EASTMAN NEW TRADITIONAL STYLE

EASTMAN CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF BRINGING TRUE HANDCRAFTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS TO THE MASSES

- CHRIS GILL

THE HISTORY OF THE EASTMAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPANY IS LIKE CONDENSING THE 300-YEAR EVOLUTION OF STRINGED INSTRUMENT DESIGN INTO ONLY 30 YEARS WITH A FOCUS ON THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS AND BREAKTHROUGHS. Founder Qian Ni started Eastman in 1992 with the goal of building high-quality yet affordable violins, violas, cellos and string basses using traditional craftsmanship and techniques. The success of those efforts eventually inspired Ni to start producing archtop guitars and mandolins in 2002, followed by steel-string acoustic flattops in 2008, thinline electrics in 2012 and solidbody electric guitars in 2016.

“We have redone the golden age of guitar building,” says Eastman International Sales and Product Development Manager of Fretted Instruments Pepijn ’t Hart. “But it all came naturally. From the beginning, our focus was to use traditional building techniques to provide the best possible instruments that anyone could afford. As Eastman grew, it became very important for us to offer a wider range of instruments. It was actually very logical for us to go from making violins to making archtops and mandolins and then progress to flattops, thinline electrics and solidbodies in much the same way that things progressed naturally over history.”