually named after a mountain and not a person. Who knew?
Interesting that they do everything by hand. I purchased a nylon Takamine once and the neck was so twisted it had to be returned. Ended up going with a Taylor Academy 12N.
I know what you mean. They sound pretentious to me and it's reflected in their 15k US base price.......... not sure who is buying there guitars? certainly not gig musicians at that price.
Martin is the standard that all others are measured by!!! I will stand my Guild M-20 up against anything handmade. Martin D-18 is an American classic!!!
I've watched a few of your video reviews now.., it really doesn't seem like you put each instrument review into perspective, based on price point, materials (comparing HPL guitars to solid wood guitars..), construction..., then taking into account that when viewing your site, the first guitar I looked at had a "base price" of $15K..., there's a sense I get that you're looking down your nose in most of your reviews... just my two-cents... the last point I have to make is your comment regarding inlays.., not trying to be rude, but several of the guitar inlays I viewed on your site cross the gaudy line...
I was at the Martin factory and toured the main floor; that really old carousel they use to glue up the tops they said was a piece of repurposed railroad switching equipment that has been in the factory since around 1901 or thereabouts. When I was there, they were still bending some odd models on a hot pipe with a blow torch instead of a press. In fact, I have an older Martin "A" mandolin with scorch marks inside the top where they bent it over a rod or something. They also had a room that looked like a classroom with about 30 ladies making guitar strings. I think that was moved to Mexico or someplace. When I was there you could still get into the old factory also. I watched them assemble a guitar kit and they just took parts off the shelf that was intended for production, and put them in a box. They laid out the backs and sides to make sure they matched as if they were going to build it themselves. I have gotten more then one kit, and they are at various stages of production when they pick the parts. Sometimes the top is joined and sometimes not. Whatever you want. I have never found a piece of defective wood either.
The point of hide glue is that if a part of the guitar gets irreparably damaged, you can unglue it, fit a new piece, and glue it back together. Its why some violins are worth millions of dollars. It will retain its value because its infinitely more repairable than a modern acoustic guitar.
You gotta realize that these fancy custom guitars that Martin builds, with all the fancy inlays, are not priced to sell to very many people at all who are going to really play them. They are going to rich collectors who will buy them to put in a climate controlled case, just to look at, and show off to their other rich friends. Lol. So what you were saying about how they do inlays that will effect the tone, doesnt really matter. Not to the collectors who are shelling out the crazy money to buy them anyway. Martin builds the best production guitars in the world. By a HUGE margin! I will put my 2010 D-28 up against any guitar brand, at any price range in the world. That is 110% honest truth. Taylor and Gibson are so far behind them that its not funny. You will not find a more consistently great production guitar brand. Every Martin Ive ever played has sounded great. Unlike Gibson, that you have to play 8-10 of them to find one good sounding one. Just my 2 cents! Lol
I live 40 minutes from the Martin factory and have taken the tour a dozen times. It's worth it just for the delicious smell of the wood. Unfortunately they're not doing tours right now due to Covid. I'm not a huge inlay fan. I like the simple beauty of the wood, but I appreciate the artistry and your's are pretty cool! 45s have the elan, but I prefer the decoration on the 18s and 28s. BTW their lower lines like the DX are made in the Mexico factory.
Ha ha ha, very funny guys, I own one of those counter top guitars. It’s what I can afford, works for me. I play it every day. Got me through many gigs. When I’m done paying college tuition and can afford one of your high class instruments I’ll be be able to laugh with you at people who own counter top guitars … on the other hand never mind. I was brought up not to laugh at people’s stuff. I’ll stick with the lower class folks, they’re grateful for what they have and usually do pretty well with less. Carry on, laugh away …
I agree. This really turned me off too. I was In the factory a few years ago and Dick Boak (look him up) and I were talking and there was a phenomenal player in front of us sampling guitars out of the museum showcases. I asked of who gets to play those and he said, “ that’s Julian Lennon”. So if you think laughing at the most historic and well known acoustic brand (who employs hundreds of American workers) in the world is cool, I think there are a lot of players that may feel the same as me.
Yang di tertawakan adalah nilai yang tidak sebanding dengan kualitas, saya kira ini yg mereka maksudkan dengan nama besar tapi tidak menjamin kualitas dengan harga yg di tawarkan
They are being real, i get it why your butt is hurting though, Paying for just brand name is bullshit, youre better off buying a guitar from an unknown luthier, and it will surely beat 99% guitars in terms of quality out there
I've been on the Martin tour many times - first time was 1973 and all of the American made Martins are built like in this video, not just custom shop. You said "I don't want to make assumptions" but you made many.
Considering the desmise of Hide glue that you declare, you should have a look at Ken Parker Archtopery series he has quite an argument why Hide glue is far superior to any other synthetic glue like Titebond. It's really a cleaving subject on guitar builders
When you and Matt thought that $7,000 was a steep upcharge for Brazilian Rosewood, perhaps Martin meant it was a full back and sides set. Not just that simple strip of wood that they were showing in their display. I own six high end Martin's, only one of which has Guatemalan Rosewood. I actually like the Adi/Mahogany combination better. Four of mine are Custom Shop models, one of them is a D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged model. It was great to see the Custom Shop spaces where that one was made. Nice video!
