It ain’t easy being a guitar manufacturer these days. First it was Gibson, then Martin, and now Paul Reed Smith:

Paul Reed Smith Guitars said Wednesday it would lay off 30 employees and implement a 4-day manufacturing week as it grappled with the recession.

The Stevensville company is disbanding its nightly manufacturing operations, spokeswoman Rebecca Eaddy said in an interview.

Eaddy said the recession has impacted musical instrument sales overall and Paul Reed Smith, known for its stylish craftsmanship, is not immune.

The cuts will bring Paul Reed Smith’s work force to 250.

The Wall Street Journal has an article posted today about Martin’s honorable approach to avoiding layoffs at their factory and managing to sell some guitars in this troubled economy.

Workers at C.F Martin & Co. are putting finishing touches on the solid-wood 1 Series model, so named for its simplicity. It lacks inlay, as did the company’s stripped-down 1930s model, and is expected to sell for less than $1,000, breaking a key price point and far less than its $100,000 limited-edition guitars made of Brazilian rosewood. More popular Martins generally sell for $2,000 to $3,000.

Initial reaction is promising. The company, which had sales of $93 million last year, introduced the 1 Series in April and promptly sold out its first year’s output of 8,000 guitars.

“We needed something so we wouldn’t have to start laying people off,” says Chris Martin, the company’s chief executive and sixth generation of his family to lead the closely held company, which was founded in 1833 in New York City. Martin employs about 575 workers, who make 52,000 guitars a year, at the plant here. It has another factory in Mexico that makes beginner guitars.

I think I misinterpreted their intentions when the Series 1 was first announced. My laminate DX1 was likely made in Mexico and would thus not help retain factory staff here in the U.S. So, if this is what it takes, more power to them!

Regular readers know that I’m a big fan of Martin Guitar because they treat their employees well and care about what they build. But I’m a little befuddled–yes, I just used the word befuddled–by their latest press release on prweb.com:

Responding to the troubled economy, C.F. Martin and Company has announced the introduction of a new 1 Series, a lineup of value-oriented Martin guitars based on instruments the company introduced during the Great Depression. Direct music-gear marketer Musician’s Friend is accepting preorders starting today and expects to begin shipping the acoustic guitars in late May.

Great. I’m all for lower-priced guitars in a troubled economy. But Martin’s supposedly recession-friendly guitars range in price from $899 to $1100, which isn’t any cheaper than other Martins.

In fact, it’s twice the price of their DX1 models ($499). The difference, of course, is that the DX1 is built with laminate sides and back and a “Stratabond” neck. The 1 Series is all wood. But I own a DXK and love it. Sure, an all wood guitar is better, but if you’re really concerned about shelling out bucks for a guitar during these craptastic economic times, stick with a DX1. It’s a better value.

Or, if your rich great, great aunt just passed on to her great reward and left you a wad of cash, why not shell out your inheritance for this wallet buster: the $32,000 Martin D-28 Dreadnought. But hey, it does come with free shipping, so there’s that…