Eastman

Timcito · June 2018

I'm a Brit (grew up in the Manchester area) who's been living in the US for the past 16 years. One make currently disturbing the Martin/Taylor/Gibson monopolies of late has been Eastman. I currently have two: an E8D dread (bearclaw spruce/rosewood) and an E100ltd parlour (Adirondack/Sapele), and they're phenomenal guitars. What makes them even sweeter is that they cost around a third the price of their equivalents by the big boys. Are they popular/accessible in the UK?

fishfingers · June 2018

I have one of their archtop jazz guitars which is very nice. I believe they've been producing archtops for quite some time but the flattops might be a more recent thing? Anyway I had an E10P a few years ago which didn't really move me so I moved it on fairly quickly. They're available from places like Ivor Mairants and Richards Guitars in the UK.

earwighoney · June 2018

I have a E10-00, a 12 fret 00 model with a red spruce soundboard and mahogany back and sides.

I've owned it for a few years now and until very recently I never really enjoyed the sound it produced - the sound was just a bit too much in particular in the basses and trebles, a bit boomy of sorts. In the last few months the guitar has really balanced out in it's sound, less boomy and very balanced across the spectrum.

brojangles · June 2018

I've got an E8D and love it, and spend a lot of time obsessing about getting an E10SS to go with it. They're not cheap any more in the UK - although they're still half the price of the Martin and Gibson equivalents - and they're comparatively rare second hand. But second hand they're unbeatably good for what they go for.

Sometimes I wander into a shop and try a D28 and kind of want one, but I prefer the fatter neck on my E8D to the skinnier ones on the newer Martins, and I don't think there's a grand's worth of difference to the sound for my tastes and purposes. E10SS sounds flat out better, to me, than all the new J45s I've tried, although the vintage ones are a different story

Timcito · June 2018

brojangles said:

I've got an E8D and love it, and spend a lot of time obsessing about getting an E10SS to go with it. They're not cheap any more in the UK - although they're still half the price of the Martin and Gibson equivalents - and they're comparatively rare second hand. But second hand they're unbeatably good for what they go for.

Sometimes I wander into a shop and try a D28 and kind of want one, but I prefer the fatter neck on my E8D to the skinnier ones on the newer Martins, and I don't think there's a grand's worth of difference to the sound for my tastes and purposes. E10SS sounds flat out better, to me, than all the new J45s I've tried, although the vintage ones are a different story

Not just saying it because I own one, but my E8D is the best-sounding dread I've ever played, and that includes a few D-28s in Guitar Center over here. What I like about it is that as well as the delicious dread 'thud,' it has some sparkling trebles, which, for me, are lacking with most of the Martins I've played.

BigLicks67 · June 2018

I've had an Eastman 805ce jazz box in the past & after about 4 years I moved it on. There seems to be a tremendous amount of hype about Eastman's that is not really justified. They are reasonably well made, although the binding on the neck of mine was a bit shoddy and they probably are good value for money guitars, but at the end of the day they are copies of something better.
There's is no way on God's green earth I would have attempted to compare my jazz box to something like a Gibson ES175 VOS, because it would not stack up to closer scrutiny.

Obviously, if for example I was a salesman for Eastman I may say something different ; >

AliGorie · June 2018

It's an Eastie E6OM I picked up for £550 back in '13, it had been hanging on the wall for a couple of years and although being the staff's fav to play during 'breaks' along with a 'D' version they'd got at the same time, they didn't seem to know anything about then.

I got it for taking out 'n about with no worry's - here it is with old strings,
cheap mic and too much 'processing' on an early version of a tune for my wee sister.

https://app.box.com/s/3fzy67sxltiaqgjl1wp9qx21r3uls30x

oh, meant to say - it's not a 2.5k or a 1.5k or 1k guitar but it does what I require from it.

Timcito · June 2018

BigLicks67 said:

I've had an Eastman 805ce jazz box in the past & after about 4 years I moved it on. There seems to be a tremendous amount of hype about Eastman's that is not really justified. They are reasonably well made, although the binding on the neck of mine was a bit shoddy and they probably are good value for money guitars, but at the end of the day they are copies of something better.
There's is no way on God's green earth I would have attempted to compare my jazz box to something like a Gibson ES175 VOS, because it would not stack up to closer scrutiny.

Obviously, if for example I was a salesman for Eastman I may say something different ; >

I haven't tried any of their jazz boxes, so I can't comment on those. However, for flat tops, they're making huge inroads here in the US. And despite the initial national inclination to dismiss them as, in your words, 'copies of something better,' many diehards have reluctantly admitted that although they may share the same dimensions as some Martin and Gibson models, they are quality instruments and very much their own thing. As I said, Martin dreads are not known for their sparkle, but Eastman seems to include this feature.

As for fit and finish, I've owned a Gibson CJ165R and a Songwriter Deluxe, both brand new, and both needed work on them in the weeks after I bought them. The Songwriter needed fret levelling to eliminate buzz, while the CJ required a new nut installing. Stuff like that, while it may be a bit irritating, is not significant for me. Both guitars had unique sounds that were worth spending a few bob on to tidy up a few loose ends. Incidentally, neither of my two Eastmans have required any work straight out of the box.

mandosteve · June 2018

I have an Eastman 615 Mandolin (F5 style) that I bought new from The Acoustic Music Company in Brighton around 10 years ago. It's got better and better (and it was good to start with). I know they still sell new Eastman Mandolins - they could probably order guitars if anyone was interested?

I hate to say it but I think some of their output would probably stack up very favourably against many new Gibsons (particularly at the price). Gibson have become increasingly hit and miss over the years with increasing numbers of misses. Sad really as my old refinished '66 SG Standard is amazing and easily the best guitar I've ever owned.

musicman100 · June 2018

There's ok but over priced imo if buying new.
And very hard to sell used

Lewy · June 2018

If my Eastman mando is anything to go by, their prices have jumped up massively making them pretty overpriced when once they were very good value. Think I paid 6-700 for a model that is over a grand now. It’s good but not that good.

AliGorie · June 2018

yeah Lewy - when I first became aware of Eastmans was a trip to Ivor Marantz in 2010, checking out their archtops I said I was actually a 'flat top' player the guy handed me a E20 OM - it was £640 then !, Adirondack EI rosewood. I was on a guitar making course and went back 'n told them we were wasting out time, they're now £1400.

McSwaggerty · June 2018

E10P here..... 0 Sized 12 Fret Parlour. Spruce Top, Mahogany Back and Sides.
Never played a guitar as much as l have played this one.
Great Fingerpicker
Love it to bits.

Sammy · June 2018

Really good guitars great looking and nicely built, but like any acoustic you have to try them out as the same model can sound and play totally different. My son bought one last year from Ivor Mariants, they always have a really good range in, he loves it and it plays and sounds great.

Tried one of their 12 fret guitars in I.M. it sounded superb, would have bought there and then if it had 14 frets, but can't seem to get my head around a 12 fretter. Always seem to think I need more room at the higher end, as I am really an electric player, but when I play acoustic I hardly ever play up there anyway!

Lozboy · July 2018

McSwaggerty said:

E10P here..... 0 Sized 12 Fret Parlour. Spruce Top, Mahogany Back and Sides.
Never played a guitar as much as l have played this one.
Great Fingerpicker
Love it to bits.

Same here I have the SB model .I play it far more than my other more pricey acoustics.

proggy · July 2018

I've got a E20P, 12 fret parlour, Adirondack top and Rosewood back and sides. Such a sweet sounding little guitar, absolutely love it.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Eastman

Comments