Musician's Friend was founded in 1983 by Rob and DeAnna Eastman. Newly married, the Eastmans financed the start-up with a $5,000 loan from Rob's parents and ran the business out of their suburban California garage. Eventually relocating headquarters from San Diego to a dairy barn in Southern Oregon, Rob and DeAnna, along with brother-in-law, Al Dinardi, grew the business into a prominent direct marketer of music gear.

Our first catalog was just a simple two-color flyer offering discounted guitar strings and a handful of other accessories. With a combination of hard work and intimate knowledge of the music business, things quickly changed. We were among the earliest catalog marketers of music gear and the first to focus on rock-band gear, so we experienced amazingly rapid growth.