Martin Family lineage to end

[JOYCEfromNS]

Looks like Chris Martin is retiring at age 65 though family ownership to continue. Could be a critical juncture in the land of Martin.

[Mikeymac]

Lots of comments over on the Martin forum about this.

CFM IV will continue as the *inactive* head of the company (with a new title, which escapes me at the moment) - I suspect until his daughter, Claire (who is 16 now) decides whether she wants to be involved in leading the company.

In an interview, Chris IV said his daughter likes to write, and he and his wife have always tried to encourage her to pursue her own interests, NOT think that she HAS to be part of the CFM company. So we'll see.

For now, I'd say Martin is in good shape and in good hands...I doubt anything nefarious will happen in the near future.

And actually, but the time he retires in 2021, he'll be 66.

[ducktrapper]

Maybe, unlike Jean Larrivée who is 76 and still going strong, Chris Martin isn't really interested in making guitars?   

[eded]

Maybe, unlike Jean Larrivée who is 76 and still going strong, Chris Martin isn't really interested in making guitars?   

Unlike Jean, Chris kind of had the interest thrust upon him.  Jean developed his own passion.

Ed

[JOYCEfromNS]

Maybe, unlike Jean Larrivée who is 76 and still going strong, Chris Martin isn't really interested in making guitars?   

If there ever was two opposites as I always was left with impression JCL isn't really interested in making guitars a business

[Mikeymac]

If there ever was two opposites as I always was left with impression JCL isn't really interested in making guitars a business

And yet, Larrivee IS a business - that sells guitars. BUT, I agree with some of the other observations; Jean and CFM IV are coming at their "business" from different starting points, Jean is the founder - like CFM I. We'll have to wait another 100 years or so to see if there's a Larrivee family member running the company, and decide then what drives them.

I'd say CFM IV's passion was a developed/earned one, not an inborn one. Obviously, he has a natural family connection, but along the way he developed a passion for the product, even though he's not much of a guitar player (and I have no idea how much Jean still plays, although I know he can).

BOTH Jean and CFM IV have ended up more on the construction end rather than the playing end of the instrument (and CDM IV indirectly - he did work in the shop long enough to [1] learn that it wasn't his strength, and [2] develop a deep respect for the craftsmen who turn out beautiful instruments). Jean, of course, is totally hands on (and can be in part because Larrivee is a much smaller company than Martin)

...that's not a bad thing, but they do require somewhat different styles of their CEO's...

[Queequeg]

Tangentially, Dick Boak, who retired from CFM a couple of years ago, was for a long time the creative force behind the company.
He has a new book.
ink – the illustrative art of dick boak is hot of the press. This is a 132-page perfect bound signed and numbered limited edition of 1,000 books.
"It features my artwork that spans five decades. I have tried to keep the book affordable at $36.00 per copy and am including shipping and tax at no extra charge in the price. As this book is self-published, it is only available directly from me.
The easiest and preferred way to order is to go to my website at:  www.dickboak.com/books "

[teh]

Jean Larrivee is 76, Richard Hoover started Santa Cruz in 1976, Bob Taylor and Kurt Lustwig started Taylor in 1974, Bill Collings started building guitars in 1973, the year I graduated high school and Bill died at the age of 68, Orville Gibson died at age 62 in 1918 the same year that Les Paul turned 3 and Woody Guthrie was 6 and Robert Johnson was 7. Huss and Dalton have 9 employees and are old guys too, Charles Kaman started Ovation at the age of 45 in 1966, Chris Martin is retiring at age 66 next year and so am I. With the exception of Orville Gibson, most of these guys were just hitting their stride in their 60s.

I work for a company that celebrated its 95th anniversary in April. Our founder started the company when he was 40 and came to the office everyday until shortly before his death in 1982.

The point is, I'm confident that most of theses builders have a succession plan in place. In the case of Gibson, Les Paul introduced the Log in 1939 which morphed into the Les Paul guitar in the 50s.

[Mikeymac]

The point is, I'm confident that most of theses builders have a succession plan in place. In the case of Gibson, Les Paul introduced the Log in 1939 which morphed into the Les Paul guitar in the 50s.

Lots of good points in your post. But - while Les Paul endorsed the guitar with his name on it, he was never really an employee - and certainly never the head of the Gibson guitar company... ?

[ducktrapper]

In other news, I put new strings on my D-35 last night. The funny thing is that the D'Addario strings came free with a purchase of Larrivée t-shirt. The circle is complete! 

[Mikeymac]

In other news, I put new strings on my D-35 last night. The funny thing is that the D'Addario strings came free with a purchase of Larrivée t-shirt. The circle is complete! 

LOL - and right now, I have Martin strings on all of my Larrivee guitars... go figure, complete circles, indeed! 

[B0WIE]

Meaningless to me as the Martin hasn't really created anything important in a long time. By this I mean; the guitars they make are mostly based on what was created decades ago, and I don't give much credit to the gimmicks that are meant just to keep the name in the industry news. Plenty of builders make "better Martins" now so Martin, as a brand, is a big "whatever" to me.

With the Larrivee Co, the first gen is still around so we've yet to see where the lineage takes us. But, I suspect Matt and John will continue to make innovations that influence the industry.

[Mikeymac]

Martin announced their new CEO a few days ago, Thomas Ripsam, a "corporate growth strategist" who is also a lifelong Martin guitar player, and who took some time off to learn a bit about building guitars... "sounds like" a good choice.

Corporate Growth Strategist Named New CEO at Martin Guitar