During that same year “Fritz,” as Martin was known, opened a guitar workshop in the loft of 196 Hudson Street, on the Lower East Side, and thus established C F Martin & Company.

For six generations the Martin family, originally from Markneukirchen, Saxony, and now of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, have designed and built guitars, always being innovative and providing the guitars to meet he needs of the day.

The company designed the mighty Dreadnought guitar, introduced in 1916, and this large-bodied guitar became the instrument for the bluegrass guitarist, being well-suited to backing up vocals, fiddles and banjos. Jimmy Martin, followed Clyde Moody, Lester Flatt and Carter Stanley in playing a Martin Dreadnought. Del McCoury, Clarence White, Charlie Waller, Charles Sawtelle, Tony Rice and David Grier continued the line. [This is an adaptation of a history published in 'British Bluegrass News' in February 1993.]

However, I don’t want to simply regurgitate a ‘dry’ history about the Martin dynasty. It is after all an oft-told and well-known story.

There is a multi-part history on he C.F. Martin & Company website. Also there was an excellent article by Dave McCarty, himself a Martin guitar player, in the March 2008 edition of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine. Other publications have, or are, marking the occasion with their own stories.

So, I thought that I would ask a few guitarists for their thoughts about Martin guitars and talk about the instruments themselves. Firstly, I questioned Dan Tyminski ….

When did you acquire your first Martin and what model was it?

“Three months after I joined Alison I got a 1946 D28 Herringbone (my first guitar).”

Have you had others since?

“Yes, I have since acquired a 1942 and a 1934 (both Herringbones).”

Did you use the Martin for the recordings for Wheels?

“Yes, for Wheels and ALL other recordings I use my 1946.”

What properties does the Martin have that make it good to use for recording purposes?

“My ‘46 is one of those special once in a lifetime guitars that has superior tone in both the high and mid registers with a low end that’s not too boomy. It is dry and airy without a lot of overtones that make most other, seemingly great, guitars difficult to record.”

Blue Highway guitarist Tim Stafford shared his knowledge of Martin guitars …..

“I have two Martins currently, a 1934 D-18 and a 1946 D-28. I’ve owned several in the past. My first one was a 1966 D-28, and I think I bought it in 1988 or so, so I would have been 27.

I use the D-18 for most of my recordings, including Endless Line, although I also used a CA guitar on a few cuts on that record and the most recent Blue Highway project. Haven’t had the D-28 long enough to use!

I guess the name Martin speaks for itself. There is nothing like the tone of that old D-18. It’s sweet and strong, cutting yet deep… perfect for leads like most mahogany models, but full and powerful like the older rosewood guitars. I’ve used it on probably 2 dozen records over the last 6 or 7 years and it’s amazingly consistent. Engineers rave over it–rarely do they need to touch the EQ with that instrument in front of the mic.

I guess the most impressive guitars I’ve ever played have been Martins. I played Ricky Wasson’s 1935 Herringbone on Every Time You Say Goodbye and recently again on a project for Missy Werner. That guitar has the best bluegrass tone I’ve ever witnessed in person.”

James Alan Shelton, of the Clinch Mountain Boys, had this to say ……

“I actually own three Martin guitars – a 1946 D-28 Herringbone, a 1956 D-28 and a 2001 HD-28. In my opinion, you just can’t beat the old Martins for that sweet tone with the volume and punch needed to play bluegrass music. My 1946 D-28 is my favorite guitar that I own and I still take it on the road occasionally. It has everything I need in a great guitar; power, good tone, volume and reliability. Plus it has good intonation, which is a must, for a guitar must play in tune for it to be reliable for stage and studio work. I like a guitar that I can depend on, when I put the ‘46 in the mic I know what to expect. I like the D-28s because I need the power of a rosewood guitar as opposed to a mahogany guitar.

Of course all the great bluegrass guitarists down through the years have relied on Martins, so it’s kind of a tradition to own and play one.”