Many You Tubers are saying " boutique " Luthiers are a huge waste of money and way over priced . A professional guitarist can make a $600 guitar sound exactly like a $6000 ( Paul Davids ) . You guys are arrogant for trying to bring down CF Martin or Taylor . I will forward them your video .
Please do! Anyone that says that about boutique guitars has either never played a quality hand made guitar, or isn’t good enough to hear the difference. If you disagree with that statement, then you’re probably one of the latter. No shame in that.
You’ll have to find a video tour of Martin’s Navajoa factory to see the X series and Road series … those guitars aren’t made in Nazareth. Martin never claimed to tune their tops- the bracing dept simply makes the repeatable patterns that earned Martin their rightful place in history. If you do want to see a longer tour video, we just posted one. Thanks for the vid.
A custom guitar maker asking $2-3 times more than Martin (or anyone else) finds problems with whatever they happen to do. Surprising to be sure. BTW chimp boy, making fun of people is rude.
This was great! I grew up and still live in Nazareth. I've been to the factory countless times and the museum is really interesting! When they were still giving tours pre-covid, you were able to see everything. The whole factory is set up so people can watch almost everything being done, hence the glass in front of the workers. I have a bunch of friends that work or have worked at the factory and it's definitely a place that still has some classic skills being used! Keep up the good work!
I’ve got a custom shop d42 that sounds amazing. It is made with sinker mahogany and Adirondack spruce top. It is built with hide glue as well. Martin has done their work well with my guitar for sure
Chris I use hide glue a lot, there are different strengths the stronger the bond the quicker it sets up. Once you get used to using it it’s not bad, it does smell just a little. I use it for antique furniture repairs mostly. Great vid, I really enjoy your channel.
See i am not sure why fans of guitars are so tone glue thing, but i have never heard a single guitar builder say hide glue is for the tone. Most furniture builders are frugal or cheap and hide glue you get in like 3lb or bigger bag you can use that last for years.
23:33 "Fräsen" is milling or routing in German. Actually, in many languages (for example, in Ukrainian), this process, milling cutters, and router bits are also called using words similar to this (фреза [freza], фрезерування [frezeruvannia]). Probably, because the technology came here from Germany. I have never heard such a word in English though.
I believe the use of this word is a remanent of the German roots of Martin Company. I worked in a company, Norton Company, that had its roots in Sweden and remember they still used the the words from Sweden to describe different processes when they made the grinding wheels that they were famous for. This was true even though it was more than a century on from its founding in Worcester, MA.
Custom Shop is the way to go if u get a Martin and can't get a boutique handbuilt guitar. Ive got a Custom Shop 000 Martin, its so resonant and has a torrefied top. Its ab as close as u can get to 'boutique' w/o spending 6-8k. Also Ive had Taylors, and if u can get one used for around 1500 that seems to be the sweet spot, or maybe Koa, aside from that u can get a 3 series for less than 2k, but once u start going up in price its not really a 'better' guitar, its still the same construction w/no extra attention to detail. At a certain point with factory made guitars, particularly w/high end Taylor u r just paying for upgrades on wood and pretty decoration. I would love one day to get a Bourgeois, w/a 'voiced' top and all hand made.
I live about 40 minutes from the plant, know folks who worked there. The legacy they are trying to mass produce used to be done by just a handful of craftsman, like furing "golden age," late 1920's to (I think) up until WW II. I've a collector friend. He has a rather impressive collection of pre-war boxes. Each is unique (as they should be IMO), amd mind boggling to play. He is also a skilled craftsman, has made 7 acoustics, mostly OM's, and the play and sound great. As a good friend, he gave me #7, a OM-28k equivalent (profile pic). I'm in heaven. He said he made it to 1930's spec. It is very light, hasn't a truss rod. He made the neck to suit my taste, I like wide necks 1 13/16 nut width. I use a .011 high set, and it projects rather well, plays like a dream. He'd like to be building more. He has yet to bend mahogany sides without breaking them. He also makes split cane fly rods. He said it takes him longer to make a fly rod than an acoustic guitar. Blows my mind... but his craftsmanship is top notch, and this takes time, as you know. Love your channel. Inspired by my friend, and your vids, I'd like to build. I've made a couple electrics... but what's an electric guitar but a plank, with a nice neck? Creating a toneful box is a whole other kettle of fish. Accumulating tools, lots more to get.
@@Andy_Classic He despises social media, although he is on FB, he only uses it to go on guitar forums. I will respect his wishes. I'm on FB. PM me, I'll send you pic's. My profile pic is of a Tele I built.
@@johnfeole1971 He dispises social media. Only uses FB for guitar forums. I'll respect his privacy. I'm on FB, send me a PM, I'll send you pic's. My profile pic is of a Tele I built.
You can laugh about the 'plastic' and factury made guitars but for me it's only a 10 years saving project to buy one of yours ;) Love youre stuff keep going and keep it open too for not Petreons!
