How an Ethiopian Engineer is Striking Fresh Chords with Locally Handcrafted Guitars

Like most things in Ethiopia, the music industry is heavily reliant on imports to sustain itself. While it would be of little surprise that hi-tech sound equipment is imported, the inability to manufacture simple string instruments like guitars could raise eyebrows. An Ethiopian engineer who has had a lifelong affair with music is trying to bridge the acoustic barrier through locally produced string instruments.

Bani Abraham, a resident of Hawassa City in Sidama Regional State, decided to evolve his university graduation project (a two-stringed Masinqo (traditional Ethiopian instrument) into a full-fledged business a few years back. 

“Everyone loved the tone of the Masinqo I built, “he recalled to Shega.” I thought this could turn into a business.” 

Leveraging his education as an industrial engineer and a childhood spent experimenting with several musical instruments around church, Bani seized at the opportunity to combine passion and profession.

“I was surprised to learn that almost no one manufactured music instruments in Ethiopia,” he says.

Ethiopia’s rich musical heritage includes several endemic instruments made locally. Several percussion instruments like the Kebero and string instruments such as the Kirar that have intimate ties to the country’s history. However, this craftsmanship has struggled to translate into the production of widely used instruments like guitars and the piano.

Bani exercises great care in sourcing quality wood which he uses to make the body of the box guitars. Every element, including the neck, top and fretboard, is made from locally available items with just the tuners and metallic frets being sourced from imports. The guitars are crafted meticulously to maintain shapes preferred by local musicians. 

Bani’s guitars offer an affordable alternative price at nearly half the price of imported box guitars, which cost somewhere starting from 18,000 birr, with pricy options costing as high as a hundred thousand. While the purchase prices might not always be high, a series of duties in the form of VAT, excise and surtaxes contribute to the final selling cost for imported musical instruments.

Globally acoustic guitar prices vary based on quality and brand. Beginner models range from $100 to $300, intermediate guitars cost between $300 and $800, and professional-grade instruments can fetch from $800 to $3,000 or more. 

Eliays Girma, a music composer with over a decade of experience in the industry, lauds the initiative to manufacture instruments locally. He says it is quite rare to find locally made alternatives for most instruments.

“The quality of sound depends on the material used,” Eliyas told Shega.

He emphasized the importance of input selection to ensure quality tones regardless of how well the right chords are being struck. 

Bani employs focused craftsmanship to adjust the distances between every component of the guitar to be able to compete with imports. He says each guitar requires weeks of follow up and continued adjustment for a quality output.

While handcrafted guitars often fetch premium prices in most foreign countries, acquiring customers is not so simple in Ethiopia.

“Most people still avoid buying locally made products,” Bani says.” They usually change their mind when they see me playing it.”

Churning out a batch of four guitars at a time, he has slowly attracted a clientele mostly composed of church players and colleagues who know him as a musician. Social media advertisements on channels like TikTok are starting to pay dividends. Bani wants to preserve unique tonal characteristics, artistry, and attention as his defining brand. He believes that mass-produced instruments often lack authenticity, connection to culture and a personal touch.