Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (Oct. 25, 2022) – Music and history lovers, luthiers, and musicians – especially guitar players – are invited to join us for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s next Speaker Series featuring special guest Jason Ahner, archivist and museum manager for C. F. Martin & Co. The event will be held online only at 7 p.m. EDT, Nov. 8, and is free and open to the public – however, you must register online to join the conversation via Zoom.
“Jason Ahner is an authority on the origins of Martin guitars and their expert craftsmanship,” said Dr. René Rodgers, head curator at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol. “Guitar lovers may especially appreciate this program and the opportunity to ask Mr. Ahner questions.”
Based in Nazareth, Pennsylvania and family owned and operated since 1833, C. F. Martin & Co. is known world-wide for innovations in quality, beautifully crafted instruments. Founder C. F. Martin revolutionized the way luthiers build guitars with a technique he invented known as X-bracing, which made guitars sound better and more durable. A few decades later Frank Henry Martin created the Dreadnought, considered by many to be the most important development in the evolution of guitars.
Jason Ahner is a native of Pennsylvania and has been with C. F. Martin & Co. for more than a decade, serving as the company’s archivist since 2018 and managing its museum since 2019. Prior to this, Ahner held positions in customer service and the polishing department in the factory. He’s had a fascination with the guitar for as long as he can remember and began playing the instrument at the age of six. He’s studied the history of Martin guitar and other manufacturers for more than two decades.