My dad lived about 20 minutes from their factory. Last thing we ever did together while he was healthy was take the Martin tour. Good memories. Their cheaper guitars are made in Mexico.
It would be nice to see you do a tour of Guild Guitars as a comparison to say the Gibson. As most know a former Gibson employee helped set up the newer Guild factory.
Hold on guys. I like what you’re doing at driftwood, but Martin tone is excellent. I own 3 custom shop Martin’s and bar the mistake I made on the Dreadnought not to have the braces scalloped (bass isn’t as deep but sounds good finger picking) their sound is phenomenal. Hand made bespoke guitars will always be something different but Martin do a really neat job on all their guitars. You were a bit critical of their braces and processes
Exactly. Really a turn off. Not a good look acting that way. And anyone hating on Martin is out of their minds. Especially their tone. You wouldn't in the position you're in without them. And imo, they're still the best sound wise.
I think a lot of people are missing the point. Stating the differences in how a mass produced guitar is made vs a luthier built guitar isnt necessarily being critical. You did take some cheap shots, but Martin guitars are fantastic and have earned their reputation. It's the final product and tone that matters, and Martin delivers.
cool video! I've gone on their public tour before and it goes thru the entire upstairs of their shop (downstairs was where you saw them looking down at the factory). so you see about twice as much as this video ended up showing. pre-pandemic too so no one was behind glass! VERY cool tour.
The benefits to moving the work area as opposed to the laser is that its makes it easier to keep the laser focused. In the case of cnc routers its better at keeping the balance for precision cuts, and maximum longevity of the bits they get worn out evenly. if you can tolerate the space loss its definitely the way to go
26,000 visitors a year and 13,000 guitars a year produced at the time of this video, (2021, makes me wonder if all the glass/plexiglass/Lexan fronts of the work stations were "pandemic protocol "...) Alamo Music orders Martin Customs in addition to the factory models, and I've seen custom shop guitars in the $6k-$10k range. I really like the Angel 2 Redwood top with Blackwood back and sides from Cole Clark Guitars of Melbourne (AU) with their PG3 amplification system. I strummed my daughter's Yamaha 730S several days ago, and that is still a very nicely finished guitar with flamed grain in the neck. ($300 from Musician's Friend as I recall, when they were part of USAA's member buying service. I'm trying to figure out when we bought it, and I'm thinking she was 12 (She thought she was 16, but that was her sister's age during the 4-H music camp when I paid for both guitars..) That would place it about 17 years ago... She offered the 730S for me to start learning with, but the smaller concert and auditorium size guitars suit me better in my late 60s. Thanks, Matt and Chris! (Enjoyed the Academy 12 breakdown video, as those were two of the guitars I bought at the start of "Pandemic Pause 2020" for $500 and less, one a year-end disposal sale from a music store as new orders would be arriving.)
Okay, first, I am a huge Martin fan. My best (though not most expensive) guitar is a 2020 Martin GPC13e. However... Your observation of them doing "innovative" things just for the sake of marketing is striking home. The D19 anniversary model is a prime example of a guitar that didn't need to be invented. One could opine the same for their Inception model that you recently reviewed. And their OM 20th Century Limited? Please...no mas, por favor, no mas. Not to mention the latest $50K 50th anniversary homage to Chris Martin IV, a great example of pimping a guitar to the max without even a modest nod to the elegance of simplicity. Martin guitars are not broken. Why do they keep trying to fix them? And yes, I know, some of these are strictly intended for ego-driven collectors, not musicians, but still... Anyway, great video as always, thanks for sharing!
Loving these videos (saw the Taylor one). Please keep up the great content! As someone who owns factory and boutique guitars, it's eye opening to see how the Big Boys do it. Once the pandemic is over some friends and I are going to make the trek up to Santa Cruz to check out SCGC's shop.
Nice review, other than your comments, kinda lackluster to watch. Maybe being there is a lot better. Loved your Breedlove tour review. I own two Steve Henderson builds. Nice guitars. Love to see a review on the Eastman plant. Yeah, I know, China, but from what I understand they are all hand made. NO CNC. I own four of them. Just as nice sounding, and better constructed than any Gibson or Martin I ever owned for 3x less money. I would love to see how their archtops are made. They are exquisite looking. There has got to be a reason Bourgeois is having assemble their new Touchstone guitars. Keep up the good work!
23:33 'frasing' = fräsen, German for milling 'Fräsen' , to shape, to mortise, to face, to cut, to countersink. Die Fräse, the milling machine. Matter of speech, verb, driving at access speed. To till, with a plow, Bodenfräse. Greetings from the sunny climes of Basle, Switzerland
Love Martin guitars. They are the best mid (to high?) range guitars IMO. They are just very balanced. I will never afford a Driftwood guitar so these are perfect for me. Bloody expensive in the UK mind. You yanks have it easy with the cost of guitars.
Guys you are not used to use the word freezing(dutch/german vrezen/vrezing)department but Martin was probably for a part of it anyway from dutch or german heritage , that’s why you didn’t really knew the meaning of the word Vrees-Vrezing department, Router-department . This is the explanation that I could come up whit
