The story of every instrument begins with the tonewoods used in its construction. Our master luthiers begin by selecting high quality aged spruce for the tops and maple for the backs, ribs, necks, and scrolls. The wood used to make an instrument will in large measure determine the final results, so we go to great pains to start every one of our instruments with select, seasoned tonewoods.
Tops and backs are cut out from book-matched pairs joined at the center. The exterior arching is shaped by experienced violinmakers.
The graduations (finely calibrated gradations in thickness) are completed from the inside. This requires expert handwork and frequent, careful measurements to ensure precision that no machine can match. Correct graduations are essential to the sound and response of an instrument.
F-holes are rough-cut in the top using a jeweler’s saw. These holes are essential to the release of the instrument’s sound, but their shape is dictated more by tradition than acoustics.
The quality of an instrument’s craftsmanship is often judged in part from the shaping and precision of the f-holes. After they are rough-cut, they are finished with a knife.
The braces are made of a slightly springy wood glued inside the top that provides support and enhances the instrument’s bass notes. It must be carved to match perfectly with the interior surface of the top. After the braces are glued in place, they are shaped to provide strength and tonal enhancement.
Corner and end blocks are fit into the rib mold. These blocks are the main structures that link the ribs, top, back, and neck together, and give strength to the finished instrument. Each instrument has a neck block and an end block. After the blocks are fit into the mold, they are carefully shaped with chisels and gouges. The shape of the corner and end blocks is important because it determines the shape of the sides themselves. After the sides are complete, the mold will be removed, but the blocks will remain attached to the sides.
Sides are shaped using heat, moisture, and gentle pressure to bend the thin wood. Sides must be thin but strong. Sides that are too thick and heavy will dampen an instrument’s resonance. The sides’ curvature imparts structural strength, but they remain the instrument’s most delicate part. When they have been bent into their final shape, the sides are attached to the blocks, perfectly fitting them around the mold.
Next, the rib linings or kerflings are cut, bent and attached to the sides. Without the linings, there would not be enough surface on the side edges to create a secure glue bond with the top and back. The kerflings follow the contour of the sides and dovetail into notches in the corner blocks.
After the sides are removed from the mold, the exposed interior of the blocks is shaped and smoothed. This removes the excess wood that was holding the block in place in the mold. With this step, the sides are complete.
The top, back, and sides are then glued together.
Quality is continually checked throughout the process. The edges of the top and back are shaped to exactly follow the curvature of the sides. Then binding channels are cut by hand.
The binding is carefully cut and inlaid. Binding is both decorative and protective.
The scroll is carved and finished by hand. This small sculpture adds beauty and personality and provides the instrument’s “signature.” Because they are carved by hand, no two scrolls are identical.
Meanwhile the neck is being carved. A smooth, properly graduated neck makes playing easier. A tight fit and the proper angle are essential for durability, sound, and playability. A solid ebony fingerboard is slotted to receive the frets and then carefully glued to the neck.
The completed neck is custom fitted to the neck block using a compound dovetail joint.
The surface of the top and back are scraped smooth. A scraper is an unusual blade with a burred scraping edge rather than a sharp cutting edge. A scraped surface is preferable to a sanded one, as it is extremely smooth and it avoids the slightly clouded appearance of wood that has been sanded.
Instruments are varnished first by hand. Brushes of different sizes are used so that large surfaces and fine details can all be well coated. Eastman’s unique hybrid process utilizes a hand rubbed spirit varnish base finished with two layers of sprayed lacquer and then buffed back almost to the spirit varnish beneath. The varnish is made by dissolving resins and pigments in a spirit (alcohol) base. The spirit varnish used on many Eastman Strings models is made from recipes almost as old as the craft of violin making! Instruments with just a simple spirit varnish finish are available at no extra charge.
After the finish is applied, the binding is carefully scraped to remove any excess varnish.
Frets are cut and hammered into the fingerboard by hand.
Special care must be taken when installing frets over the fingerboard extension.
Once the frets are in place they are filed down and dressed.
The fittings are attached and the slot is cut for the handcrafted bone nut prior to attaching the strings.
After a few additional adjustments the Eastman Mandolin is ready to play.
