While you read some intriguing cover stories in our September issue, there were others that were also highly notable.

By Meghan Decker

(orginally featured in our July/August 2006) issue

As LVS staffers and Valley residents we’re always swapping reviews and recommendations of the places we love. Every Monday morning is the inevitable discussion of where we went and what we did over the weekend. There’s a piece of paper that hangs on a wall year-round in the office so we can jot down our beloved restaurants, boutiques, and events. In 2006, we finally created “Our Favorite Things” to share our never-ending list with you knowing that perhaps these places were your favorites, or soon-to-be-discovered favorites, too.

Martin Guitar Preserves a Handcrafted Heritage

By Sara George, Photography by Ryan Hulvat

Is it tone, beauty, handcrafting, teamwork, quality control, lifetime guarantee, or the mystique of big-name performers that makes a Martin Guitar—a “Martin?”

Founded in 1833 Germany by Christian Frederick Martin Sr., the C.F. Martin & Company (home of Martin Guitar and Martin Strings) has been located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, since 1839. The Martin Guitar name enjoys world renown on a mythic scale. In August 2000, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission unveiled a marker at the original North Street factory in Nazareth commemorating the life and legacy of C.F. Martin. The marker reads, in par, “One of the oldest musical instrument manufacturers. Its innovations in acoustic guitar design—including the x-braced flat-top and Dreadnought guitar—went on to exert a formidable influence in the industry.”