This factory keeps on strumming

Many innovations were born at C.F. Martin & Co. - some were nuances in design, others dramatic. Perhaps the most notable was the development of the "dreadnought" design. Named for a class of World War I battleship, the first of these instruments were produced during that war, and were considerably larger and deeper than guitars produced before them. Their shape was less an hourglass than predecessors, and this became the design that is now most associated with the acoustic guitar.

Far and away the company's biggest seller these days is its least expensive model, "Backpacker," a paddle-shaped instrument trimmed of its "zaftig" sides, but widely popular for its durability and portability. More than 100,000 have been sold. Ideal for slinging over one's shoulder, small enough and durable enough to stuff into the overhead rack on an airplane, this go-anywhere machine has journeyed to Mount Everest and even into the heavens aboard space shuttle Columbia in 1994.

While the company's fortunes would seem tied inextricably to the public's taste in music, the market for the high-end instruments is, to a great extent, a mature one, and the aging baby boomers are precisely the demographic that grew up with those sounds of the '60s.

Further, when their children get serious about playing, "they want to find out where their parents' music came from," says Chris Martin. "Then they end up with Bob Dylan; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and those other great performers who defined modern guitar music. In my travels, I see a lot of young people carrying acoustic guitar cases. It has a huge advantage over other instruments because you can take your music with you. There is that great social component to the instrument."

A small museum on the premises recounts the company's history and displays some of its vintage instruments. A store sells books, clothing, and accessories, but don't expect a variety of guitars, or even "seconds" for sale. Only the Backpacker can be purchased at the factory where it's made.

• The Martin factory is located at 510 Sycamore Street, Nazareth, Pa. For more information, call (610) 759-2837 or see www.mguitar.com.

If you want to see a lot of guitars in action, the time to visit the Martin Guitar factory (see story above) is in early August, when Musikfest, known as America's largest outdoor music festival, takes place in nearby Bethlehem, Pa.

Musikfest showcases many types of acts, from solo artists playing one of those Martins to sultry jazz singers, folk troupes, knock-your-socks-off blues and rock bands, polka bands, even South American string and flute groups. The festival is divided into 16 indoor and outdoor venues, each named with a "platz" suffix, in deference to the region's German heritage.

Headlining the event this summer will be Melissa Etheridge, O-Town, Martina McBride, and the Beach Boys. They will be joined by 300 other performers - more than 1,000 free musical performances in all, in genres ranging from reggae to classical.

While you're in the area, take a cultural walking tour of Bethlehem, which highlights the town's 18th-century history. (For more details, go to www.historicbethlehem.org.) And don't forget the littlest members of your party. Younger children will enjoy seeing how crayons are made at the Crayola factory in Easton, Pa. See www.crayola.com/factory.

• Musikfest 2003 will be held Aug. 1-10. For more information, call (610) 332-FEST, or visit on the Web at http://fest.org.

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