Marshall Artz

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and more - Marshall Artz

C.F. Martin & Company Celebrate 175 Years of Making Music

One hundred and seventy five years ago, Christian Frederick Martin came from Germany to the United States and started making guitars in a small workshop. Six generations later, the company has grown, and the guitars it makes may end up in the hands of some of the most talented musicians and songwriters today. VOA's Susan Logue has the story.

Brad Marshall will never forget the first time he played a Martin guitar. "It felt like it was a whole band when I strummed it. It was so full sounding."

Kevin Artz says the first Martin he heard put every guitar he had ever played to shame. "It was like the guitars I had been playing were like a honky tonk piano, and this guy picked up something and put it before me that was like a Steinway. It was so beautiful."

Marshall and Artzhave been performing together for 30 years. Between them they own nine Martin guitars. In fact Martin guitars are the only guitars they play.

Blues-rock legend Eric Clapton loves Martin guitars so much he'd like to come back in his next life as one. It is the guitar he chose when he "unplugged" for MTV.

And when Sting wanted a special sound for his "Sacred Love" album, he commissioned Martin to design the instrument. "Sting wanted a little guitar that could be strung an octave above pitch in order to get a shimmering treble response," says Dick Boak, the man Sting came to with that request.

As director of artist relations at C.F. Martin and Company, Boak has worked with some of the best known guitarists on the planet, from Paul Simon to John Mayer.

"In many cases we know exactly where a guitar is going," Boak says. "Not only do we know [that], but we'll see [the guitar] on television a few nights after we have strung and tuned it with [the artist] playing the guitar on stage, and it is a tremendous thrill."



Musicians Who Have Played Martins

Eric Clapton
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
George Harrison
Paul Simon
David Crosby
Graham Nash
Stephen Stills
Buddy Guy
Elvis Presley
Hank Williams
Woody Guthrie
Johnny Cash
Gene Autry
John Mayer

C.F. Martin and Company makes several hundred models of guitars. They come in different sizes and can be made of different woods. Some are ornately inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

No matter how they look on the outside, they all share something in common, Boak says: the Martin sound.

"Our historian Mike Longworth used to have a nice way to describe the Martin phenomenon," Boak says, "and that's that 'we start with the Martin sound and build a box around it.'"

The Martin phenomenon began in 1833, when Christian Frederick Martin, Senior came to the United States from Germany with his family and set up a shop in New York. Six years later they moved to Pennsylvania.

"They were unhappy in New York," Boak says. "They moved to Nazareth, because it reminded them of their hometown of Markneukirchen, Germany. And in Nazareth, he really found his style of guitar-making, and the guitars that C.F. Martin built really came to define the instrument."

Six generations later, they still define guitar standards. Today, nearly 500 employees work in the factory in Nazareth. Most of the guitars they make are handcrafted in a process that involves about 300 steps.

This year, in honor of the company's 175th anniversary, a limited number are being crafted just as they were in 1937, using rare woods and animal hide glue.

"Going back to the old glues, old process and old woods, just produces something very, very special," Boak says, adding some have compared the quality of those pre-World War II Martin guitars to that of a Stradivarius Violin.

But, as Kevin Artz notes, even Martin Guitars crafted with more modern methods are valued by musicians as something special. "If you're an acoustic player, Martin Guitars tend to be your dream." - Voice of America

Featuring Kevin Artz and Brad Marshall (geddit!), this collection of sixteen acoustic folk songs highlights the gifts and abilities of these excellent singers-songwriters-guitarists. Fans of the 70s singer-songwriter movement will positively thrill to the charm and robust vibe of Marshall Artz. - Fufkin.com

Specializing in acoustic blues, folk, and
instrumental guitar, Brad Marshall (right) and Kevin
Artz met and became roommates at college thirty
years ago because they both played Martin
instruments. They still play their Martins, and today
the musical partnership continues with two albums
to their credit and performances throughout the
Washington, DC, area. They have a great web site
at www.marshallartz.net where you can find their
music and their touring schedule. - Martin Guitar

Marshall Artz
With their Martin D-41 and D-28 models, the
cleverly named duo of Brad Marshall and Kevin Artz
offer up a beautiful array of acoustic albums
covering a wide range of styles. And if you’re in the
Virginia/Washington D.C. area, you can catch the
duo live, often performing at local clubs and fairs.
www.marshallartz.net. - Martin Guitar

Key • Marshall Artz
This Martin guitar yielding duo forges
rock, jazz, and blues into a blend all
their own. This, their third release,
features Brad Marshall’s slide and solo
guitar mastery with Kevin Ar tz’s
smooth rhythm and harmonica playing.
Having opened for major acts such as
Tracy Chapman and Dave Mason, it is
clear to see and hear why this dynamic
duo is a driving force in the modern
world of acoustic music. - Martin Guitar

Media Contact: Brad Marshall, bandmail@marshallartz.net, (703) 690-6098

For Immediate Release – July 15, 2009

Marshall Artz Release their 3rd CD, “KEY”



Two Martin Guitarists forge Rock, Jazz and Blues into an Original Dynamic Sound

Marshall Artz announce the release of their third CD, KEY, a powerful collection of original music showcasing the lead and slide work of Brad Marshall intuitively combined with the rhythm and fingerstyle guitar of Kevin Artz, who also contributes vocals and harmonica. Mastered by Grammy award winner Charlie Pilzer at AirShow, and recorded by Ken Schubert, Cue recording engineer with numerous platinum credits and Billboard hits.

“…clever guitar playing and vocals. Both guitar players are equally
talented and never compete for time or volume ... mystically
challenging melodies and harmonies.” - Smother.Net review

Marshall Artz is an instinctive and eclectic original blend of rock, jazz and blues forged together in a kick- ass acoustic style. The duo features the combined talents of Brad Marshall on lead, rhythm, and slide guitar and Kevin Artz on rhythm and fingerstyle guitar, vocals and harmonica. Brad’s background in rock and blues with Kevin’s background in folk, folk-rock and bluegrass create an original and dynamic acoustic sound. The communication and synchronization between these two musicians’ performances blend two guitars into a rhythmic and melodic mix that suggests a full band rather than just two guitars.

“…excellent singers-songwriters-guitarists. Fans of the 70s
singer-songwriter movement will positively thrill to the charm
and robust vibe of Marshall Artz.” - Fufkin Web Magazine

Playing Martin guitars exclusively, Brad Marshall and Kevin Artz have been interviewed by CF Martin for a Voice of America webcast, as well as appearing in Martin Guitar Sounding Board magazine.

Marshall Artz has performed as an opening act for national artists Tracy Chapman and Dave Mason at venues including the Ram’s Head Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland. They have been guests on live radio programs and featured in live performances for American University’s WAMU as well as the World Folk Music Association showcases at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. The duo has participated in several Washington Area Music Association Crosstown Jam events and is included on the WAMA DC CD Sampler showcasing Washington area talent. Marshall Artz also has been a featured artist at the Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, performing a Beatles tribute for the Timeline Concert Series to commemorate the first Beatles concert in the United States.

Their twenty song self-titled debut CD, MARSHALL ARTZ, features all original compositions and demonstrates their variety of styles in a recording that captures the essence of their live performance. Several of the songs on this recording received awards in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest for Folk, Instrumental, and Adult Contemporary categories taking finalist, semi-finalist, and honorable mention honors.

Marshall Artz’s second CD, HERE NOW contains fifteen original songs ranging from rock to folk and blues. The intimacy of the recording suggests the power of their live shows.

Available at CDBaby, iTunes and www.marshallartz.com,



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- Marshall Artz