The guitar—a Martin N-20 classical, serial number 242830—was a gorgeous instrument, with a warm, sweet tone and a pretty “mellow yellow” coloring. The top was made of Sitka spruce, which came from the Pacific Northwest; the back and sides were Brazilian rosewood. The fretboard and bridge were ebony from Africa, and the neck was mahogany from the Amazon basin. The brass tuning pegs came from Germany. All of these components had been gathered in the Martin guitar factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and cut, bent, and glued together, then lacquered, buffed, and polished. If the guitar had been shipped to New York or Chicago, it might have been purchased by a budding flamenco guitarist or a Segovia wannabe. Instead it was sent to a guitarist in Nashville named Shot Jackson, who repaired and sold guitars out of a shop near the Grand Ole Opry. In 1969 it was bought by a struggling country singer, a guy who had a pig farm, a failing marriage, and a crappy record deal.
Ok, I was going to save this article for later, but I just read the whole thing. What great writing!!!
I hardly ever listen to Willie Nelson on purpose, but this article makes me want to go find some of the songs it mentioned and see if I can hear what the author heard.
While they are closed due to COVID, once reopened I can highly recommend the Martin Guitar Factory tour. You can get up close and personal to the folks who make these lovely instruments.
And their building entrance and front desk is so cool! Be sure to check it out.
-------------------------------- "Wealth is like manure; spread it around and it makes everything grow; pile it up, and it stinks." MillCityGrows.org
Posts: 11215 | Location: Massachusetts | Registered: 22 April 2005
Originally posted by ShiroKuro: Ok, I was going to save this article for later, but I just read the whole thing. What great writing!!!
I hardly ever listen to Willie Nelson on purpose, but this article makes me want to go find some of the songs it mentioned and see if I can hear what the author heard.