The founder of the Johnson Mountain Boys and guitarist with the Seldom Scene, Dudley Connell also responded to my questions …..

When did you get your first Martin guitar, what model was it and how old were you?

“I bought my first Martin guitar in 1974, when I was eighteen years old. It was a D-35 that I purchased from a Catholic priest. He felt that it was a little disrespectful to play such a fine instrument in front of his congregation while asking for contributions to the church. Unfortunately, that guitar was destroyed during a barroom brawl in Amherst, Massachusetts while on an early tour with the Johnson Mountain Boys. I still have the pieces.”

What Martin guitars do you have presently?

“That guitar was replaced shortly after by a 1974 Martin D-28, purchased from Chris Warner in Hanover, Pennsylvania. I used that instrument on the first three or four Johnson Mountain Boys records. It’s the guitar pictured in the book Honky Tonk by Henry Hornstein; a photograph that was featured in an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I still own that instrument.

The guitar I currently play, and have played and toured with since purchasing it in 1983, is a 1943 D-28 herringbone. I’ve used that guitar on all my recordings since then. I think it has a booming, distinctive sound.”

You are often praised for your rhythm guitar playing, getting a drum-like effect to your sound. What is it about the Martin guitars that respond to your playing in this way?

“Martins are very responsive guitars, with a big and balanced tone, which is why they’re used so much in bluegrass. I like to think that my right hand pushes the rhythm along, anticipating the next beat with different runs and fills. I actually started playing drums when I was a teenager, and like to play with beats and rhythms on the guitar. I also try to compliment what is going on around me, and will approach my right hand technique with the Seldom Scene differently than I would on a Longview performance or recording. I just try and listen and play what fits.”

On a more general level, it has been reckoned that about 95% of all bluegrass guitarists either possess or have aspirations to own a Martin guitar.

Happy Birthday C F Martin & Company. We salute you.

Footnote: September 9, 1894 is also the date that C F Martin III was born.

During that second stint with Martin, Chris recorded two albums for Webco, All Original and Chris Warner & Friends, released as LPs and now out of print. He has recently compiled them both as a CD, Back Again, with 24 tracks featuring Warner as both banjoist and vocalist.

The tracks from All Original have Chris singing all lead vocals, with Del McCoury on tenor, and those from Chris Warner & Friends, have singing duties shared among Warner, Dudley Connell and Audie Blaylock.

But don’t think that banjo tunes get short shrift here. Chris knocks out 11 instrumentals mixed with 13 vocal tracks.

Newly minted bluegrass fans may not be aware of Warner’s top flight picking – and even long time listeners may not know him as a vocalist. Kudos to Chris for making this material available again, and to Pinecastle Records for their assistance in making it happen.

Audio samples for each track and online ordering are enabled on the Tom Adams web site, where Tom addresses the rumor that he and Chris are starting a band.

“With no official band name, no dates booked, and a disagreement over whether or not to wear matching shoes, I’d have to say yes, I believe there is a rumor that Chris and I are starting a band.”

I guess that settles that.

I am happy to report and wish my congratulations to Dudley Connell and Sally Love who tied the knot…YESTERDAY! I talked with Dudley today and I can assure you yesterday was about the happiest day of his life.

When we talked today, he had to leave, saying, “Gotta go, Kip…my wife is here! Man that felt good to say!”

God bless you two!

They started working on a debut recording last summer, and Tom Adams recently reported that they have were back in the studio last week trying to get things completed. No word yet on when it might be finished or released.

Our June ‘06 post has a good bit of background on this group, and some comment from the band members on the inescapable “Johnson Mountain Boys reunion” vibe that comes to mind when you see Adams, Connell, McLaughlin and Wilborn together on stage.

White House was a Nashville-area outfit that produced a CD and performed a few shows with David Parmley, Missy Raines, Charlie Cushman, Larry Stephenson and Jason Carter, and The Dreadful Snakes and The Sidemen were Nashville favorites at The Station Inn.

