Eastman is the leading pioneer of handmade affordable archtop guitars built in the classic manner . Founded in 1992 by Chinese music student-turnedentrepreneur Qian Ni , the company began by employing Chinese master violinmakers trained in old-school Western construction techniques . Soon , a dedicated workshop was established , one where hand woodworking tools dominated , and guitars and other instruments were built in a tradition that had not been seen in Europe or the US since the late 19th century . Today Eastman is legendary for combining old time craftsmanship with modern affordability , and world-class , handcarved spruce top guitars like the AR503CE illustrate this marriage perfectly . This model projects beautiful , acoustically rich archtop jazz tones that can compete with the finest instruments ever made , and it can often be had new for under 1200 dollars .
Eastman AR503CE
Eastman is the leading pioneer of handmade affordable archtop guitars built in the classic manner . Founded in 1992 by Chinese music student-turnedentrepreneur Qian Ni , the company began by employing Chinese master violinmakers trained in old-school Western construction techniques . Soon , a dedicated workshop was established , one where hand woodworking tools dominated , and guitars and other instruments were built in a tradition that had not been seen in Europe or the US since the late 19th century . Today Eastman is legendary for combining old time craftsmanship with modern affordability , and world-class , handcarved spruce top guitars like the AR503CE illustrate this marriage perfectly . This model projects beautiful , acoustically rich archtop jazz tones that can compete with the finest instruments ever made , and it can often be had new for under 1200 dollars .