Eastman Archtops

[mr. beaumont]

I think for this style of music, you might dig the "vintagey" sound of a new model Loar, or an actual vintage instrument (I see some sweeties pop up on archtop .com and elderly from time to time in that 2 to 3k bracket)

Which is not to say the Eastman couldn't work. The ones I've played have excelled at being electric guitars...their acoustic voices are pretty, and decidedly quieter than a parallel braced Loar or vintage box.

[Spook]

I have several Yunzhi's which are similar to Eastman's in construction with strong ties back to Benedetto designs. I have an 18" that will drive pretty hard running .013 PB 80/20's. I was at a BBQ yesterday with some music friends. In a living room surrounded by three Martin flat tops, two classical guitars and several voices enthusiastically cranking out Woody Guthrie tunes (it was Labor Day after all) it was easy to get above it all. My 17" would have done OK, but not as well. The 17" will sound edgy as it gets loud. The 18" just roars.

Of course, this speaks to volume, not timbre. I will leave that discussion to those with a broader background.


As for Eastman, I love workmanship but every time I encounter one of their archtops in a music store it has light electric strings on it so it's hard to form an opinion. I do like the sound of their flat tops.

[bohemian]

Eastmans by design and definition are copies of Benedettos. There is written history on this.

[RiloKiley]

Originally Posted by posternutbag

I started the "What constitutes a professional archtop" thread and that sort of went sideways on me, so let me ask my question in a more direct way.

What is the general consensus on Eastman archtops, specifically the acoustic, non cutaway archtops like the AR805? If your opinion of them is poor, is there an alternative acoustic archtop in the $3k price range you like better, something like a vintage 1940s Epiphone Triumph?

I am looking for the exact same thing, completely acoustic, non-cutaway archtop. Same price range too, although ideally less than $2K. The vast majority of luthier made archtops are out of the question, you're pretty much looking at some vintage archtops, Eastman, The Loar and not much else.

The problem with vintage archtops is that there is really no good way to know if it's good or bad by looking at some pictures and a description on the internet.

They probably were not as "consistent" in terms of quality as present day archtops are, and you add 40+ years onto their lifetime and it just seems like a bit of a shot in the dark, although I don't doubt some of them are great. Unfortunately, I have never seen one I would be interested in a local store.

I've played some Eastman's and liked them, seriously considering one, but once again I probably couldn't try before I buy. There's a couple of local dealers that could bring one in, but I would probably have to order it before hand. Still undecided, but this thread is helping.

[louparte]

Guild A150 Savoy. Not made in China. Made in S. Korea. Not $3K. It's $1149 @ Sweetwater.
But it's Venetian cutaway.



If I needed another arch-top, that's the one I would buy. I'll probably get one of the other Newark Street models though.

I'd never buy a purely acoustic arch-top. To me that would be like trying to type with one hand or walk on one leg.
Maybe some folks have need for them though. YMMV.

My arch-top is bigger and louder than the ones being discussed. Wider at the lower bout & deeper at the hump.
18" or close lower bout, over-sized F-holes and 4 or 5" deep at the hump. Plenty of acoustic volume - even with coated electric strings.

Even so, I use it for recording electric guitar parts. That Quebe sisters guitar player was incredible on the L-12. But I can't play like that.
I slide around on unvoiced chords with it plugged in when I record it.

[Oceanlover]

My experience with Eastman archtops is they have decent tone but their fit and finish is terribly inconsistent.

[upsidedown]

Originally Posted by Oceanlover

My experience with Eastman archtops is they have decent tone but their fit and finish is terribly inconsistent.

Wow! I must've gotten lucky. Or was the beneficiary of a positive inconsistency. Or something. Because my AR605 is just perfect, in terms of fit and finish. Eastman flattops are notoriously inconsistent in terms of specs of nut size and string spacing, but that's another story.

Which is not to say the Eastman couldn't work. The ones I've played have excelled at being electric guitars...their acoustic voices are pretty, and decidedly quieter than a parallel braced Loar

I have picked up a couple of Loar archtops and was surprised at how quiet they were, actually. It probably has something to do with the plastic finish. Not to say that I got the best examples or the right model, but that plastic coating was a turnoff.

[mr. beaumont]

The upper level Loars have a nitrocellulose finish...they're solid wood and very, very loud. Check out the 600, 650; and 700...

