Cheaper Eastman's - opinions

Greatape · July 2022

A friend just bought an Eastman e6 (or something), heat treated top etc. A sniff over £1000 but soon that model rises to about £1200.

I was extremely impressed by the build, etc. But £1200 is not in my gift. Has anyone tried the cheaper ranges? Any good?

bertie · July 2022

which model (size OM ? Dread ?) There's an Eastman E6 OM at Project Music for < £1k

https://www.projectmusic.net/eastman-e6om-tc-guitar-with-thermo-cured-top-and-case-27385-p.asp?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIko6p4qSK-QIVA-ztCh2TJwwvEAQYAiABEgLnc_D_BwE

Greatape · July 2022

I think it was that

Greatape · July 2022

Still too expensive for me sadly

bertie · July 2022

Greatape said:

Still too expensive for me sadly

ah OK , your OP made it sound like £1k was OK, but £1200 too much

what budget you looking at, and are you looking for OM/000 size ?

Greatape · July 2022

£500-800 is the 'don't get murdered by wife' zone.

Looking for an all-rounder, preferably.

Greatape · July 2022

Not a 'modern sounding' acoustic though

Kristo · July 2022

I’ve got an E1D. It’s incredible value for money. I’ve had some nice acoustics in the past, and rate the Eastman very highly.

DavidR · July 2022

Cannot recommend Yamaha's FS and FG series enough. Yamaha would be many peoples go to brand at what sounds like your price range. Eastman has a good rep too but has become a little more expensive in the last few years cf. some other brands 'student' ranges. Marginally more bangs per buck with Yamaha imho. But then I'm a fan.

Yamaha FS Series Acoustic Guitars | Yamaha Music London
Yamaha FG Series Acoustic Guitars | Yamaha Music London

Eastman is a Chinese brand and some have concerns about their employment ethics and wood sourcing. Most Yamahas (a massive Japanese conglomerate) at the cheaper end also originate from China too though so maybe plus c'est la même chose! I would like to think that the products of Japanese industry are more ethical, but that might not be a given.

Teyeplayer · July 2022

Used to have an E1 OM, think they retailed for around £500 -was a nice guitar, all solid woods etc. Definitely a lot of guitar for the money.

bertie · July 2022

Greatape said:
Looking for an all-rounder, preferably.

wife or guitar ?

Greatape · July 2022

bertie said:

Greatape said:
Looking for an all-rounder, preferably.

wife or guitar ?

One, you need an all rounder for. The other, you need multiple examples in order to cover all the bases.

I couldn't possibly comment as to which is which.

sir_strumalot · July 2022

I have an E2D, sounds great, plays well, quality is great. It has a sort of evenly balanced tone so is a good all-rounder.

TheMadMick · July 2022

I have a Yamaha AC3R up for grabs in Acoustics£ if you're interested and it's priced to sell.

Greatape · July 2022

TheMadMick said:

I have a Yamaha AC3R up for grabs in Acoustics£ if you're interested and it's priced to sell.

Thanks, but I'm definitely the kind who needs to try before buying.

Soupman · July 2022

@TheMadMick I wish you hadn't pointed to the Acoustics£ for sale section here. Never bothered looking at it before, there are some good buys in there. Thought I was past the GAS syndrome...doh!

brojangles · July 2022

The non-baked-top, mid-range, trad/Martin-style Eastmans from a few years ago - E6-D and E6-OM (mahogany), E8-D and E8-OM (rosewood) - are really, really good, and if you're patient you should be able to snag one second-hand for £700-800 I think.

Greatape · July 2022

brojangles said:

The non-baked-top, mid-range, trad/Martin-style Eastmans from a few years ago - E6-D and E6-OM (mahogany), E8-D and E8-OM (rosewood) - are really, really good, and if you're patient you should be able to snag one second-hand for £700-800 I think.

Cool, many thanks

TheMadMick · July 2022

Greatape said:

TheMadMick said:

I have a Yamaha AC3R up for grabs in Acoustics£ if you're interested and it's priced to sell.

Thanks, but I'm definitely the kind who needs to try before buying.

You're welcome to come and try it any time you're around Merseyside!

Soupman said:

@TheMadMick I wish you hadn't pointed to the Acoustics£ for sale section here. Never bothered looking at it before, there are some good buys in there. Thought I was past the GAS syndrome...doh!

I know the problem. Glad to be of service

brojangles · July 2022

(I can't say enough good things about my E8D - it's like an HD28 for a fraction of the price.)

Greatape · July 2022

TheMadMick said:

Greatape said:

TheMadMick said:

I have a Yamaha AC3R up for grabs in Acoustics£ if you're interested and it's priced to sell.

Thanks, but I'm definitely the kind who needs to try before buying.

You're welcome to come and try it any time you're around Merseyside!

Soupman said:

@TheMadMick I wish you hadn't pointed to the Acoustics£ for sale section here. Never bothered looking at it before, there are some good buys in there. Thought I was past the GAS syndrome...doh!

I know the problem. Glad to be of service

Ah, very kind but in Devon.

malcolmkindness · July 2022

Greatape said:

A friend just bought an Eastman e6 (or something), heat treated top etc. A sniff over £1000 but soon that model rises to about £1200.

I was extremely impressed by the build, etc. But £1200 is not in my gift. Has anyone tried the cheaper ranges? Any good?

Buy second hand. There is an Eastman E60 in Ireland on adverts.ie for €750, so there's probably one somewhere in England for similar money. Eastman are excellent guitars for the price.

BillDL · July 2022

DavidR said:

Cannot recommend Yamaha's FS and FG series enough.

