Shopping at MartinGuitarmaker’s Connection
Martin Guitarmaker’s Connection
10 W North Street
Nazareth, PA 18064
Phone: (610) 759-2064
HOURS: Mon. – Fri. 9am – 4pm
(call ahead if you’re traveling from far away, the store is sometimes closed)
MAP
*Bathroom
This post is a slight departure from what I usually write about here on Tour de Thrift, but since my very talented cabinetmaker husband has been repairing and building stringed instruments, we’ve begun visiting the Martin Guitarmaker’s Connection retail shop. If you are into Martin guitars, but can’t afford one, this place has a few bargains for the craftsman, so I thought it would be fun to share with you.
Housed in the original factory on North Street, Nazareth, PA, where C.F. Martin began building guitars in the mid 1800’s, the Guitarmaker’s Connection is a small retail shop, jammed packed with guitar parts, kits and luthier (someone who makes or repairs string instruments) tools. Basically, nirvana for my husband.
The shop is run by two incredibly knowledgable and super helpful Martin employees. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting Liz and Gail, both were a lot of fun to chat with, generous with their time and information, and have worked for Martin building guitars for many years.
The original C.F. Martin building has great old features and a warm inviting feel. Each visit, we’ve spent over an hour looking at the parts and learning about Martin history.
I don’t play guitar but I can appreciate the passion and excellent craftsmanship that goes into a Martin guitar. My husband is totally absorbed with learning this craft and has even started his own blog Landcrafted.com, so I’m sure we’ll be returning to the Guitarmaker’s Connection often. If you live too far away to visit, they sell some luthier tools, supplies, guitar parts and guitar kits online. If you’re a craftsman the parts you can buy here are a fraction of the cost you’d pay other vendors online and you don’t have to pay for shipping! Plus, you get the benefit of examining everything close up and getting expert advice from the ladies at the shop.
If you’re a member of the Martin Guitar Owners Club you’ll also receive 20% off your purchases in the shop. The cost to join is $45.00 a year, but you get a bunch of cool stuff and the savings really add up. We both highly recommend a visit to the Martin Factory tour, gift shop, museum and the Guitarmaker’s Connection retail shop. The Martin website has all the information you’ll need to plan a visit. As always if you go, leave us a comment we’d love to hear about your trip.
