C.F. Martin & Co. · Official Repair Engineer · Korea
A guitar is not fixed.It is returned to its own voice.
The workbench of Sang-hoon Ahn, official Martin Guitar repair engineer. Repair and restoration that respects the years and the sound a single instrument carries.
- Martin Guitar Korea Official Service Center
- Structural Repair · Vintage Restoration
- Dongtan · Korea
The Engineer
Hands that read wood and time
Every guitar holds the decisions of its maker and the years of its player. A repair engineer’s job is to keep that record intact while preparing the instrument for its next few decades.
As an official repair engineer for Martin Guitar, Sang-hoon Ahn works on the structure and sound of acoustic instruments — from setups to neck resets, bridge reglues, crack repair and vintage restoration — carrying the repair standards and philosophy of Martin’s Nazareth factory to players in Korea.
“Good repair work is invisible. The guitar simply begins to sing again.”
- Martin
- Official repair engineer
- 1833
- The year Martin’s story began
- 100%
- Diagnosed and repaired by the same hands
- KO · EN
- Players at home and abroad
Repair Services
From a simple setup to structural restoration
Every job begins with diagnosis and a conversation. We weigh the instrument’s condition, your playing style and its value, and propose the smallest intervention that makes the biggest difference.
How It Works
From inquiry to return
- 01
Inquiry & photos
Describe the symptoms and attach photos on the board. Model, year and storage conditions speed up the diagnosis.
- 02
Diagnosis & estimate
We inspect the instrument with you, explain what it needs, and put the work, cost and timeline in writing. Diagnosis and consultation are free.
- 03
Repair & documentation
Key stages are photographed and progress is shared when useful. The engineer who diagnosed your guitar completes the work.
- 04
Setup & return
Every repair ends with a final setup. Collect in person or receive it back by insured courier.
From the Bench
Moments on the workbench
Elvis Presley’s 1942 Martin D-18 at the MET ‘Play It Loud’ exhibition
Martin 175th Anniversary Custom (2008)
Abalone-inlaid Martin dreadnought, Martin factory museum
Martin guitar body close-up, Martin factory museum
Sunburst Martin dreadnought on display
Stauffer-style guitars by C.F. Martin Sr. (1830s, New York)Video & Interview
Repair, on camera
Bench footage from the Martin Guitar Korea channel and Instagram, and conversations with Martin’s headquarters.
Summer / Winter Care for Martin Guitars (Humidity)
Sang-hoon Ahn of the Martin Official Service Center explains seasonal humidity care. Martin Guitar Korea official channel. (Korean)
Loosen the strings or not? Everything about humidity
A 29-minute conversation with Acoustic Jun on string tension, storage and what humidity does to a guitar. (Korean)
Always store it detuned!!! · with the Martin service center manager
Guest appearance on InStation TV about storage and the problems seen most often at the bench. (Korean)
Since 1833
Martin: 190 years of acoustic
The company that gave the world X-bracing and the dreadnought. Understanding Martin’s history is the first step to repairing a Martin correctly.
- 1833
Founded in New York
C.F. Martin Sr. emigrates to America and opens a shop on Hudson Street, New York. The Martin story begins.
- 1843 – 1850s
X-bracing is born
Martin develops X-bracing, two braces crossing beneath the top. It becomes the structural foundation of the steel-string acoustic guitar.
- 1916
The first dreadnought
Martin builds an unusually large body for Boston retailer Ditson. The name comes from the British battleship HMS Dreadnought.
- 1933 – 1934
The D-45 and 14-fret dreadnoughts
The first D-45 is built for Gene Autry; from 1934 dreadnoughts switch to 14-fret necks.
- 2004
The one-millionth guitar
Serial number 1,000,000 is completed, 171 years after the founding.
Voices
What players say
After the neck reset, the ring I remember from the day I bought it fifteen years ago came back. Now I understand what ‘restoration’ means.
D-28 owner · Seoul
He explained *why* before explaining *what*. A single setup turned it into a different instrument.
000-18 owner · Busan
I had almost given up on this guitar after a humidity crack. Now I struggle to find where the repair was made.
HD-28V owner · Daejeon
※ To be replaced with final figures after the engineer’s confirmation.
What sound has your guitar lost?
Leave your symptoms and photos and the engineer will reply personally. Every inquiry is password-protected.