Even though Martin Guitars was his family’s business, Chris Martin IV didn’t officially start working for the company until 1974. Starting out working on the production line while still in college, Chris was involved in may aspects of the business, ultimately leading to 34 years as Martin’s CEO, a position he held until his retirement in 2021. With the CEO role now filled by Thomas Riepsam, Chris continues his involvement with the company as Executive Chairman.

In this video, Chris reflects on his 50 years at Martin, and he introduces two special edition guitars that celebrate the milestone. As such, the D-50 CFM IV 50th Anniversary and D-CFM IV 50th Anniversary are spectacularly inlayed guitars, with the D-CFM IV 50th Anniversary also celebrating 35 years of Martin’s secondary factory in Navojoa, Mexico.

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