Ever since I bought my first Martin – a beautiful M38 for which I traded three guitars and a pile of cash, and which paid me back in spades – I’ve been a diehard. I have a beautiful coffee table book with photos and descriptions of Martin guitars from its founder Christian Friedrich’s creations from the mid-1800’s to present-day models. It also features many guitars upon which C.F based his early models.

Now, many of these guitars will appear in an exhibit at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art  (sweet! that seals my itinerary for Xmas in New York) and in a new book entitled Inventing the American Guitar.

The book and exhibition detail C.F. Martin’s extraordinary design innovations, in which he both borrowed from myriad traditions and created new construction techniques (perhaps most notably the X-bracing of Martin guitars) and guitar models to meet the needs of  changing musical styles and markets. They also show that virtually every important aspect of the modern acoustic guitar was designed by C.F. Martin himself. As if that weren’t enough, he was also an exceptional craftsman producing instruments that remain works of art.

© 2014 Brenna Method