A new group in the VA/MD area sure to generate a similar sort of buzz is Seneca Rocks! Band members include Dudley Connell, Marshall Wilborn, Sally Love, David McLaughlin and Tom Adams. Students of 1970s era bluegrass will recognize that the four gentlemen in the group were all part of The Johnson Mountain Boys, a dynamic and engaging band that developed a large and loyal following for their brand of traditional “old school” bluegrass.

Each has remained active in bluegrass since JMB disbanded. Dudley now plays guitar and sings with Seldom Scene, Marshall is in frequent demand as a free-lance and session bass man, and has worked for quite some time with his wife, Lynn Morris. David has been most active as a recording engineer and producer, and has released an instructional DVD for mandolin.

The lone member of Seneca Rocks with no Johnson Mountain connection is Sally Love, who has been a fixture on the DC bluegrass circuit for some time, winning an award from the Washington Area Music Association in 2003 for best bluegrass vocalist.

Banjo picker Tom Adams, who also performed with The Lynn Morris Band, Blue Highway and Dale Ann Bradley after being a Johnson Mountain Boy, is returning to more regular playing after a frustrating bout with hand problems. He was diagnosed with focal dystonia a few years ago, a nervous system syndrome that caused him to have problems with his picking accuracy, and prompted him to leave Dale Ann’s group.

Tom reports that he is making great progress on that front, and welcomes the chance to strap on the banjo once again with Seneca Rocks!

“Getting together with these guys helped put the banjo back in my hands. It’s therapy and really good music all at the same time. I’m so very thankful to get to do this.”

Recording for the band’s CD has just begun, and Dudley told us that they haven’t even chosen all of the material yet, and there is no solid target date for completion or release. The choice of songs reflects a wide variety of stylistic influences, something that has been a trademark of Dudley Connell projects since the JMB days. They plan to record a Hoagy Carmichael song (Rocking Chair), one from bluesman Blind Willie Johnson (In My Time Of Dying), a Johnny Cash number (Give My Love to Rose) and Flatt & Scrugg’s Steamboat Whistle Blues. He also indicated that they will recut a Seldom Scene song, Easy Ride From Good Times To The Blues (by Herb Pedersen), which was recorded before Dudley joined the Scene, and House Where Were Wed from The Blue Sky Boys.

You can find a schedule on their web site and see whether one of their rare live shows might be in your part of the world. They also expect to have audio samples up online as the recording progresses.

UPDATE 6/15, 1:45 p.m.: Dudley shared some further thoughts about how the Johnson Mountain Boys influence affects the sound of the new band.

“With four members of the JMB reuniting into the new band, Seneca Rocks, it is almost inevitable that there will be elements of the old band’s sound. The new sound perhaps also reflects the fact that 20 years after the JMB started, time and experience has changed and colored the way we approach music. We are not trying to recreate music that we have already done, but rather use what we have learned from working together to create something unique. In addition, I would describe the material as being a little broader and drawn from a wider variety of sources than the JMB group.

Sally’s singing and playing do introduce a softer element to the overall sound but you might be surprised how sassy her singing can be. Sally is a very expressive singer and sings whatever is required of a given song. That being said, she approaches some material with barely a whisper and busts you in the mouth when that is what is required.”

UPDATE 6/16, 7:00 a.m.: Tom Adams also took the opportunity to express his thoughts about the Johnson Mountain Boys and Seneca Rocks!.

“My thoughts on the band are related directly to the fact that I’m playing with 2 fingers. I’m not thinking anything about sounding or not sounding like the JMB. This is a band that is very sensitive to the fact that I can play on slow songs and on some that venture into the medium tempo range (as songs go in the bluegrass genre). I’m sure there will be comparison with the JMB, as weighing new experiences against old ones is how people naturally catalog information in their brains. I see the band’s sound as an intersection of opportunity and circumstance, and the five of us simply enjoy making music together.”