Martin has been in buisness since 1833 and have just this year (2004) made there 1,000,000th guitar.
MARTIN owners chime in
Uh, 2004 was last year.
Still, pretty cool. Proud and happy owner of a 1997 SPD16T checking in here.
My father owned a Martin. He loved that guitar. He bought his back in 1980, I think. He kept that guitar even though he had a stroke and couldn’t play it because he couldn’t bear to part with it. Even now, 7 years past his death and it is still in the family. I wish I could play it!
My dad and his Martin made the most beautiful music.
Trigger! 
Yes, Willie Nelson’s ol’ beat-up pal Trigger is a Martin. He says he has sent it back to Martin a few times for repairs, but he wouldn’t let them fix the big hole his pick wore into the face.
Martin makes a near-bulletproof guitar case, too. I’ve never owned a Martin guitar, but my Alvarez-Yiari guitar lives in a Martin case.
If I remember correctly, they had to put special bracings inside to keep the top from collapsing. I can’t remember if I dreamed this or not (sadly, something that happens often), but I think they were selling a Willie Nelson model that had the hole. Hmm… that last part was probably wrong, but I am pretty sure they have the Willie Nelson model.
I happily play a 000-1, with a nice rich tone.
A few years ago I decided that the guitar I bought off my youth pastor for $75 wasn’t cutting it any more. So I went down to Guitar Center to buy a guitar. I looked for several hours before deciding on this one. It was love at first sight.
Only MARTIN I ever owned was a D-15, mahogany top,sides and back. Don’t have er any more. The only reason I mentioned MARTIN gee-tars is to see how many dopers are near and dear to em.
Martin’s N20WN is the Willie Nelson signature model. Here’s the link to its page. No, it doesn’t have the extra hole.
http://www.martinguitar.com/artists/display_artist.php?d=28
Wanna-be Martin owner chiming in.
I’ve played Martins. The are the Cadillac of guitars…no, the Rolls-Royce of guitars. I wish I could afford one.
My father owns one, but he usually plays one of several others he owns. He won’t even let me play the Martin.
The Elf has one. (He is in a band) It is a sweet sounding piece of wood, and pretty in a plain, well crafted sort of way. Unfortunately he doesn’t play it professionally very often, he does a lot of outdoor shows, and it is just too delicate to be out in the heat and humidity, it just won’t stayed tuned. He uses it most often for recording studio stuff and just sitting around playing. He uses his work-horse Cort guitars outdoors.
Yeah, I believe most owners do not use em as there “beater or workhorse”
Mine came with insruction to keep the room at very specific temp/humidity.
Very pretty and delicate, but in the end I just could not justify the $ output just because I simply am not that much into playing anymore.
Now that I am an old fart and a single father, I gotta find something new.
And my daughter is NOT big on the idea of a new mommy type or less, and that means “something new” had better not have tits or tires cause Harley has been ruled out also. 
I’ve just gotta say, I completely respect folks who really try hard to take good care of their instruments, but I, for one, am not one to put love up on a shelf so to speak.
I play and bring my guitar everywhere. I do open mics, paying gigs, church gigs, campfires, and everything in between with it. It’s served me well in all of those venues. It’s definitely gotten a little bit beaten-up (matte finish and agressive picking don’t go well together, I’ve learned), but hey, it’s my guitar. I bought it to play music.
Now, granted, this is a relatively ‘new’ instrument, so it lacks any true sentimental value or ‘collector’s’ value.
Martin fan here - I have owned a few over the years but not one now.
Great, rich tone. Nothing like them. My record producer friend raves about how the collectible pre-war, old-wood Martins record like no other acoustic guitar in the world. Guess that’s why their collectible!
Taylor has risen up to offer a comparable quality guitar with a different feel and basic tonality - frankly, I think this has been good for Martin, in terms of keeping them focused. Some of Martin’s low-price models of recent years have been excellent build quality and tone - much better than their Sigma imported lines…
Great company. Great guitars…
I “have” a 00 model from what appears to be from the late 50s. It was bought at a flea market in OK by my best friend’s father. He called me when he found it and I walked him through a visual inspection of the guitar for cracks, warping, et cetera. It does have a significant worn mark by the pick guard and some other superficial marks (character), but the sound is awesome and there are no major structural issues. He picked it up for $700. I haven’t had it appraised yet, but I expect that was an “ok” buy. My friend’s father is letting me keep it while he is building his house. Hopefully, I can buy it off him for a more appropriate amount. It sounds magnificent–especially for finger picking. perfect balance and clarity.
it’s like risky business…
“Martin. There is no substitute.” 