Eastman Guitars
Eastman builds in China using hand-carving methods more usually associated with violin making, which is where the company started. The archtops and thinline models have earned a reputation that surprises people who assume a price bracket determines quality, and the acoustics are similarly well regarded. Eastman appears in our coverage of jazz and hollowbody instruments and in features on where the value now sits in guitar manufacturing.
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- Acoustic guitars
- Archtop guitars
- Electric guitars
- Mandolins
- E-series acoustics
- T-series thinline
- AR archtops
- Romeo
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Eastman Guitars FAQ4 questions
Who founded Eastman?
Qian Ni, an accomplished flutist from Beijing, who founded Eastman Strings in 1992 after graduating from the Boston University School of Music. By the company's own account it grew over twenty-five years from a business run out of the back of his car into a global instrument maker.
How are Eastman guitars built?
Eastman's stated position is that there is a big difference between assembly and artistry, and that each instrument gets the attention required to reach its potential. It names hand-scalloped bracing and precision tap tuning as specific examples of how it differentiates its acoustic construction.
What else does Eastman Music Company own?
A family of brands well beyond guitars: Bourgeois Guitars, Eastman Strings, Eastman Winds, Wm. S. Haynes Co., Backun Musical Services, S.E. Shires, Willson, Laskey, Fossati, Malletech and Ultra-Pure Oils. The guitar operation is one part of an orchestral and band instrument group.
Are Eastman guitars good value?
They are usually discussed in those terms — hand-built archtops and acoustics at prices well below what comparable American workshops charge. The finish choices, particularly the thin nitrocellulose and antique treatments, are as much a part of the appeal as the price is.