Arts & Life

Another reason Pennsylvania is a swing state has nothing to do with the election

By Barry Gordemer,

Published October 23, 2024 at 3:58 AM CDT

A visitor looks at guitars at the Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth, Pa, on Oct. 15, 2024.

Putting the swing in a crucial swing state, most of Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley cast ballots for Barack Obama. Years later, it switched to Donald Trump and then reversed itself again to assist President Biden's 2020 victory.

But the region swings for another reason.

Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, and Tracy Chapman are among the music giants who have played guitars made by the world's oldest guitar maker in the borough of Nazareth.

A “Rock the Vote” guitar sits on display at the Martin Guitar museum.

The Martin & Co. guitar factory and museum houses a vast array of storied instruments, including vintage guitars and ukuleles dating back to 1834 and the company's origins in Germany. Behind the museum glass at the factory’s entryway are treasured artifacts like a 1971 D12-35 that was owned for 40 years by Judy Collins and the Martin guitar that the late Kurt Cobain called, "Grandpa."

As a nod to Martin's history and America's political past, a photo captures one of the manufacturer’s guitars alongside baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as they campaigned for Al Smith during his unsuccessful 1928 presidential bid against Herbert Hoover.

In a place known for making things for people who make things—in industries such as steel, concrete, and textiles—the museum leads visitors into a factory that reflects Pennsylvania’s technological evolution. Across a sprawling footprint filled with guitars and their parts, a harmonious blend of meticulous hand craftsmanship is assisted by mesmerizing robotics.

Museum manager Jason Ahner gave NPR a tour. Here are some images from a place that lives at the intersection between tradition and innovation.

A display at the Martin Guitar museum features a guitar signed by Babe Ruth.

Tina Saginario cleans the guitar binding. Much of the Martin & Co. finishing work is done by hand.

Ethan Bennett works on shaping back braces of a guitar.

Guitars sit at the Martin Guitar factory.

An employee buffs a guitar neck at the Martin Guitar factory.

A robotic arm mimics human movement to maneuver a guitar body over a buffing wheel.

An employee works at the Martin Guitar factory.

Pearl inlays in a tree design are set on a guitar at the Martin Guitar factory.

The ultimate human touch comes from professionals like Matt Hotchkiss who play each guitar to check the richness of sound before it leaves the factory.