After leaving Lancaster county we started home by way of Nazareth, PA.
Martin Guitar has a large factory in Nazareth. This is one of the few factory tours
which allow cameras. We toured all parts of the manufacturing process. There
is a lot of manual effort put into the assembly and finishing of the guitars.
|
|
The tour starts by viewing various displays. Here are displays of the various parts
and the different wood types used to make the guitars.
|
|
This machine cuts out the backs and fronts.
|
|
One of the many displays on the factory floor.
This one shows the braces used on the different guitar types.
|
|
A stack of fixtures which are ready to have the tops and bottoms attached.
The guitar sides are made of two formed parts which are glued together by their ends.
Then the light colored ribbing and strengthening blocks are glued on the inside.
It is then placed in the fixture shown to accept the top and bottom.
The brace across the center, which holds the sides against the frame, is removed
through the hole in the top after the glue dries.
|
|
The tops and bottoms have been added and the fixture is now in a press waiting for
the glue to dry.
|
|
Everywhere you looked there were racks of guitar parts.
Here are the two major subassemblies, the bases and the necks.
They are waiting one more finish coating and polishing before assembling the
necks to the bases.
|
|
A robot polishing machine.
The finishing process varies depending on the guitar. Most have 3 to 4 coats of poly
after staining. Each coat is sanded using hand sanders with varing grit before
it ends up on this polishing machine. Necks are not attached to the base yet.
|
|
Guitars waiting strings.
These guitars have gone through all phases of finishing and
passed quality inspections.
|
