For hundreds of years, the craftspeople who built guitars, called luthiers, worked entirely by hand. Now, robots, computer programs and big machines help make each instrument as perfect as it can be (though people still do a lot of the work). At Martin, it can take between three and six weeks to build each instrument; more complex guitars can take up to six months. And during peak production, the factory can put out more than 250 guitars each day. But there’s still a bit of uncertainty — trees are living things, so each piece of wood is different. Here’s how it all comes together at the Martin factory.
How to Build a (Martin) Guitar (NYT)
Image: Christopher Payne
