Inventing the American guitar: the pre-Civil War innovations of C.F. Martin and his contemporaries

Foreword / by Jayson Kerr Dobney

Preface / by Peter Szego

Timeline : 1796-1867

Part I. Austro-German style. Johann Georg Stauffer and the Viennese Guitar / James Westbrook ; C . F. Martin's "Homeland and the Vogtland Trade / Arian Sheets ; C.F. Martin in New York, 1833-1839 / Richard Johnston ; Guitar labels, 1825-1850

Part II. Spanish style. The Spanish guitar in the United States before 1850 / David Gansz ; The Cadiz guitar and its influence on C.F. Martin / David LaPlante ; C.F. Martin in Pennsylvania, 1839-1850 : a period of transition / Richard Johnston ; Evolution of the top bracing of C.F. Martin's guitars ; Madame de Goni and the Spanish-American guitar / David Gansz ; The Spanish guitar as adopted by James Ashborn / David Gansz ; Wooden cases for James Ashborn guitars

Part III. American style. C.F. Martin in Pennsylvania, 1850-1867 : fine tuning / Richard Johnston ; Martin's evolution to an American guitar / Richard Johnston ; Early Martin guitar design and construction : what survived / Richard Johnson

Timeline : 1833-present

Measured drawing : Austro-German style Martin guitar

Measured drawing : Spanish style Martin guitar

Marquetry sample card

Glossary.