I feel the same about them. I bought a Yamaha FS-830 for £380 a while ago and it is a beautiful sounding, well made, and versatile guitar. I find it almost impossible to hear the difference between that guitar and my £800 "concert" sized Yamaha, which makes me now wonder why I wasted £420. "Oh, but it has laminated back and sides". Yeah, and I can't hear the difference between that and the solid wood one that cost twice as much and isn't any better finished.

Tannin · July 2022

DavidR said:

Cannot recommend Yamaha's FS and FG series enough.

Eastman is a Chinese brand and some have concerns about their employment ethics and wood sourcing. Most Yamahas (a massive Japanese conglomerate) at the cheaper end also originate from China too though so maybe plus c'est la même chose! I would like to think that the products of Japanese industry are more ethical, but that might not be a given.

Yamaha has a good reputation for sustainable and ethical practices. See here: https://www.yamaha.com/en/csr/environment/sustainable_resource_use/ Not perfect, but pretty good, and improving year by year. And their instruments, of course, are among the very best - and that statement holds good whether you are shopping in the £200 price range or at the £4000 end. Come to think of it, it holds good whether you are looking for a guitar or a flute or even a piano.

DavidR · August 2022

Tannin said:

DavidR said:

Cannot recommend Yamaha's FS and FG series enough.

Eastman is a Chinese brand and some have concerns about their employment ethics and wood sourcing. Most Yamahas (a massive Japanese conglomerate) at the cheaper end also originate from China too though so maybe plus c'est la même chose! I would like to think that the products of Japanese industry are more ethical, but that might not be a given.

Yamaha has a good reputation for sustainable and ethical practices. See here: https://www.yamaha.com/en/csr/environment/sustainable_resource_use/ Not perfect, but pretty good, and improving year by year. And their instruments, of course, are among the very best - and that statement holds good whether you are shopping in the £200 price range or at the £4000 end. Come to think of it, it holds good whether you are looking for a guitar or a flute or even a piano.

Only just seen this Tannin. Very interesting indeed. Shows intent and evidences action taken. All makers should be able to show similar. For certain timbers there are problems not only with quantity and the environmental impact of removal but also the number of the large specimen trees. They're gone!

For me Taylor's efforts to utilise sustainable wood and protect nature are a gold standard in the industry. Plus, with Lowden, they are enthusiastic about experimentation with some of the (what must in reality be scores of) woods suitable for use as tone woods and structural woods. Other makers are too ready to give players what they expect. Rosewood, spruce, mahogany etc. Makers of guitars have always been influenced by customer demand. It takes bravery and vision to actually create that demand. Lowden's support of the use of walnut is a good example of that. Australia's use of Bunya another.

TheMarlin · August 2022

I’m a big Fan of Yamaha FG and L series acoustics.

Tannin · August 2022

I agree entirely @DavidR and I didn't know that about Lowden.

So far as the industry giants go, Taylor is the leader, with honourable mention also to Furch. (Does Furch count as an "industry giant"? They certainly make a lot of guitars. The Godin empire in Canada also seems to be doing the right thing on a large scale.

Here in Oz Cole Clark is outstanding, with the vast bulk of their production from sustainable timbers, and a commitment to phasing out all non-sustainable timbers as they deplete their existing stock of (e.g.) Indian Rosewood. Maton (a larger manufacturer than CC, about the same size as Lowden) pioneered local timbers back in the 1950s - largely at first because it was difficult to source imported timber in the post-war economy with rationing and foreign exchange shortages and so on, but over time that morphed into an appreciation of the merits of local timber for its own sake, and better understandings of the best way to work it. These days, 90-95% of Maton's production uses Blackwood or Queensland Maple, typically with spruce tops but sometimes Bunya or Blackwood. Outside of a few small-shop luthiers (and not many even of those) there isn't a maker in this country still using rosewood and mahogany as their mainline timbers, it's all about the locally-grown stuff, which is in almost all cases sustainable.

Back in the US, Breedlove is a funny one. Breedlove were gung-ho on sustainability and pioneered Myrtlewood. They are still talking the talk but their Chinese partnership program makes me wonder. Any company which produces a dedicated "eco" model of anything - guitar, car, T-shirt, you name it - has to be suspect. It is nearly always an admission that the company as a whole is doing the wrong thing but this particular range (typically at extra cost) is sustainable / palm-oil free / carbon neutral / fair trade / other selling point. Gibson, for example - a known offender with form - has an "eco" range, and says as little as possible about their mainline production. Well, maybe Breedlove are just not communicating effectively, but when I see a whole uncertified range of standard products, plus one little range of "eco" ones, I habitually smell a rat.

earwighoney · August 2022

DavidR said:

Eastman is a Chinese brand and some have concerns about their employment ethics and wood sourcing. Most Yamahas (a massive Japanese conglomerate) at the cheaper end also originate from China too though so maybe plus c'est la même chose! I would like to think that the products of Japanese industry are more ethical, but that might not be a given.

I will have to disagree with this statement at least partly.

For a start, for some of their models they use the same supplier as Collings for their Red Spruce soundboards,

You can find the info here

http://www.adirondackspruce.com

Eastman have also built guitars with spruce from these guys

https://www.tonewood.ch/en/

And will supply a guitar with the Florinett certificate to show it came from them.

GoFish · August 2022

Regarding Yamaha, they really do make some cracking instruments. I've heard that their aim is to be in the top 3 of every sector they participate in. They're not a million miles away from that!

Greatape · August 2022

Tried a £500(?) Eastman today. Hugely impressed.

Shadow · August 2022

I played an E2OM which is cedar and mahogany last week retailing for £520. It was a lovely sounding guitar.

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Cheaper Eastman's - opinions

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