[upsidedown]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

The upper level Loars have a nitrocellulose finish...they're solid wood and very, very loud. Check out the 600, 650; and 700...

I figured it was something like that .

[mr. beaumont]

I've never run across any of the 300 series, or the older 500's...I'd like to compare.

The thing about the Loars though is they can be a bit brash...I actually have flatwounds on mine (an all acoustic lh600) to tame it a bit...

The Eastmans I've played (a pisano and a 805, I believe) were sweeter sounding, but not as loud...very nice sounding, playing, and looking guitars...I've heard about (and experienced) some quality control issues with the Loar, but the solid wood Eastmans I've played were set up great (the one exception being a 371, Eastman's take on a Gibson 175, which was just terrible--but that was just ONE guitar.)

Archtops is a big world...hope the OP is being helped...

[posternutbag]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Archtops is a big world...hope the OP is being helped...

Immeasurably. Like I said in another thread, I don't live close enough to enough archtops to try out a bunch. My wife and I do travel, and when I go to larger cities I am able to try a greater variety of guitars.

In the past, I have bought from a small local guitar store, but they don't carry archtops and they were a little deceitful with regard to my last purchase (they did not tell me that the guitar I bought was used, they also didn't say it was new, so I bear a significant portion of the responsibility for not asking, but still).

I am trying to figure out the archtop market, which is, I think, more complicated than the flattop or electric market with fewer choices. This must have been what all guitar buying was like 20-30 years ago, a few low end choices and a few high end choices, with a small, emerging middle ground.

[Oceanlover]

[QUOTE=upsidedown;3609775]Wow! I must've gotten lucky. Or was the beneficiary of a positive inconsistency. Or something. Because my AR605 is just perfect, in terms of fit and finish. Eastman flattops are notoriously inconsistent in terms of specs of nut size and string spacing, but that's another story.


Good for you. Just don't breathe on it too hard as the fragility of Eastman archtop finishes is typically off the charts.

[upsidedown]

Originally Posted by Oceanlover

Good for you. Just don't breathe on it too hard as the fragility of Eastman archtop finishes is typically off the charts.

Just not having that experience. And believe me when I tell you that I know from fragile Eastman finishes! I've owned -- and sold -- 6 or 7 Eastman flattops, some of which had real issues in that department.

[mr. beaumont]

I think early Eastmans were notorious for having a very thin, fragile finish. It has been my experience that QC has been tightened up regarding that...

But it's still a thin nitrocellulose finish...it's a trade off...The cheap Epiphone that's been dipped in plastic is going to have a much more durable finish, but once you've seen a nice burst sprayed in nitro over some figured maple, well...you know why people like nitro.

And of course there's the argument that it sounds better too, which I will only mention--not jump into

OP, depending on your budget it's not a bad idea to check out what you can get in a used Heritage. Really great guitars that have a bad resale value...which is great if you plan on keeping it! You might find a used Eagle for about the price of a new Eastman...

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

...depending on your budget it's not a bad idea to check out what you can get in a used Heritage. Really great guitars that have a bad resale value...which is great if you plan on keeping it! You might find a used Eagle for about the price of a new Eastman...

FWIW, players are starting to get wise to the (former) bad resale value - which was more a function of their once-realistic initial pricing (about one-third to one-half of what you would pay for a comparable Gibson in the early days) than anything else - and, unfortunately, so are the resellers (new and recent used versions of their Gibson counterparts - albeit made of solid woods in most cases - sell for comparable money). By way of example, I passed on an all-acoustic '86 Super Eagle a few years ago (just bought a Taylor Custom Solidbody a couple weeks before so I didn't have the liquid funds) at $4K: one of the first Super Eagles (possibly the first acoustic), near-mint condition, one of those lightning-fast mid-60's 1-5/8" necks that Gibson doesn't have the agates to make anymore (and, unfortunately, neither does Heritage lately), all for about 40% of a comparable Super 400. Doubt there's another out there like it, at anywhere near the price...

Originally Posted by louparte

Guild A150 Savoy. Not made in China. Made in S. Korea. Not $3K. It's $1149 @ Sweetwater...If I needed another arch-top, that's the one I would buy...

Don't know if you've ever priced an original 1950's DeArmond "Redhead" Rhythm Chief pickup in decent condition with all accessories, but if you have it's almost like getting the guitar for free - and it's got that Rat Pack-era vibe that you're not going to get for anywhere near the price...