Eastman AC622CE-SB

The Eastman Strings brand was founded in 1992 by Chinese flutist Qian Ni after graduating from the Boston University School of Music. Over three decades, the company's portfolio has grown to include acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric guitars (Eastman Guitars) and with it the brand's fame, so that the company's players include such luminaries as James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers), Adrian Utley (Portishead) and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth). In the case of Eastman instruments, you can rely on superior craftsmanship, demonstrated by features and techniques such as hand-cut ribbing or individual tuning of the instrument's soundboard.

The Eastman AC622CE-SB is an all-massive Grand Auditorium-style electro-acoustic guitar. The front of the guitar is made of European spruce, while the back and sides are made of solid flamed maple. The distinctive grain of the flamed maple is enhanced by the gloss lacquer (Truetone Gloss).

The maple neck with a pleasing "C" profile is glued to an ebony fingerboard with 20 frets. The rounded lower body cutout ensures good matching at the higher positions of the fingerboard, while orientation on the fingerboard is facilitated by pearl position markers in the shape of maple leaves (Abalone). The resonance of the top is supported by hand-reduced ribbing (Scalloped X).

The strings are mounted across the bone fretboard in Gotoh SG301 tuning machines in gold finish and an ebony fingerboard. The luxurious craftsmanship is accentuated by a soundport opening in the guitar's backside, providing musicians with instant feedback, and traditional features in the form of a comfortable shoulder rest, body surround and figured maple fingerboard, a pearl rosette (Abalone), a centre back strip, a faux tortoiseshell pickguard, ebony pegs with pearl eyelets (Abalone) and a pearl motif and company logo on the headstock.

The guitar's sound system is handled by LR Baggs Element EAS VTC electronics with an underbody pickup and Volume and Tone controls discreetly placed in the instrument's soundhole. The guitar comes in a carrying case.